1957 Buick Century Model 61 interior door panels repair/new

[Guest Century57 Buick]

I'm looking for a dealer for new door panels or someone that repairs/refinishes interior door panels for a 1957 Buick Century Model 61. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[D Yaros]

SMS Fabric

[Pete Phillips]

I just had some interior door panels redone by SMS for a 1954 Buick Special I am restoring. Let me warn you ahead of time: Do NOT be in a hurry if you want to send them to SMS. I sent them and paid in advance for the door panel restoration in March of 2012. It took them 24 months--that's right, two entire years, to do the door panels. This, despite them telling me they had a 6-month turn-around time for door panels at the time I sent them in, and despite several phone calls and letters in the intervening two years.

TWO YEARS! I kid you not. Yes, they did a beautiful job, but TWO COMPLETE YEARS????

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, Texas

Edited May 25, 2014 by Pete Phillips (see edit history)

[Guest Century57 Buick]

I just had some interior door panels redone by SMS for a 1954 Buick Special I am restoring. Let me warn you ahead of time: Do NOT be in a hurry if you want to send them to SMS. I sent them and paid in advance for the door panel restoration in March of 2012. It took them 24 months--that's right, two entire years, to do the door panels. This, despite them telling me they had a 6-month turn-around time for door panels at the time I sent them in, and despite several phone calls and letters in the intervening two years.

TWO YEARS! I kid you not. Yes, they did a beautiful job, but TWO COMPLETE YEARS????

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, Texas

I did some research prior to posting here and the reviews I saw were very much like what you have said Pete, so I'll wait some and see if anyone else might come up with some other suggestions. If I don't get any other ideas from people here I'll call SMS and try them. Thanks for your help.

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Hey, it took over 50 years to wear out the original panels, so what's another two years to get them replaced? It would be nice if SMS had a better idea of their own turnaround times. However, that's why we come to the forums for this sort of advice. Yes, SMS is always late but on the other hand, they're products are consistently excellent. It's that three-legged stool - you can get quality, you can get the best price, or you can get fast delivery. You just can't usually get all three.

[60FlatTop]

A 6 month turn around time for door panels. "Mr. Vendor, let's pretend I sent them, you fart around doing whatever preparations you need to do and I'll ship them in 160 days."

The funny part is their attitude when you want your car or parts back. I remember picking up two primered Model A wheels after a year and a half. They were supposed to be finished in Apple Green. The guy said "I don't know why you are so antsy about it."

I remember the first collector car I serviced in 1991. I had told the owner it would be done about 3 PM on a Saturday. As he drove away I looked at my watch and it was 11:30 AM. I am planning to get back into the collector car servicing business again soon and keep my existing operation going, as well.

I think a lot of these slow movers are afraid to hand over the finished product and have the quality and warranty issues begin.

Bernie

[bhambulldog]

SMS did my door panels and seat fabric 14 years ago. We did wait some time for them to be returned.

But they still look great today. And a perfect match. Wait or not, I would use SMS again.

[Smartin]

Do the Century door panels have the heat-pressed scripts or lines in the vinyl? If not, then just order the materials and have a local upholsterer make them. My 58 Limited had some special upper vinyl parts with the pressed designs, and I ordered the materials from them and nothing more. They took 3 months to get the materials to my upholsterer...better than 6 months or 2 years.

[bhambulldog]

Adam,

That's about what I remember for mine to get to me, three months or so.

[Bhigdog]

Just use the upholstery guys the TV shows use. They send their stuff out on Tuesday and get it back on Thursday afternoon. On the other hand most restorations take at least 2 years and most likely more. The trick is to send your re-chrome and upholstery out early in the process. On yet another hand SMS does outstanding work so even though you may wait it's worth it to have no nasty surprises. On one more hand the ladies at SMS have to deal daily with often impatient, often un-knowledgeable folks, tire kickers, price shoppers and folks just trying to pick their brains with

no intention of buying. ................Bob

[buick5563]

Lot a hands you have, Bob

[Bhigdog]

I often wish I had a third hand................Bob

[oldstyle]

Wow, 2 years? There is no way Id wait two years for door panels. Is to much to ask for quality and service? I don't think so. I understand that quality work takes time but that doesn't make it ok to just take as long as you like.

[Bhigdog]

Making quality interior panels and parts for a multitude of often off beat cars and stocking the correct materials for them isn't the same as cranking out sausages. Material often must be reproed. Dies for hot stamping must be made. The panels are made by hand, one at a time, to order, by very talented crafts persons. Often the material itself must be made to order. I've ordered 4 sets of interior panels and other interior pieces from SMS. They usually quoted about a year wait, always delivered within a reasonable time frame, and I was always exceedingly pleased with their work. So, actually they do deliver both quality and service and they take only as long as necessary to do so........................Bob

[Guest Century57 Buick]

Do the Century door panels have the heat-pressed scripts or lines in the vinyl? If not, then just order the materials and have a local upholsterer make them. My 58 Limited had some special upper vinyl parts with the pressed designs, and I ordered the materials from them and nothing more. They took 3 months to get the materials to my upholsterer...better than 6 months or 2 years.

The panel foundations are a type of paper board that is roughly a quarter inch thick. The materials on the face are a type of vinyl fabric.

[buick man]

Well for what it is worth, the owner of SMS told me a few years back that he was the only interior supplier hat has his own textile mill located somewhere in the southeastern U.S.. Now does that mean he owns and operates this mill or subcontracts from it? With that said, either way it may appear he waits for a substantive accumulation of specific patterns before making runs or has to set up for each specific pattern run specifically. I think it is the former. This would logically account for the long turn-a-round times as he is producing the fabric. The embossing services he offers would be much quicker in terms of months rather than years. Yes indeed, many have told tales of year long plus waits for their specific material reproduction turn-a-rounds.

This makes me think, one would be wise not to sent a very large section of your material in for analysis and reproduction, least you wait for years with no fabric covering the seats or whatever.

[lancemb]

It's that three-legged stool - you can get quality, you can get the best price, or you can get fast delivery. You just can't usually get all three.

You can always count on theses forums for a proper stool analysis!