CARS INC. 1963 Impala interior / complete

Phalen409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
After much research and discussion with several suppliers, I decided to order my complete interior from CARS INC. after they guaranteed they were the best in the industry. I even ordered their foam seat covers to ensure consistency.

I even had my installer talk to CARS to insure their material met his standards. His shop builds custom interiors and high end one off cars for cruzin and strictly show restorations. After using the CARS foam seat cushions AND having to add more foam this was the result:

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Phalen409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
As you can see, these seats were cut wrong, seams did not line up, and they were cut TOO BIG. The repo buttons are much larger than the originals and the chrome caps on the buttons are loose and rattle.
I sent these images and a few more to CARS and they didn't have an explanation and they needed to have them shipped back to evaluate. My interior guy said they needed to be taken apart, seams re-aligned, re-cut and re-sewn. We will also have to add even more padding foam to make these look as they should.

After reading the troubles of other forum members and the inordinate amour of time it took; I opted to have my guy just redo this crap.

I was going to keep my mouth shut......... but today I found out the door panels' nail strip was 1/2 to 9/16 to high and could not possible engage the fasteners in the door. We had to strip off the cover, cut the metal nail strip and reposition the strip so that we could secure to the door.

Wonder what the headliner will look like.:facepalm:furious:furious:furious
 

drc409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I had zero issues with my complete 63 interior that I bought from Ciadella in late 90's. That said, I have seen installers use a hair dryer to help with stubborn wrinkles so suggest you try it.

No excuse for incorrect sizing, positioning of trim strips ... A couple of reasons I went with at Ciadella at the time were they had the correct size buttons and correct wrinkle pattern on bottom door panels. Competitors did not. Can't remember for sure, but I think Cars sold PUI interiors back then.

Good luck!
 

tripower

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
After reading the troubles of other forum members and the inordinate amour of time it took; I opted to have my guy just redo this crap.
I think you made the right dissension and saved yourself a big headache and whole bunch frustration and time by having your guy fix the issues. I had a similar issue with my Cars Inc. door panel alignment from front to quarter panel lines not lining up. They even made a new set and was even worse....:doh
 

yellow wagon

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Boy does this sound familiar. I too had a professional install the seat covers but opted to have him just build all new foams so they fit right. Ultimately, cars remade the front seat covers for me which was great customer service on their part. I have photos of the finished interior. So make sure if you aren't happy, you work with CARS to get it right!!!!!

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dm62409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Same here, had mine from Ciadellas installed with with their new foam, at a high end custom auto upholstry shop, with this result. Not completely satisfied, and not real pleased either.
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real61ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
I dont mean to pile on here but I had the same issue with Cars on my 61 interior, they said it was my installers fault . The upholstery shop called them but they would not accept any blame. The upholstery shop had to cut my seat covers apart and resew them. Ended up costing me an additional 500 dollars. Also made a Cidella customer out of me for the future.
 

yellow wagon

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW how much additional my interior cost me Tommy. I had two different shops do it for me. The second one, Perfect Auto Trim's John was the ticket! The installer is the critical part in the equation! Live and learn. But two shop's install charges, shipping covers back and forth. What a mess. The final result is very good but glad I'm done with that project!
 

430hp

Active Member
I had multiple problems with CARS over the years. Out of four restorations I completed, not one front door panel fit. You get the same BS when you call, we never had that problem before. They claim they use jigs off of original door panels, so they have to fit. My 64 biscayne door panels were so off, I sent my original door panels from the car for them to copy. Nail strips always off and I had one pair too short on the length. Their response was I did not have the upper rails all the way down. Always someone else's fault. I just placed a headliner for a bubbletop. Some of the seems we're not sown straight so I had wrinkling. Very frustrating! And their prices keep going up & up.
 

skipxt4

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 18
Boy, I guess things have changed.:doh Seven or eight years ago, people were saying Ciadella's interior's were wrong. I was almost sorry, I made the wrong decision, to buy from them. Pete was alive, when I bought my interior, and any problem's that came up, he was right on it. Great People. RIP, Pete.:(
 

wally72974

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
I'm pretty worried about my interior coming from Cars. I ordered it before this was posted. It's for my 55 Chevy.
The upholstery lady that does vehicles around here is very very good. Her and her husband been at it for 30 + years.
She told me she has had the best luck with Cars interiors. She told me that some companies interiors don't fit worth a crap but she always
had good luck with the Cars Inc. brand. I have a friend who's a rep for cars and I got a little discount (like 9 % off) so I went
ahead and ordered everything for the interior of my car. Headliner, Carpet, Door panels, and seat covers and foam. All from Cars.
You've got me worried now so I'll be looking at it very carefully when it gets installed. I'll shoot some pictures when it's done.
(Probably not for another 2 years) I just hope it's nice. I'm not looking for $10,000 perfection.
 

Phalen409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
INTERIOR UPDATE!!!!:angry

Copied E-mail with these images posted below sent to CARS INC today. Another quote of "we have been building these things for 40 years" has really pissed me off. If they do not at least send me the requested material to have my guy fix this, I will drag them through the mud, for damn sure. Needless to say at $79.00 bucks an hour (discounted rate), I will have a fortune in "the cheap seats"!!!:furious:furious:furious:furious:furiousIMG_0026.jpgIMG_0027.jpgIMG_0029.jpgIMG_0030.jpgIMG_0031.jpgIMG_0032.jpgIMG_0033.jpgIMG_0036.jpgIMG_0038.jpgIMG_0044.jpg
 

Phalen409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
Thickness of add'l foam added to JUST the BOTTOM of the bucket seats. Had to add TO ALL SEAT COMPONENTS and it still looks like shitIMG_0046.jpg
 

skipxt4

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 18
That's a shame.:doh I would be pissed.:bat They're cop-out statement, is to always blame the installer.:bang
 
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