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| istter1 | Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
 
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I guess the next time he is in California will be Dec. What type of show discounts does he have. What can he do for you at the show and how do you get on his list.
What is the quality of his products? Give me some info and if the drive would be worth it. I have the 87 vett with saddle color seats what type of seat covers do I ask for. My foam is in great shape. Only about a 3-4 hour drive. Will any of you be there? Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 4:51
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| bogus | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Grand Imperial Pooh-Bah
 
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Be where? What show is he at in December?
His stuff is pretty good, from what I hear. Question, are your foams new? If not, they are toast. They won't survive a recovering, more then likely. The foam gets all brittle over time, and feels ok within the confines of the covers, but once released to the open air? Well... not so much. I would expect to do new foam, too. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 5:17
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The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place. - George Bernard Shaw Education is the best tool to overcome irrational fear. - me |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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http://www.alknochinteriors.com/index ... w=article&id=47&Itemid=54
Dec 3-4 At Pomana Swop Meets. Thanks for the info on the foam. I am planning on going depending on the weather. I don't know what else is going on there that weekend. Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 6:59
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| biggrizzly | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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2011 Memorial Day Car Show Winner!
 
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I agree with Andy about the seat foam. I had Al Knoch's people cover my seats a few years after I bought the car. Yes that's a long time ago but they have held up well. However I do caution you that if your foam is bad, the seats will wear prematurely. I did not replace my foam and now after approximately ten years I had to have the driver's side bolster foam and the leather on that panel replaced by a local upholster. Perhaps it would have worn differently with new foam.
Overall the quality is very good. I have driven in and fondled lots of Al Knoch seats and all them were very nice. How much of a show discount? Probably not too much, maybe 10%? But 10% off a thousand dollar seat job is $100, so not too bad. Al does great work especially for the NCRS crowd. He knows the leather and vinyl grades they need plus he knows what belongs in what year car depending on what options were available. However, with all this said... I think that if I ever get them recovered again, I'm going to buy the Vinyl seat covers from Mid America at half the cost and either install myself or have the local upholstery shop do it for me. The photos below show the color and quality of the seats when they arrived from Al Knoch. All three of these photos were taken around 2002/2003 Attach file:  seat_back.jpg (69.66 KB) seat_bottom.jpg (57.18 KB) new_seats.jpg (171.82 KB) |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 11:47
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Don Haller Corvette Club of America 94Coupe, 383Stroka, PeteK Trans, 3000stall, 3.54rear, Konis and bigger sways. |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Ya I have seen that nasty foam go bad. I was just being cheep.
Thanks Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 12:40
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| JeffK | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Damn Don, I love your interior. I get a tinge of jealousy everytime you post pics.
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 13:19
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| BillH | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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The Stig Moderator
 
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Some posts with the C2 crowd have said that Al's quality has gone down a bit but still decent (you'd have to research that your self).
The products from Corvette America get high ratings. Just sayin'. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 13:22
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Every man dies but not every man lives. |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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In the olden days I worked a summer for a saddle maker and I learened the quality of good leather.
 That was the worry about buying on line and not getting to smell and fondle the material. Nothing like the smell of new learher.Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 13:41
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| 95Vert | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Senior Guru
 
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Steve, have you checked into pricing of the set at leatherseats.com? They put out a great product from what I've seen in the Miata and RX7 world.
I have not seen the Knoch product, but have heard about it in the Corvette world. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 14:42
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Ralf "Send lawyers, guns and money..." |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Quote:
I haven't heard of them tell now . I will give them a look see. Leather is great, but it can be damaged so easily. I love it though. I want to some how personally check out seats but that isn't easy to do. Thanks Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 15:07
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| biggrizzly | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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2011 Memorial Day Car Show Winner!
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I agree... have heard the same but then again a close friend of mine just had his '65 Convertible done by Al. They did the seats and the convertible top and it looks awesome. Also remember our seats are NOT 100% leather. Only the top surfaces. The sides and back are vinyl. Or at least that is in 1994 |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 16:16
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Don Haller Corvette Club of America 94Coupe, 383Stroka, PeteK Trans, 3000stall, 3.54rear, Konis and bigger sways. |
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| biggrizzly | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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2011 Memorial Day Car Show Winner!
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Well those photos have been around a while and the seats are starting to show a little wear. The passenger seat still looks like new though. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 16:18
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Don Haller Corvette Club of America 94Coupe, 383Stroka, PeteK Trans, 3000stall, 3.54rear, Konis and bigger sways. |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Thank you I was told to stay away from the seats that are perforated (have holes in them). And as for seat style mine is stock 87 tan. What does sports mean. Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 17:18
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| j3studio | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Perforated is correct for keeping the stock look, but many folks believe the non-perforated seats wear better. Early C4 sports seats have adjustment buttons on the seats themselves. The "normal" power seats only have power controls in the console. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 17:25
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Grace, 2003 50th Anniversary Convertible |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Perforated is correct for keeping the stock look, but many folks believe the non-perforated seats wear better.
Early C4 sports seats have adjustment buttons on the seats themselves. The "normal" power seats only have power controls in the console. My Vette has "normal" power seats only have power controls in the console. I have seen the other Design. Does anyone know if any other parts venders will be there on that weekend? Thanks Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 19:27
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| 95Vert | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Senior Guru
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Perforated seats were not original to the C4 line, right? That would be the only reason to avoid them as they wear just fine. My 88 RX7 convertible came with perforated seats from the factory. The wear actually occurs at the bolster, seat back and bottom.
For maintenance of leather, try the Leatherique line of materials...Leatherique.com has instructions. They are actually here out of Aiken, small outfit but superb product. Not cheap though but great quality product. If the color is wearing off, try their dyes. They are made to order based on a sample you send them. They work beautifully. I don't know if leatherseats.com attends any meets. Another data point, I'm picking up a highly bolstered seat, almost like the Corvette seat from my upholsterer later on today. The leather had become too worn and ripped at the bolster where the driver enters the car and rubs it. He inserted a piece of leather there and put new foam down in the seat bottom to shore up the bolster there. $65 total. Sometimes, it may be easier to have the leather replaced. I will still have to dye the new leather as he didn't have the dovegray but that is fairly easy. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 19:44
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Ralf "Send lawyers, guns and money..." |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Quote:
Same place mine came apart I took out my sewing Awl and stiched it back together. You can barley tell. I am cheep. But I do want it to look good. Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 20:29
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| flyboy | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Hard to tell on my '91. The contact side of the bolsters are leather for sure. The quality of modern vinyl is so good. One of these days I'm going to take a drive to MAM and inspect their vinyl seat covers firsthand. Grizz, if your driver seat is showing some wear, you can always swap them, that's what I did. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 20:43
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Isn't the passenger side where the hot women are sitting.  Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 21:05
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| BillH | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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There's no vinyl on the sides of a 92, all leather.
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 22:36
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_________________
Every man dies but not every man lives. |
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| BillH | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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The bolster on the seat back? I have a theory on that. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/5 22:37
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Every man dies but not every man lives. |
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| biggrizzly | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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2011 Memorial Day Car Show Winner!
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Quote:
I think that the earlier seats have a hard plastic cover on the back of the seats. The later cars do not, but according to Al Knoch and others the material on the sides and backs of the later cars seats is vinyl. I may be wrong but it would be good to see if others are like that. It is difficult to tell as the vinyl is a great leather imitation. Although its a bit shinier than the actual leather. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/6 0:19
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Don Haller Corvette Club of America 94Coupe, 383Stroka, PeteK Trans, 3000stall, 3.54rear, Konis and bigger sways. |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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http://www.pomonaswapmeet.com/future_events.php
Well looks like it is a car show that Al Knoch will be at on the 3-4 Dec. Anyone been to one of the events at Pomona. Looks like a lot of venders but who are they? Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/6 0:50
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Transfer
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| flyboy | "leather seating surfaces" | ||
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Elite Guru
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My '91, 69k mi. seats (too small for many, fine for me) have the hard plastic shell and "leather seating surfaces" as described in the factory brochure. The non contact areas of the seat are fabric backed synthetic. The seating areas are leather. Hard to tell from the outside, but plainly visible from the inside at the seam transition, in the pictures. My seats have not been recovered. They are original.
Oops, meant to start a new thread Attach file: P1010001.JPG (132.54 KB) P1010002.JPG (127.66 KB) P1010003.JPG (134.36 KB) P1010004.JPG (127.31 KB) P1010008.JPG (142.85 KB) P1010013.JPG (143.52 KB) |
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Posted on: 2011/8/6 14:38
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'91coupe, LT4Hotcam, some other stuff. If it's too loud, you're too old. "He works on old cars, then junks 'em" |
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| istter1 | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Elite Guru
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Well I know certain color seats make a vehicle stock. Has anyone pictures or seen another seat color that goes with Saddle?
Steve |
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Posted on: 2011/8/6 20:27
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| corvetteronw | Re: Al Knoch seat covers | ||
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Senior Guru
 
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I stopped by their booth at Bloomington Gold this year. It seems like he had an 87-style on display in a 2-tone tan and brown. Looked real nice.
I talked to a sales gal at the booth about my 91. The blue passenger seat is near perfect but the driver's side needs replacement. She said she could sell me just 1 seat cover but that I would have to call ahead and mail in a sample piece from the passenger seat to make sure they could match it. She also said that they would not offer their usual money back guarantee if I did not like the match. I think I am going to take a chance and go this route with one leather cover. |
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Posted on: 2011/8/19 0:47
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A VETERAN IS SOMEONE WHO AT ONE POINT WROTE A BLANK CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR AN AMOUNT OF UP TO AND INCLUDING THEIR LIFE. |
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