other threads of this sort seems to be quite old…
at the present time any recommendations for the best interior kit for a FHC?
I’m in the USA but can be the UK as well.
Thanks!
George:
I got mine from BAS in the late nineties, at that time they had a franchise in Vancouver, B.C. (I am in Ontario, Canada), however, I understand they subsequently moved to California. I found the materials to be excellent (seat covers, carpet set, door panels, boot lid etc.) and they have certainly stood up well over the past 20 plus years. I note from an email today that Moss Motors have Jaguar interior kits on sale at the moment–although I was somewhat staggered by the current pricing! But I guess that is just a sign of the times.
Chris.
I’ve purchased two different interiors, one just recently.
This last October, in the search for a 150 kit, I considered BAS, OSJI, and XKs (now Moss)
I spoke at length with BAS and was leaning towards choosing their kit. It was a bit more expensive, but their leather samples and especially the moquette were an exact match to my original color and texture.
OSJI did the kit for my MKII back in 1998 and it still looks factory new. Based on that, I wanted to stay with them for the 150 if possible. So I spoke with them about options to more closely match my original interior. They had me send samples of my leather, moquette, and carpets. Don’t know how they did it, but they sourced Exact matches. We then went to visit them, evaluated three different kits, and were very impressed. We were able to examine every piece of our kit and even asked them to swap out two pieces.
I’m sure I would have been very satisfied with BAS, but can’t say enough about the customer service and the beautiful pieces OSJI did for us.
Can anyone comment on the Suffolk&Turley kits sold by the shop in Austin Texas.
I used to own an automotive upholstery shop in NJ in the 70’s and 80’s. 15 years, 10 employees, we did everything. Wheels, seats, bed liners, power moon roofs, carpets, vinyl tops, restorations…
I choose BAS. Two of our members have specimen XK’s and BAS is in each. I could find no faults.
if you were going to buy a Suffolk and Turley kit…just get it direct from the UK
Call Eric Suffolk.
UK shipping is very inexpensive compared to USA shipping.
I would be very specific with them concerning every detail, if you ordered such a kit.
I have one of their kits and they were very good in matching colors
but they had many details wrong and they believe they are right, when they are not.
wrong fasteners on the tonneau cover for example…I won’t list every detail.
however it is a high quality kit…just not 100% correct.
To be brutally honest none of the kits you will get will really be correct
example
which companies use genuine vaumol leather?
Which companies even get the colours right
Which companies actually use the correct very thin cloth vinyl (Rexine) to edge carpets, trim kick panels underdash panels etc
which companies actually even trim these panels correctly
which companies edge the carpets correctly
A recent headlining I purchased from one of the big reputable supplies was not even the correct cloth material.
you could buy a trim kit and I could find at least 20 things wrong with it if you are after total authenticity.
etc etc
Terry Mc Wrote:
“which companies use genuine vaumol leather?”
When I got the interior kit for my 120DHC, Jags, Rolls, Ferrari’s, etc. used nothing but Connolly Leather…
I understand Connolly went the way of the Dodo Bird in the late-'90’s…
So, if Connolly Leather WAS the “right stuff”, wouldn’t the “Vaumol Leather” be a “non-authentic” substitute??
Charles Ch# 677556.
Connolly is the manufacturer of the leather and they made dozens of grades/types/finishes of leather and finishes.
Vaumol is just one of these ie it is a Connolly product most XK’s had this grade/type/finish but some XK’s had different grade/type/finish of Connolly leather
Whilst they had closed for a couple of years they are back in operation and offering the Vaumol grade of leather but its expensive and that is why I raised the subject of what companies are offering the correct leather. Most leather supplied these days looks like a piece of plastic.
We’re restoring our cars with what’s available. Not our fault. Nothing wrong with that.
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you can match the grain/texture of the original leather and rexine very closely
with modern materials. and the colors as well.
the question is, does the trimmer you choose to make your kit know the difference or care.
or when they are sure that 140 details belong in a 120 and a customer can’t be right or know what is correct. too much ego can be a problem.
if they know what is original and how it was done and they care…they could closely match original.
many trimmers want to make so called “improvements” that just make the results worse and even more inaccurate in my opinion.
not easy to choose a trimmer who know what was original and how it was done.
well the funny thing is if you do your research check how it was done originally and check the materials that you need you can get something awfully close but all to often I get owners wanting perfection, you ask how they sourced an item and then note I brought the cheapest one!
George absolutely spot on
got this reply, at least the owner is prepared to acknowledge the mods and there is no problem with this its those that talk about there car being perfect, will argue that it is and it is nothing like it should be.
The only thing I would note here in Australia its impossible to get better chrome than it was back in 1953!
"Then stay the f#@& away from my car.
The exhaust is stainless,
the tail light bulbs are LED,
the rubber seal around the boot isn’t the same stuff,
the paint isn’t the 1953 formula,
the tires are radials,
the windshield glass is a skinch thinner,
the chrome is better than 1953 chrome,
the oil filter is spin-on,
the plexi in the side curtains is better than the 1953 material,
the gasoline doesn’t have lead in it.
…and the carpet binding isn’t just like they made it in 1953 either."
you can’t go back to 1950 and buy the material
but integrity and determination can get you as close as possible.
any more votes for the best quality interior kit?
only contender so far is BAS…other votes or experiences?
I owned an upholstery shop in the 70’s and 80’s. We did everything from bed liners and pinstripes to interiors in '59 Caddies to vinyl roofs and power moonroofs.
My 120 will get a BAS interior. If I still owned my sewing machine I would still use BAS.
There is BAS in USA. and BAS in UK. I believe. You are talking about BAS. USA?
I have no idea, but it’s worth a phone call or email to find out.
Sorry, my question may not have been clear. You seem quite sure that you will use a BAS kit Probably as you consider it the best choice. I was asking where you intended to source it from.
Their shop in California.
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