"06 Escalade Build: Engine cover finished!

[m1949]

The '06 Escaladde build is almost complete. Upholstery should be finished this week. After that there are some small jobs left and a few things on the punch list to sort out. Then the builder will drive it for a week or two to make sure there are no issues. If nothing major shows up, I should get my V-Series tribute, Pro Touring Edition, 06 Escalade by mid May. Can't wait! I will post MANY photos!

BTW, here is the logo design I did to commemorate the build. I've ordered a few hats as shown for the builder and his crew, plus some for me and my buds to wear during "Cruisin' the Coast" in October.

 

[m1949]

A few new photos. Interior is almost complete. The seats turned out well. Its hard to tell, even with the closeup photo, but the stitching is gray to match the pewter trim. Still need some red trim added on the doors panels and console and carpet installed. The cladding, front bumper, grille, etc. paint work is done. Now they are rehabbing original paint. The end is in sight!

 

[Tonyrodz]

A few new photos. Interior is almost complete. The seats turned out well. Its hard to tell, even with the closeup photo, but the stitching is gray to match the pewter trim. Still need some red trim added on the doors panels and console and carpet installed. The cladding, front bumper, grille, etc. paint work is done. Now they are rehabbing original paint. The end is in sight!

Seats look great. How soft is the leather? I'm surprised you didn't do any embroidery on the headrests.

 

[m1949]

Seats look great. How soft is the leather? I'm surprised you didn't do any embroidery on the headrests.

I asked about having the Cadillac Logo done on the headrests. Leatherseats.com said it's copyright protected and requires purchasing a license from GM to legally use it; which as a matter of company policy they do not do. The headrest covers come off pretty easy. When I get the car home I may look for someone who is willing to add the logo, or maybe not. The sans headrest logo look fits with most of the exterior badging being removed and/or replaced. The leather we chose is pretty soft. Leatherseats.com has one grade higher of leather which is softer still. But they don't offer it in the darker red tone I wanted. The color I chose is almost identical in darkness to the car's paint.

 

[m1949]

Still very much a work in progress; but here are a few more photos showing the seats installed and reconditioned paint. The builder painted upper dash and steering wheel trim to match seats.

 

[adventurenali92]

Wow man that looks really good! At first I’ve wasnt crazy about the steering wheel but the more I looked the more I realized it ties the interior color scheme together unlike the black leather or shale leather wheel against the red seats and dash. I’m jealous! That’s very unique and done very well!!

Side bar: curios to know how they re did the leather on the steering wheel to match the seats? An actual leather covered stitched onto the steering wheel frame like the factory finish originally was? Hard to tell from photos but looks that way as the leather looks like it’s snuged up perfectly to the wood grain grips the way the original factory leather would if it the leather surfaced cover was fitted and stitched into place on the frame work of the wheel!

 

[Tonyrodz]

Still very much a work in progress; but here are a few more photos showing the seats installed and reconditioned paint. The builder painted upper dash and steering wheel trim to match seats.

Hopefully the steering wheel doesn't peel. Looks to be a perfect match.

 

[m1949]

Wow man that looks really good! At first I’ve wasnt crazy about the steering wheel but the more I looked the more I realized it ties the interior color scheme together unlike the black leather or shale leather wheel against the red seats and dash. I’m jealous! That’s very unique and done very well!!

Side bar: curios to know how they re did the leather on the steering wheel to match the seats? An actual leather covered stitched onto the steering wheel frame like the factory finish originally was? Hard to tell from photos but looks that way as the leather looks like it’s snuged up perfectly to the wood grain grips the way the original factory leather would if it the leather surfaced cover was fitted and stitched into place on the frame work of the wheel!

He dyed the steering wheel wrap to match the leather seats. He routinely reconditions and dyes leather seats and used the same product to do the steering wheel.

 

[m1949]

Hopefully the steering wheel doesn't peel. Looks to be a perfect match.

I asked about that. He told me he used the same product he routinely uses to recondition and dye leather seats. About 5 years ago I had reconditioning and redyeing done on another car that had wear and small cracks in the seats. It came out looking new and held up as well and the original seat finish.

The Upholsterer is now working on the door panels and console lid. He is replacing the insert above the armrests and the lid with the same red leather; and the builder is dyeing the armrests to match. I'll post more photos when its done.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I asked about that. He told me he used the same product he routinely uses to recondition and dye leather seats. About 5 years ago I had reconditioning and redyeing done on another car that had wear and small cracks in the seats. It came out looking new and held up as well and the original seat finish.

The Upholsterer is now working on the door panels and console lid. He is replacing the insert above the armrests and the lid with the same red leather; and the builder is dyeing the armrests to match. I'll post more photos when its done.

Do you know what the product is that he used? Possibly a link?

 

[m1949]

I'll ask him. The seats I had done a few years ago were the light beige Lexus has. They were 5 y/o and had small crease marks and a few cracks from wear, but overall the leather was decent. I called a local guy who reconditions leather. He used a filler product on the creases and cracks. He matched the color perfectly with a thickish, almost creamy dye product. He stipple brushed it on and feathered it to eliminate streaking. He did both front seats in about an hour. I think I paid $100 and he came to my house to do the job! (This was when I lived in DFW.) They came out great. I kept the car two more years then sold it to a friend who drove it for 3 years. The seats still looked good when he recently sold it to a guy who shipped it to Kenya. BTW, he told me he sold it to the guy from Kenya for more that I sold it to him!

 

[Tonyrodz]

I'll ask him. The seats I had done a few years ago were the light beige Lexus has. They were 5 y/o and had small crease marks and a few cracks from wear, but overall the leather was decent. I called a local guy who reconditions leather. He used a filler product on the creases and cracks. He matched the color perfectly with a thickish, almost creamy dye product. He stipple brushed it on and feathered it to eliminate streaking. He did both front seats in about an hour. I think I paid $100 and he came to my house to do the job! (This was when I lived in DFW.) They came out great. I kept the car two more years then sold it to a friend who drove it for 3 years. The seats still looked good when he recently sold it to a guy who shipped it to Kenya. BTW, he told me he sold it to the guy from Kenya for more that I sold it to him!

I used to repair seats for dealers.
Some of my work.

 

[adventurenali92]

I used to repair seats for dealers.
Some of my work.View attachment 369860View attachment 369861View attachment 369862View attachment 369863

Killer work man!

 

[Tonyrodz]

Killer work man!

Thanks, I appreciate that.

 

[m1949]

I used to repair seats for dealers.
Some of my work.View attachment 369860View attachment 369861View attachment 369862View attachment 369863

Very Nice! This kind of leather/vinyl repair amazes me! Did you replace or repair the seat panel? Either way, killer!

 

[Tonyrodz]

Very Nice! This kind of leather/vinyl repair amazes me! Did you replace or repair the seat panel? Either way, killer!

I just repaired it, didn't replace.

 

[m1949]

I just repaired it, didn't replace.

That's amazing!

 

[Tonyrodz]

That's amazing!

Thanks. I went to school in Michigan to learn the trade. I had my own business, but it died with the pandemic.

 

[m1949]

Thanks. I went to school in Michigan to learn the trade. I had my own business, but it died with the pandemic.

That truly is too bad. The guy doing my build has complained to me more than once that the pandemic made it all but impossible to get various car work done. He said his painter is so backed up he's no longer doing total paint jobs; says he can't get help for prep work. I have a friend here who is doing a rotisserie restoration on a '71 GTO who can't find anyone willing to paint it. That's all he has left to do before putting it back together. He's been looking all over the Southeast. He had to go to N. Carolina to get his last car painted; but that shop is backed up over a year.

 

[Tonyrodz]

That truly is too bad. The guy doing my build has complained to me more than once that the pandemic made it all but impossible to get various car work done. He said his painter is so backed up he's no longer doing total paint jobs; says he can't get help for prep work. I have a friend here who is doing a rotisserie restoration on a '71 GTO who can't find anyone willing to paint it. That's all he has left to do before putting it back together. He's been looking all over the Southeast. He had to go to N. Carolina to get his last car painted; but that shop is backed up over a year.

I've heard that complaint many times. I only did wholesale work, not retail, and the other problem was dealers wanted the world for $1. They were some cheap sobs!