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veedubman72
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2014
Posts: 230
Location: United States
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 Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 2:49 pm Post subject: Taking the topic of interior fabrics here (TMI) |
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| TMI Products wrote: |
| veedubman72 wrote: |
| If you guys (TMI) could replicate the Mk1 GTI fabric (blue velour with the red stripe), you would have several customers banging down your door. |
Here is where the problem lies. I know people want the original fabric, weather its a watercooled, vanagon, or air cooled. In order to get the best pricing on fabrics, we have to buy between 500 and 1000+ yards. Unfortunately, the few guys banging down our doors will not be enough to make the investment.
Not saying it couldn't happen, but is it even available? |
The original fabric is no longer available and I believe 500 yards would go quickly. It takes about 3-5 yards to do 2 fronts seats. SMS auto fabric sold out all they had and people are still asking around for the stuff. I believe folks will continue to do so. It's a very classic fabric for a very popular car that many people like myself are trying to restore. I know folks that are putting in Mk2 seats or some other seats because the original blue GTI seats in good condition are almost non-existent. Good driver's seats? forget it! The velour didn't hold up well against time and peoples asses sliding across them over and over. At one point, original NOS fabric was going for $300/yard |
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TMI Products
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2014
Posts: 744
Location: Corona, Ca
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:15 am Post subject: |
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I looked into our production and we use about 1.4 yards for the insert, being that we order a minimum of 500 yards (sometimes more depending on the vendor), it would take about 333 sets of front only upholstery to use that 500 yards.
Now lets look at it another way, 58-64 bug, basic black basket weave, extremely common, we sold 30 sets in 2014.In the 6 year span, there was 5.2M bugs made. Lets say on the high side we sold 3 per month, 36 per year.
It would take about 9 years to sell through the 500+ yards of inventory.
These are the numbers they would look at before making a purchase. I would love to bring in every oddball fabric VW offered, but its not possible with all the different options for all the different years.
If its not even available then we really have no where to go.
_________________
Mario De Leon
1965 Turbo Mustang Fastback
1966 Type 3 Fastback
VW Division Sales Manager
[email protected]
TMI Products
1493 Bentley Dr.
Corona Ca, 92879
1-800-624-7960
951-272-1584 FAX |
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Shadd
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2007
Posts: 883
Location: Lancaster, Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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veedubman72,
I have seen the blue/red stripe westmorland GTI velour for sale on http://www.mk1autohaus.com/. At the time I was looking for replacement fabric for the interior of my '84 GTI with red interior. They didn't have anything for that but I ended up buying NOS replacement rubber floor mats for my '76 swallowtail base. Anyway's it seems like a good resource to check out for mk1 restorations. |
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veedubman72
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2014
Posts: 230
Location: United States
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Mk1 autohaus has been out of the fabric for a long time. They sold out quickly too. |
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veedubman72
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2014
Posts: 230
Location: United States
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| Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:42 am Post subject: |
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*Update*
I called SMS interiors and although they no longer have the NOS fabric in stock, they have managed to make a replica fabric. They are sending me a sample and I will post to show how close it is. |
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