[vintage]

first of all,let's get it straight...naugahyde IS vinyl.it's just a brandname!like levi's or wranglers...it's still denim!there are many new technology vinyls out there,u just gotta know what to use.if u r gonna put it in a car,then u need a vinyl that has UV treated quality,expanded vinyl is easy to work with.just because it's thicker doesn't mean it's better.most of the tweed materials on the market were originally used for office furniture,so your pretty safe using it.tweeds are pretty durable as a general rule.ultraleather & ultrasuede are great products,but they tend to be highend materials.don't throw good money away...ask your local autotrim shop for suggestions & pricing...our markup usually isn't any different than the fabric stores!and we are more knowledgable than they are when it comes to auto upholstery!

 

[kristkustoms]

I take it you own an automotive interior shop also. I run into the Naughahyde/Vinyl thing all the time, it's just like Kleenex/Tissue. We tend to stick to the higher end materials, we use alot of leather, and use alot of UltraLeather and UltraSuede.

There are some high end alternatives, that are fairly new to the market, that rival the quality of UltraLeather. A company out of Texas, called Interior Supply and Service sells (exclusively I think) OptimaLeather, which is a bit thicker than UltraLeather and looks and feels just the same, and sells for $10 cheaper per yard than UltraLeather. We have used SymphonyUltra in a few cars, and have been pretty happy with it. SymphonyUltra sells for about $20 cheaper than UltraLeather per yard, we buy it from Miami Corp.

Shawn Krist
Krist Kustoms
Kustom Automotive Interiors