And the first winner of our Gedore Craftsman Scissors giveaway is...



@Eric Gordon of Everlast Auto Interiors & Tops in Linden, New Jersey! Congrats Eric!

We'll pick another winner next Sunday!

In the meantime, save 10% off your next purchase from KC Tool by using coupon code: HogRing4Eva. They sell Gedore Craftsman Scissors, needle nose hog ring pliers, diagonal super cutters and more!!!

This sounds awesome! I wish more auto upholstery shops and car clubs collaborated on events like this. It has the potential to educate the public and promote your business.

Your program looks great. The only topic I would consider adding is DIY vs Pro work. I assume a lot of these guys are mechanically inclined, so may think they can handle an interior project themselves. That’s probably true of headliners and other simple projects, but not of the more complex and technical stuff we do.

Maybe talk to them about why it’s important to have a pro do the work. Besides the obvious repair/installation stuff, they may not be aware of other important factors we take into account: fabric stretch, clearance, weight of materials, etc. With all our years of experience, we also have an eye for aesthetics that they may lack.

They're great for those hard-to-reach places. Check out our review on them.

Singer offers all its old parts charts, instruction manuals and service manuals online for free. Check out our article: "Free Singer Sewing Machine Guides"

Hope you find what you're looking for!

Thanks guys! We hope to make giveaways and special offers a regular event in this forum.

Remember, whether or not you win the scissors, you still have that 10% off coupon code. You can use it to buy Knipex needle-nose hog ring pliers, diagonal super cutters, or anything else KC Tool sells.

We have both of these in our shop, and recommend them to everyone!

That's a cool tip! Gotta try that. Thank you.

You're right, not many photos of the car with the top up. However, we did find some photos on these websites that could be helpful:

• https://goo.gl/rY7CGa
• https://goo.gl/kvm7Lq
• https://goo.gl/FhSkJ2
• https://goo.gl/hhZbk6
• https://goo.gl/aeMDYB

Also, Haartz Corporation has a "Vintage Restorer's Guide" on their website. It doesn't have information for this particular make and model, but it does provide a way to contact Eric Haartz, who may be able to point you in the right direction.

You're also doing this for premade seat covers you install? I ask because you mentioned a "made in Mexico" label.

I don't understand why someone would do this to their door panel, but nice job wrapping it. Must've been a pain in the butt!

Will definitely give it a try. Thanks Diana!

Yup, and it gets even grosser -- it's bacteria poop! We wrote about this last year: "That Pink Stain on Your Vinyl is Bacteria"

Be wary of cleaners. Studies have shown that the stain is permanent. Cleaners can make it appear like it's gone, but it'll come back. The best way to avoid the pink stains is to use marine-grade vinyl, foam and thread infused with antimicrobial solutions.

That's so awesome Landon! So glad we were all able to help you, and that you ended up choosing the best machine for you and your shop.

Mal and the entire NC team are amazing. Always helpful, and stand behind every machine they sell. We love working with them.

Looking forward to that review!

@Bob Roush Your website looks great. Very professional. However, I do think most repair shops can get away with something more simple (and less expensive).

@Chris Vining Yes! Yes! Yes! Google reviews, as well as sites like Yelp, are really important to stay on top of. They're free and can draw in lots of business.

This is all really great insight, thanks guys.

@Chris Vining You may not have a traditional website / social media page, but you're definitely making great use of the internet to promote your work. Your approach is really unique. Very targeted and efficient.

@Jesse Durkee I think you're spot on. A basic 3 - 4 page website is all most repair shops need. Basically, a place where potential customers can read your list of services and know what hours you're open. Very basic stuff.

@Howard Bailey Hahaha, anything to cut down on distracting shop visits -- right??

I wonder about the cost aspect. I know there are a lot of snakes out there charging exorbitant fees to business owners for very basic websites that require no coding at all. That's probably a barrier as well.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I definitely agree that nothing beats word-of-mouth. However, I would counter with the following points:

1. I'm not suggesting that a website should take the place of word-of-mouth advertising. But it could serve as an added bonus. After all, not everyone knows or has someone to ask.

2. Having a website doesn't need to be complicated. You can have someone create a website for you and just let it be. No need to update with every new project. It's passive advertising. When someone does a Google search for "auto upholstery" in your hometown, your website will pop up.

3. Social media is definitely more involved, and is therefore not for everyone. But a lot of people (myself included) do waste time on Facebook and Instagram every day. If that's the case, updating a business account once or twice a week should be pretty simple.

The old school business techniques still work, and they probably always will. But there is a new generation of customer emerging that lives online. Auto shops that aim to stay in business 10 - 15 years from now would do well to meet them where they're at.

Albright's Supply, where @Torrie Coffman works, also just launched an online database that works just like the Detroit Books, covering models from 2000 - 2017. Check it out: http://www.autooriginals.com

Wow, that is BIG shop. It seems you've come up with a unique way to grow your business with little capital investment. Good luck with your partnership, and definitely keep us updated on how it develops.

No problem. I love the business side of the industry just as much as the craft itself.

You mentioned that you already entered into an agreement with a detailing shop. What's the scope of that agreement? Are you renting space in their shop, but still operate independently? Or did you combine your businesses entirely -- assets, finances, etc?

I understand what you mean.

I think it's a great idea to house different types of automotive businesses in the same complex, as you can refer work to one another and help each other grow. This is pretty common in the U.S., where many landlords build big garages with separate bays or multiple garages on a single property. But this isn't really a merger because all the businesses are still legally and financially independent.

Legal mergers typically happen in one of two ways...

1. One shop buys another shop to expand its operation or make inroads in another territory or market.
2. Two or more businesses combine their assets to create an entirely new company, in which each of the original business owners has a stake.

They both have pros and cons that depend on who you're working with and your ultimate goal.

If you're thinking about expanding internationally, talk to the guys at Carlex Design. From what I can tell, they've developed a unique business model where they share their brandname and expertise with several outstanding shops across Europe.

Your "dirty zone" looks really clean to me... :)

An engineer at Juki sent the following graphic along to NC to share with you. It illustrates the Juki 1508NH’s new feed mechanism.



The primary difference between this new feed mechanism and the existing feed mechanism is (1) a longer stitch length, (2) rectangle feed, and (3) an altered needle bar stroke.

As you noted, NC sells the Juki 1508NH and the NC1508NH. The two machines are comparable, but the NC machine costs $1,000 less and comes with a longer limited warranty.

If you have any questions, give Mal a ring at 973-481-3500. He can provide you with more details.

We used this website three times today Torrie! Great resource!

Trying to wrap my head around this. Check out the seats and dash on this lowrider. Is this what you mean?

Only within 15 minutes of making that post.

Right on! Well said.