TMI Leather big disapoinitment

tulsaBill

Got my new leather today and I am pretty disappointed. The color is almost spot on but the grain is way off and the piping is too large. I knew that the piping was an issue for the 92 cars but I had not heard of any problems w/ the 93 cars. The sample they sent me was the correct grain so I'm a little bugged that the production unit I got was off.

I have contacted 5.0resto and TMI to see what can be done. I have not decided yet if I will use this or return it.

irishthree

Bill, to bad about the piping. Hopefully it won't be very noticeable and you get a good discount. I couldn't pick it up in you pictures by the way.

Like my wife always sayS, "it's just a car."

Easy for her to say, she just has to look good in the passenger seat!

RDrink25

It looks good but I understand with paying that kind of money you want it right! Overall how would you rate it from 1-10 and where did you get the kit from?

gokstate74

It's tough to be off from factory oem, but what can you do? I mean, no one other than TMI is making the stuff. Who will really car in the end? Anybody who knows these cars knows that Ford leather is not made to last. Unless someone has some stashed away anywhere, TMI is the solution for all of us, or, I guess, find the custom upholstery shop.

tulsaBill

The color in sunlight is really closer than the pics show. The piping does make a dif since I was going to keep my original headrests (the kit does not come w/ ponies, those are extra). I'm going to have my installer look and see if he can put ponies in the new headrests or change the piping in my originals to match. I may even see if my installer can get a hide and make me a custom set w/ the correct grain and piping. If so and it's not outrageously expensive I may send these back.

I got the kit from 50resto but it gets drop shipped directly from TMI. $615 w/ shipping. I went w/ the TMI kit based on the good reviews from others particularly when purchsed from Laural Mt Mustang. Apparently the source leather that TMI uses has changed over the years.

This is what I got back from TMI when I complained about the grain:

Hello,


Please send the images to this address.

Also, please note that we do not produce nor claim to produce exact factory reproductions as exact NOS materials are often obsolete. We do however try to produce the most accurate factory replacement items available in the market today.

Please send me the images as I would like to see the issue, also please let me know which TMI Dealer the item was purchased through. Please provide an order number if possible.


Bill,


Your points are valid but unfortunately unavoidable with the NOS material being obsolete. We definitely strive to make the most accurate and complete factory replacement items that are (as LRS worded it below) practically identical to the originals. I can honestly tell you, with a 100% confidence, that we manufacture the highest quality Fox seats that are available on the market today and worked very diligently to try to get each and every detail correct. However, as you’ve pointed out, we were not able to replicate the originals to a tea as it proved to be impossible.

If you are able to locate any of the OE material, we would be more than happy to manufacture you a set using your NOS leather and piping.


Thank you,

tulsaBill

and I got this back from 50resto

Bill,

This is the closest to factory leather that is being made for the foxbodies right now. You won't find a reproduction that is identical to the factory leather. I'm sorry for the disappointment, but if you want to return them you can as long as they are not installed.

Cobra2top

I am going to add a little to this. I ran into the same thing a few years back. I needed new leathers for my 92 and to make matters worse, I needed the black piping. Here is the link to the back and forth on the decision and pictures at the end of my before and after. As to can see the kit I had installed is really as close to factory as I believe you can get. The piping is exactly the same size as factory which after alot of research is actually hard to find. Additionally the graining is the same. Last comment, when I had my seats installed, the installer had a TMI kit and it was night and day between the 2 in look, feel and workmanship. The kit I have is made by Autocraft Interiors (customseatcovers.com)

http://www.triplewhitefox.com/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/266

Give them a call and see if they can help.

tulsaBill

I did check out Autocraft and had them send me some swatches. The color of their swatch was spot on identical to the TMI swatch (they also sent another swatch called 'snow' white that was shockingly bright). The grain was a little more pleasing in the Autocraft swatch but still not smooth like the OEM. I never considered piping because I thought that was only an issue for the 92 cars. The order form from autocraft was pretty confusing and when I called to try to get some direction all I got was "if you order the wrong thing that's your problem" So I went w/ the TMI kit.

After much deliberation I have decided to stick w/ the TMI kit. My car is not concourse anyway (subframe connectors, no cats and flows) so the grain will not make that big a difference to my enjoyment in the long run.

For what it's worth LRS has accepted my photos and let them display on the website so other would be customers will not be surprised when they get the kit.

twocarnuts

I think the aftermarket will catch up to fix this delima with these leather cars. When we restored our Yellow 93 Feature I was lucky enough to find a color match/grain match bolt of unused leather to have ours redone. I paid though the nose but they turned out great.

Cobra2top

Sorry to hear you did not get better service from Autocrafters. I ran into a similar issue when I was looking for my kits. I originally was going to buy the TMI kit and have my local installer put them in. He said he would but would not be responsible for any "issues" that arise. I asked what issues, and he said the kits workmanship. If the kit rips or does not fit properly, he is not responsible. Not a good deal for me (although he did say he installed TMI kits before with no problems). Not wanting to spend the money on a kit and then with my luck be the one he has problems with, I asked him to give me his best price using his ki that he would hold responsibility for. He pulled out his Autocrafters book with large swatch samples and we compared them to my car. The grain was spot on and so was the color. I then said I wanted the smaller piping (knowing TMI was larger). He did not see it in the book so he called his sales rep while I was there and the guy said it is hard to find but would need to call back if he can get it. Few minutes later the rep calls us back and says he can get the smaller piping. Happy so far he runs the numbers and his kit cost is actually less then the TMI kit as I would need to pay for shipping on the TMI.

The way it sounds from your experience and mine, is that Autocrafters is more of a business to business type of operation. My installer called his "rep" and had answers within minutes and a kit within days.

So, anyone looking for a kit I recommend asking your local installer if they use or can use Autocrafters and see what numbers they can come back with. I had my seats done 2 years ago so things may have changed but it is worth a shot to atleast compare prices.

noac

SMS auto fabrics for NOS material. They will send you samples. Some say even that grain is off but they claim it is NOS original Ford. They have pace car fabric, 85/86 fabric among other.

tulsaBill

I've noticed one more discrepancy from OEM. On the original seats the back of the bottom cushion has a panel that is white carpet material where on the replacement seats that corresponding panel is vinyl.

I'm going to see if my installer can transplant the original carpet portion into the new bottom cover.

For the folks that have used another vendor, did they also have carpet or vinyl in that panel?

gokstate74

I always thought that white carpet looked a little strange...

Cobra2top

That was the only miss on my kit. Mine also did not have the carpet. I did not notice it until I had the car home to be hones. To me, the vinyl is fine for what my car is. If it was going to be a concour car some day (doubtful), I had the shop box up the old leather interior and it is buried in my garage.

tulsaBill

The pony went to the shop on Monday to have the TMI leather kit installed. My installer is going to transplant the white carpet panel off the OEM seats to the new kit. We are keeping the OE headrests in place for now.

The grain, color, and piping will all be slightly off. I guess when judged it will come down to either how picky the judges are or if they really can tell the diff or not.

RDrink25

SMS auto fabrics for NOS material. They will send you samples. Some say even that grain is off but they claim it is NOS original Ford. They have pace car fabric, 85/86 fabric among other.

I am getting a sample from sms but they said they only sell the hyde. Who would you then take it to to have cut and sown?