My MInd Wanders

[60FlatTop]

Slow progress to remove the upholstery from Riviera seat frames. Especially snipping the hog rings and being careful to keep the reference material from being damaged even though I won't use it again.

I was thinking that a professional would have made short work of this job. A few slices with a knife and they'd be reupholstering.

I want to take the seat frames out for a gentle glass beading and coat of satin black polyurethane first. Yeah, I'm 63 years old and this is like asking for a 40 year roof.

As I was working I was thinking about my plan of buying the Clark's upholstery kit and having it professionally installed. I did put a Clark's headliner and carpet in it myself back in '96.

As I worked I wondered about the excuses a professional upholsterer would have for sending the seats back with a crappy job. Will they say they didn't know how the underpinnings fit because I removed it and they didn't see it? Will they tell me those kits never do fit right? Maybe they will settle on the old standard of cars of that year didn't have good fitting upholstery.

The point is, I expect excuses from the so called professionals before I expect a good job, and that is not limited to car work. I wasn't born cynical and opinionated, I was trained by experts, persevering ones.

Tomorrow my '86 Park Ave gets dropped off at the transmission shop for the second time. First time after the rebuild it wouldn't shift. This time we hope to stop the whining that sounds like a blower, a 6:71.

On Sunday I am dropping my '60 Buick off for another bout of making the exhaust quiet. The bill this time should put me over $1500 for the system that was supposed to help the world sound better. On Sunday the only parts left of the mail order online system will be the tail pipes. After getting it to stop hitting the frame and bottom of the car we found that the muffler didn't muffle.

Those are the complaints du jour.

I'm Irish and I spend money like a drunken sailor, well, I was a sailor, too. So its not like I'm chiseling the job.

I remember an old guy who came to Rochester area car shows in the 1980's and '90's. He had a custom built sportster that he made completely by himself. His daughter told me he shot the deer the hides for the interior came from. I think about that old guy more and more often.

I think I'm going to do that seat upholstery myself. The carpets and headliner look pretty good.

Here's the progress on the seats:

Bernie

[JohnD1956]

I was able to install a Legendary seat cover on my GS Bernie. You can do this...

As for the whine, are you sure the power steering is bled? Doug and I had a tough time bleeding his on the 89 Lesabre T, till we hit on the plan of raising the front end so both tires were elevated, then s-l-o-w-l-y turning the steering lock to lock several times.

[60FlatTop]

John,

Thanks for noticing. Transmission only whines when you put the car in gear. Just another case of graciously letting the customer do quality control.

Oh, and its OK the comment on the attempt at humor.

Bernie

[jackofalltrades70]

Bernie,

You shouldn't have any problems getting the upholstery back on your seats correctly. Hey, if I can do it, so can you. It especially helps if you took of the old stuff.....Matt

[Guest shadetree77]

Bernie, sorry to hear about all of your bad luck! I've never had any luck farming work out. I don't think anyone takes any pride in what they do anymore. At least not the majority. True craftsman are few and far between. If there's any chance you can do something yourself, no matter how small, I would take it! I always try to exhaust every single option before taking my stuff to somebody. Even if that means trying and failing a few times first. You can do it!

[60FlatTop]

You got the point, Robert. It is not a matter of whether you can do it yourself. It is a matter of how infrequently anyone meets your expectations. I would like to be able to hire some work done without knowing some lame excuse will come at the end of the job.

Each time someone does a half-assed job the typical result is that the customer has something wrong with them. If you ask for specific care to be taken the so called professional is indignant.

Here is an example: GM has been manufacturing steering links for nearly 20 years. They are filled with grease as a cushion, no spring like my '35 Nash had. In about 20,000 miles they clunk and need repacking. The next 20,000 you put a new one in. That is pretty lame. Either GM doesn't know or they don't care.

If a customer leaves his GM vehicle for that service should they show the mechanic the steering wheel spokes are horizontal when the car is driven straight? That the horn works every time you blow it? That the seat moves freely and is not jammed all the way back? Point that out before and you are being demeaning. Point it out after and you are too fussy.

When I was a kid I remember the old guys griping about this and that. Well, two jobs coming up and the doctor says cardiac exercise should bring the pulse rate up to around 150. I bet the exercise will be easy.

Bernie

[Guest Rob McDonald]

BERNIE, I first understood that the blower-like whine you were trying to silence was coming from your "service professionals". I thought JohnD had misheard your complaint. I think my version was actually pretty funny. We've all been trained by expert incompetents but we keep hoping that the next guy will know and care about what he's doing. Faith in human nature, I guess.

A while ago, I found an upholsterer - and a young one at that - who did a beautiful, first-time-right job on my dining room chairs. I was then thrilled to discover that he's also known locally for excellent antique car interiors. That's the last big-ticket item left on my Buick and I think I've found my man for the job.

[60FlatTop]

Rob, I like your version better. And the need for humor about this. It won't change. I have worked closely with my nephew to show him how old cars work and how to meet a customer's expectations. He is a lot like your young upholsterer. He does most of my work now.

Bernie

[Seldenguy]

Bernie-- I know the drill! I had a lousy top on one of my old cars and decided to get a new one installed. The only difference when I went to pick it up was the matierial was new. But I do have a good upholsterer near here. Some consolation? --Bob

[60FlatTop]

Hi Bob, Good to see your name pop up; been a long time. Rt 36 shouldn't be that long a road. I missed the AACA show last week.

From the original entry, the '60 Buick finally has a quiet exhaust. The total cost was just over $1500 not counting the trip to Detroit to pick up the manufactured (not bent) front pipes. All that is left of the poorly made set is the tail pipes.

My other car has been at the transmission shop for a week now. Rebuilt once last year, wouldn't upshift, in for shift problem, out with loud whine when in gear. Yesterday he told me they pulled the valve body out and checked it. How can they stand upright and say stuff like that?

Bernie

[Guest Rob McDonald]

BERNIE, some of these people haven't been standing upright for long, genetically.