I can't imagine it would cost $600 to install? Could it?
$1,500 for leather sounds about right if he's making them new from scratch. You're talking leather, right? There's no guarantee on the match. They can get swatches and get as close as they can get. One advantage of buying new from an upholsterer is you could consider different leathers (like sued inserts for the front).
$600/seat to install is a, "I really don't want to screw with that job - price". Unless he meant $600 for the pair. That wouldn't be unreasonable. Personally I'd buy OEM and put on yourself. Watch a bunch of youtube videos. It's not Rocket Surgery. Jump into the project, git er dun ..keep plugging along until you get it perfect. Don't get lazy because you want to watch basketball ...and settle for a half-assed job -- it'll always look half-assed. Then show us the fine finished product!!
Also, you're assuming by taking it to an upholsterer to install, you're going to get back a seat cover that's 100% perfectly fitted ..that may or may not be the case. Having been active in the classic car world, I've seen several whack-jobs where guys paid a lot of money for half-assed work. How would you like to pay a guy $600 only to get it back with wrinkles?! Then you say to the guy, "Hey, is there any way to get out the wrinkles?" ..and he says, "We tried the best we could, but that's how they were made ...they should work themselves out after a while." (you're forever bummed, or you get up the gumption and fix it yourself in 2 hours ...and wonder why you paid the $$ in the first place). If I were an upholsterer with a shop and an apprentice helper, guess what (?), I'd put the $12/hr newbie helper on the pre-made easy-to-do GM OEM-made seat cover job while I sew away at the custom higher-paid work I promised would be finished two months ago! Installing OEM-quality seat covers would be the easiest task an upholster could do! It would be like changing oil for a mechanic. So, of course, you put your new guy on that job, he can hardly screw it up. Plus, ...like a good mechanic changing oil is kind of a waste of their talent and time, there's not much challenge in installing OEM seat covers for an experience upholsterer who takes pride in their custom work (and these guys DO take pride in their work). You could call around to other shops if you really don't want to do it yourself.
Really good upholsterers are almost always busy b/c there are so few of them ..who are excellent. And often they can't get to you for a while and they're not cheap. And this is the wrong time of year too b/c all the classic car guys want their cars done for the summer car show and cruise season. It's hectic right now. Maybe yer guy is one of those really good shops.
Usually the good upholsterers have rather odd hippie-like personalities and are kind of touchy to do business with, you'll find. Doing solitaire work suits them well. Dealing with these guys takes a special tact that not every customer is successful with. Not having to deal with that aspect alone would make me want to try my hand at installing pre-manufactured OEM quality seat covers (ha, ha!!). If they say, they should be done in a week, hopefully you'll get it back by the end of the month.
In some larger metropolitan areas you sometimes find organized shops who have several upholsterers and older ladies sewing in stages ...almost like a factory. These can be great places. They usually do work for shops, restorers and dealerships who need to operate on a good schedule and price/value basis. If you can find a shop like that, they should be a lot cheaper for new and install, and not make you wait for weeks or months. There used to be a shop like that around here I used a couple times. Great work. Owner had a heart attack and they closed down after that.
Good luck :whaa:
