The Pros and Cons of 6 Upholstery Options for Classic Cars
Classic car restoration is a hobby and a passion for countless vintage car enthusiasts in Orange County. Many of us invest a tremendous amount of resources, money, energy and time into the process, in an effort to recreate the look and feel of a bona fide classic car.
One of the major decisions in any restoration is choosing the right upholstery option for the interior of your car. Luckily, no matter how old your beloved car might be, you have more upholstery options to choose from today that you would've had back when your oldtimer first rolled out of the factory.
But how do you choose the right type of upholstery for your classic car? Do particular fabrics have any strengths or drawbacks you should really know about? Can you do the reupholstering yourself or should you hire the experts? Keep reading to find out.
What kind of fabric is used for classic car upholstery?
With the COVID-19 pandemic still going strong throughout America, many beloved classic car shows are getting postponed. If there's a silver lining to this situation, it's that at least now we can all take care of classic car reupholstering and other challenging restoration tasks at our leisure.
Here's what you need to know about the 6 available upholstery options for vintage cars:
Nylon is sturdy, budget-friendly, and relatively stain-resistant. Furthermore, it's virtually immune to abrasions. Unfortunately, it has a serious weakness in the form of sun damage: exposure to the sun will eventually cause the fabric to crack.
Leather is stylish, durable, luxurious, and relatively easy to clean. It can last for a couple decades, and it gets a gorgeous aged look as it gets older. Its major drawbacks are its high price, its need for regular maintenance, and the fact it gets hot in the summer and unpleasantly cold in the winter.
Faux leather has the look of real leather, but not its price tag. In addition to being cheaper, it's also much easier to clean. However, it's not as sturdy as real leather so it'll probably start cracking after a few years. Old faux leather also doesn't look as good as its real counterpart.
Suede is extremely comfortable and has that suave, polished look that can really make your classic car stand out. However, it tends to get damaged or stained easily, is difficult to clean, and costs a lot. This makes it the perfect option for vintage cars that are used only for car shows.
Vinyl is easier to clean than any other upholstery material. On top of that, quality vinyl looks almost exactly like leather (although it's not as sturdy). Its disadvantage is that it can get uncomfortable during long drives.
Polyester does a good job of mimicking the look of suede without breaking the bank. However, it's easy to stain and hard to clean. If you choose this fabric, we highly advise you to keep appropriate cleaning products in the trunk at all times.
Where can I find top-notch classic car upholstery restoration services in Orange County?
Whether you've only recently started your first classic car interior restoration project, or you've already been around the block a couple times, one of the best decisions you can make to ensure your restoration goes off without a hitch is to outsource crucial tasks to the professionals.
At Chimera Motors, we specialize in providing the good people of Orange County with the complete range of classic car restoration and storage services. With our help, you'll be taking your beloved oldtimer out for a scenic drive through the Santiago Canyon in no time.
