Has anyone on here ever used a seat upholstry or carpet kit from them? I was wondering if they are the way to go or if someone had better suggestions.

 

Hi Brawley,
I've not used the Vic Brit kits, though I've gotten a lot of other parts from them and been very happy with the quality (with the exception of some big sheet metal replacement pieces, but that's not their fault at all).
I did just put in a carpet kit from MSA, though. The Deluxe or whatever they're calling it, that's the molded full-coverage, 3-pieces to do everything from the firewall to the taillightpanel. I'd suspect Vic Brit carries it, too. Can't be too many manufacturers, I suppose.
As those things go, it went in pretty easily. The molding was great for fitment. I would note that any carpet kit will require you doing some cutting and fitting. For instance, there were no holes for the ebrake, ashtray indent, hvac core clearance, shifter, pedal stops, exact edge at the doors, etc. From the upholstery and interior experts I talked to before doing all this, that's pretty much necessary. The exact location of those holes is remarkably inconsistent from car to car. And, because those points are highly visible, being off by a half inch would look really bad, so it has to be done individually for every car. It's not hard to do (though a little nerve-wracking to take a carpet knife and scissors to a brand new expensive carpet kit), but your hands will get tired pretty quickly cutting through the carpet and padding. I was really, really happy with the results, though. Other than a new or re-covered dash, it's one of the biggest interior improvements you can make.
I still haven't decided about my seat upholstery yet. I was going to just go with brand new Corbeaus and harnesses. But I took another look at my original seats last week, and they're actually in really good shape, and new stuff is kind of expensive. But, the stock seats can't safely be used with harnesses, and their lateral support isn't great even when they're like new. And I want this rebuild to be nearly perfect, so I'd still have to reupholster them. But leather is awfully nice, and so are seat heaters... but now you're at the cost of new seating. So, lots to consider there. Maybe Santa will help out on the decision with what shows up under the tree... :-)
good luck,
Dave

 

Hey man, thanks for the info. I'm kinda new to the Zcar thing and I want to fix up an old 77 280 as good and cheap as I can.