Author Topic: Cost for installation of a new interior (Read 15691 times)

DickLewis · « **on:** February 12, 2014, 00:37:35 »

Hi guys,

I have previously said that I am re-storing my 250 SL and I am now trying to get a handle on what should I expect to pay an installer to put in the new interior. I am looking at the kits from Buds Benz, GAHH, and Worldwide Upholstery and expect that I would buy one of their products. If the interior, dash, and carpet is already out (which it is) what might I expect to have an installer charge to recover the pieces and install them? Look forward to your inputs.

66andBlue · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2014, 04:02:54 »

Dick,
if you had no trouble getting the interior dash pieces out without damaging them you should be able to install them too.

Consider sending the tough ones to recover (e.g. all upper dash parts close to the windshield, armrests) to the vendors you quoted and ask them how much they would charge for the work. And don't forget EAT, see: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19969.msg141586#msg141586

ghenne · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2014, 10:33:57 »

It takes about 160 hours of labor to install an interior.

stickandrudderman · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2014, 18:02:23 »

Any professional who needs 20 days to install an interior needs to find a new profession!

DickLewis · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2014, 00:00:00 »

Thanks. Actually my guy took the interior out and I am going to ask the potential installer to just re-do the pieces and have my buddy put them back in. My restorer friend is a stickler for details and I think that might make the best choice but the actual car is in one city and interior is in another. Still a lot to figure out. THis level of restoration is all new to me. I need to pay either the professional installer or my guy so it is which makes the most sense. My guy is less expensive I am sure since it is all cash but I don't know yet. I am meeting the potential installer on Monday so it will be educational to hear what he says.

Bonnyboy · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2014, 00:21:46 »

Good question: Its easier to redo the interior if the car is close by (feet rather than miles). Based on my experience putting my interior back together after it was literally ripped out of my car, there are several pieces that need to fit just so to look right. If your installer can make exact replicas of your interior you may be better off getting your buddy to install them but how exact gan he get them. I had to create a couple pieces that could not be saved (unfortunate demise of the neighbour's cat) and even though the upholstry shop had the old pieces as a pattern I had to unstitch the piping and redo the edges in a couple places to look right. So you have a conundrum - have the car close to the work or someone who will take the time to install properly. If the installer sounds very good it may be better to have him do it if he has the sewing machine close by to fix the little things that come up.

ghenne · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2014, 09:32:50 »

Quote from: stickandrudderman on February 12, 2014, 18:02:23

Any professional who needs 20 days to install an interior needs to find a new profession!

This is based on 3 data points:
- A quote from Bud's to do the work.
- The actual hours spent by a friend here in Toronto who used a competent local shop
- My own experience in getting the work done on my car.

I think a lot depends on how fussy you are. I wanted work as good as original.

71Beige280SL · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2014, 13:55:51 »

My interior installation took the better part of 3 weeks for sure. The guy I used was very particular and did a phenomenal job. I had new carpet installed and he put in new padding cut by hand. The tricky part as I understand it is the dash. He cut mine by hand from a large skin. He also had to have the skin shaved as it was a bit thick...great quality skin. Make sure you save the left over skin. It will come in handy for repairs.

Also had a new soft top installed with some minor repairs to the frame.

DickLewis · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2014, 22:53:53 »

Thanks for all the info but I am still interested in some real life numbers if anyone is willing to share. I have budgeted a number but I could be way off. I have a number of different ways to do this. But I am meeting the potential installer on Monday and will be more than happy to share what he tells me. I have to do it all, seats, dash, doors and carpets first. My second phase will be the convertible top, and the interior roof of the hardtop.

Time will tell.

andyburns · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2014, 04:25:33 »

Hi, am happy to share the 'real life numbers' I have encountered thus far. First point and big mistake I made is you get what you pay for. I purchased a year ago a square loop carpet set from Ebay. It was 300US less than the major players and at the time seemed like a bargain. Subsequently I have purchased a second set as the cost to fix the first one outstripped the cost of buying a good quality one. More than happy to share my embarrassing mistakes.

Once I did my homework I found you cant really go to far wrong with the major suppliers. I settled on GAHH in the states.

Just before xmas I spent around 7 thousand US with them and then had to put my hand in my pocket for another 800 to get the gear half way around the world. This included complete square weave carpet set, 2 hides of leather, seat covers, all new set pads, new cardboard door panels, leather door covers and soft top.

I have all this gear fitted here in New Zealand I went off to a couple of experienced top end auto trim shops who specialize in bespoke restoration work. The cheapest one came in at 5k and the most expensive 8k New Zealand Dollar. So all up you are looking at around 15,000 NZD or around 12.5k USD. Not cheap but again you get what you pay for.

When you are dealing with expensive raw materials you do not want to risk it with some rush job hack shop. The only other way is to do the work yourself. Again as I have found out in the last couple of days you risk destroying your valuable raw material through inexperience.

If you want to do your hard top as well you will be adding another 2k in material and 40-60 hours of labor.

Hope this helps.

Garry · « **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2014, 07:17:15 »

I had my 280SL professionally done and it cost me $5000 for the interior to be installed including dash and took around 90 hours and I paid another $1500 for the soft top to be fitted that I had purchased and it took the installer just over three days (26 hours) to do it. Note that was some years ago and at an hourly rate of $55, I believe I can still get the hourly rate at $65 for this work.

andyburns · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2014, 07:38:28 »

Garry what else did this include. Seems like a bargain. I am dealing with just the seats at the moment. Was on the phone tonight to a decent trim shop to talk about having the GAHH supplied seat cover being modified to fit the early 230 seats. They were talking about one day per seat at 100 an hour NZ. 1600 in labor plus the seats covers at 1000US + the four pads at another 1000US + 500 US for the shipping. ie almost 4k just for the seats. It the most expensive part of the build for me. Just cant see a way to reduce the costs without going down down dingy murky road.

Garry · « **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2014, 07:54:16 »

I supplied the interior and carpets that I had purchased. It was some years ago and I don’t know the purchase costs for the leather and carpets but the ones I just purchased, seats, door covers, arm rests, and hard pockets, together with a German Canvas top cost me $1985 USD and shipping of $400 usd for the lot. I had to pay $450AUD duty on the consignment.

The upholsterer that I have used in the past is in a small country town east of Melbourne so for a start it is not capital city prices. I am going there in a week and will be asking them to cost up the fitment of the interior and top as my initial place where i was doing it with his help has withdrawn due to too much work on now. I will let you know what they quote this time but believe it is still at $65 an hour.

DickLewis · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2014, 22:40:36 »

This is exactly the kind of reply I was hoping for. I will let you all know what I find out on Monday and also let you know how far off my original estimates were. I embrace the theory that you get what you pay for. I have learned on other car stuff that bargains most often do not turn out to be bargains. This particular restoration is really exciting for me as I am actually doing some of the little work myself. I was able to totally restore all the wood very successfully but the interior is way above my knowledge or skill level.

mmizesko · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2014, 01:21:02 »

OK guys,

I think you need to outsource your resto work to the US.

Last summer: All GAHH: 4 new pads, 2 full leather seat covers inc. headrests, New tan german canvas top (upcharge inc), new straps and elastic, and full installation: $4300 US.

Excellent Job.

Mike Mizesko
Columbus, OH

71Beige280SL · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2014, 15:49:14 »

Mine was a little higher than Mike's installation because I had every piece of leather replaced, new carpet and new top. I believe the total was around $7,000.00. Cutting the skins and molding it to the dash, etc. was a lot of work. My materials came from German Auto Tops in California. Installer was out of West Harrison, Indiana.

Very pleased with the result.

DickLewis · « **Reply #16 on:** February 18, 2014, 23:25:57 »

Hi everyone. I met with the prospective installers, showed them pics of the car, and what I wanted. I am currently planning on buying the complete interior kit from Worldwide (whose website recommended this installer as a local preferred installer here in Western PA). They are only about 30 miles from my house. I saw other current projects and they can certainly do the work. They will get back to me with a proposal. Once I get the proposal I will share the current costs as well as what they will do.

Everyone's input is very good and excellent for comparison.

Rolf-Dieter ✝︎ · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2014, 01:53:01 »

I saw yesterday in Michigan a new interior completely done very nice BTW and when I asked the dealer/shop owner he said $7,000-

KevinC · « **Reply #18 on:** February 19, 2014, 23:26:29 »

I purchased a beautiful new Twillfast top for my red "project car" from German Auto Tops (members of this group) this fall for $325 and had it installed locally by a good independent local trim shop for $600.

Rolf-Dieter ✝︎ · « **Reply #19 on:** February 19, 2014, 23:55:25 »

Looks real good Kevin !

Garry · « **Reply #20 on:** February 20, 2014, 00:20:33 »

Kevin,

Do you know their hourly rate then it will give a good indication of the number of hours it took to fit it.

Garry

KevinC · « **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2014, 22:57:02 »

Garry,

They looked at the top that was on the car and quoted the $600. I dropped it off the night before (at close of business) and it was ready about 3:00pm the next day. I believe that they said that "the book" called for eight hours.

Kevin

DickLewis · « **Reply #22 on:** February 20, 2014, 23:27:48 »

Kevin,

I agree it looks great and if it took 8 hours you can figure it out pretty easily. Around $70 per hour which would not surprise me today. They must have done this before because I have been told it can be pretty tricky. When I get my estimate which is promised for next Monday they are to quote doing the convertible top and the new headliner in the hardtop as a phase 2 quote. After reading all the replies from everyone I am expecting maybe a $5,000 installation number on the leather seats, carpet, doors, kick panels, dash, windlace, and the rest. If they quote the canvas roof and the headliner in the hardtop I am expecting another $1200. If it comes in better than that I will be pleasantly surprised. And this is in addition the the interior kit.

I think I am happier if I guess high and it comes in lower. OF course whatever quote they come in with I will offer the GREEN option (cash) and that usually gets another 10+%. But you never know. Time will tell.

Dick

mmizesko · « **Reply #23 on:** February 21, 2014, 02:07:51 »

Dick,

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

Headliner in hardtop will be a minimum of 20+ hours alone, assuming they've done it before. You have to take out all the trim and windows and seals to get it done..... and put them back again. Of course you'll want to replace a bunch of seals too, and the leather, and refinish the wood...... Cha Ching. There are technical instructions on this website with the procedure. The soft top is for toddlers, compared to the hardtop.

If they tell you it will only cost $500 for the headliner, run now. They clearly won't know what they are doing, and they will end up very unhappy, and so will you.

I recommend reading everything you can in the technical manual and the forum (use the keyword search) before you go any further.

Mike Mizesko

DickLewis · « **Reply #24 on:** February 21, 2014, 23:37:09 »

Mike,

Thanks. Well at 20 hours at maybe $60 per hour would get me to $1,200. I have already re-finished all the wood in the car myself. I had never done that but I took my time, got good advice from a cabinet maker, and the final result was spectacular. I appreciate the caution and trust me I will not venture into a group that looks too inexpensive or one that has not done it before.

Let's see what I get next week. Thanks again.

Dick

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Author Topic: Cost for installation of a new interior (Read 15691 times)

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