You Get What You Pay For,

Not Always - Sometimes You Get Considerably Less!

My reason for writing this:  I believe that the people who buy the highly advertised upholstery kits do not have the experience to realize exactly what they are getting, even worse, what they are not getting.  My intention is to help provide some education in this area.

 I am an expert in my field and have 35 years of experience in Jaguar restoration.  For most of this time we have offered the highest quality Jaguar interiors made, without exception.  It bothers me that the slight of hand advertising campaigns are not very accurate in describing the goods to be sold.

 There are many reasons that there are a variety of prices for seemingly similar kits, these are the most important ones.

       Labor:  Some of the upholstery kits, (the least expensive ones) are made by semi-skilled labor.  There is nothing wrong with using this type of help, but the customer should be aware that the product manufactured is no better than average.  This type of labor force is not capable of the precision that many restorers require.

       Materials:  There are many variations of materials that can be physically used in the construction of upholstery kits.  The finest kits use the best materials, the less expensive ones cut corners wherever they can.  All grades of leather are not the same, door panels and interior panels that are made from cardboard are not suitable for anything but the budget restoration.

       Kit Contents:  The inexpensive kits have the least number of pieces included.  If you are doing a restoration, you’ll need all of the upholstery pieces, not just the easy ones.  Sometimes obvious pieces are not included with the kits, this is an indication that the interior has never been test fitted to a car.  The other reason for less than complete kits is the manufacturer may not have the capability of making all the pieces.

       Accuracy and Detail:  It appears most of the inexpensive kits are made with speed being the most important factor.  Detail and accuracy take a back seat to speed.  Many of the proper construction techniques are labor intensive and require the skill of a craftsman.

 This is some of what you get and don’t with the bargain interiors.  Most people would consider the upholstery to be the icing on the cake on a long difficult restoration. Who wants to be disappointed at this point?

 If any of the above points whet your interest for knowledge, in this area please feel free to call me personally on our toll-free number and I’ll go over the details with you!

Bill Bassett, President

800-444-JAGUAR