Recovering the seats

[KevinH1990]

Over the past 20 years, I've had upholstery work done on several occasions. I've noticed a steady increase in cost and a decline in the number of upholstery shops in my area. I think the cost increase is linked to both overall inflation and the fact that people are keeping their cars longer.

I recently had a "sticker shock" experience similar to Lone Wolf's. The headliner in my Mercedes started to sag and the two shops I visited quoted around $1600 to replace it. This was in the middle of the pandemic, and the shops were backed up with work. I decided to DIY the project. https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w203/787955-w203-headliner-removal.html

I concluded that upholstery work is something that a person with average DIY skills can do. However, I don't think my first attempt provided the level of craftsmanship that I would expect from a professional. I also had time available due to the pandemic. If I was taking time from other activities, it may have made more sense to let the shop complete the work.

I think Gilles makes some good points especially regarding the possibility that some foam repair may be needed on the seats. I don't think $500 is an unreasonable price for top-quality work. But I don't want to discourage Lone Wolf. If she takes her time, she should be able to achieve good results and she will learn a new skill. Good luck to her.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by KevinH1990

I concluded that upholstery work is something that a person with average DIY skills can do. However, I don't think my first attempt provided the level of craftsmanship that I would expect from a professional. I also had time available than due to the pandemic. If I was taking time from other activities, it may have made more sense to let the shop complete the work.

I think Gilles makes some good points especially regarding the possibility that some foam repair may be needed on the seats. I don't think $500 is an unreasonable price for top-quality work. But I don't want to discourage Lone Wolf. If she takes her time, she should be able to achieve good results and she will learn a new skill. Good luck to her.

Yeah, I agree that Gilles made some good points — dammit! I've been mulling it over since he posted them. I'm sure I could install the covers myself, and I'm such a fussbudget about such things, the end result would be close to professional. But it would take me ten times as long as a pro, maybe longer. It all comes down to one question: How much is my time worth? As I said in my first post, the longer you live, the more you realize that time is a precious commodity. I had figured on repainting the center console and armrests satin black while the auto upholstery shop did the seats. Before I break into a rendition of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I Seen," I need to bear in mind that this is definitely a first-world problem, no?