Re: Vacation Car - 56 Patrician

Posted by HH56 On 2021/7/16 15:03:06

Unless you happen upon someone on ebay with a NOS set of seat covers, for the proper type material SMS is about the only supplier still in business-- actually I think for almost any of the older bulk NOS pattern fabrics they are about the last still operating. LeBaron-Bonney was another but they closed a few years ago. Hirsch might still have some of the repro pre 51 Packard striped cloth they once carried but mostly carries only carpet and the solid wool broadcloth these days.

If you send a sample of what you are looking for and ask SMS to match or return something in another fabric or in a pattern along the same general look, if that replacement is something you would accept as a substitute there is almost no wait -- at least there wasn't on the cars I did in the past. I was fortunate to find the NOS pattern in a different color for one and a very suitable replacement on another order but seriously doubt that would be the case with the original 55-56 Packard patterns. Don't think those fabrics were used by anyone but Packard so something that low in production is not in much demand like something GM or Ford used on a million other cars.

One of the reasons a wait can be so long is if there is enough demand SMS will actually have a special production run made of a fabric. Aside from the time it takes to produce it, because of the minimum quantity needed for an order they also wait until they have more than one order to make a special run worthwhile. I believe the late Randy Berger waited almost two years for the material needed for code 96 on his Caribbean to be produced but as I recall he said the material was perfect when it was received. They may possibly have some of that repro fabric still available.