MTFCA Forum

I am ready to upholster my 21 touring but which one is better in quality and or price. Each specify different materials options. Which is better or which is cheaper.
Frank

Classtique is the only way to go. Contact Mike Francis.

Classtique - A very happy customer! Product and service....Elizabeth did well to get Mike !

Classtique all the way!

The verdict seems strongly in favor of Clastique so far but why? How is the Clastique product superior?

I have a '23 Runabout that we home upholstered using a plywood plank & foam rubber from a local upholstery place. This car will need both an interior and top at some point.

Paul,
one thing Classtique has going for it is great CUSTOMER SERVICE. I've not had experience with the "other", but I've read
where it's just "buying product" and that's about it. Plus, as I recall, Mike has a lot, if not all, the specs for exact fit of
material. Maybe even the "textures" also. And he will listen to you. Example....just about every boot top made by "others" are usually too tight of a fit. I mentioned that to Mike when he made mine for my '13, he was careful to give it a "little extra" and you couldn't ask for a nicer, easier fit. No straining! Plus, unlike "others", as in the earlier tops, he has the specs to make it CORRECT, i.e. the little flaps on each side of the boot. Many do not. When you spend over $300 on a boot top, you want it right!
Give 'im a call!

I be used both and for me quality wise they were about the same. Never met the folks at Cartochue but met the folks at Classtique at Chickasha and they were nice people and helpful.

I know what you mean about the top boots. My '14 came with a very nice top boot but it just decorates a shelf, I can't get it on. The car should have one, I read somewhere that Ford provided them with the car when new.

Being nice folks & easy to work with is a big leg-up even if the product is the same.

Paul, FWIW, sell your current boot, someone will be okay with fighting with it!!
Then call Mike at Classtique and just remind him to make it an inch larger all the way around. And
get the little flaps, because he does actually only offer them as "optional equipment" believe it or not. I love mine.

I have used both products. I found that I had to thoroughly check the Cartouche order to be sure that all of the 'parts' were there. The Classtique kits are complete, nice quality, and fit nice.

Buy Clastique!
My last top purchase ended up a Cartuche top from one of the vendors, a 1916 with a roll-up rear curtain for a runabout. The rear curtain was incorrect, wider for the touring instead. By the time Clastique finally responded and dropped the ball a couple of times, summer was over and my car still sits in the shop waiting for warm weather to be able to install. Quality seems good, customer service stinks.
For upholstery Cartuche uses incorrect vinyl covered buttons that come apart. Clastique uses correct metal buttons and the fill is more full, not just sewn through tucks.
No question where I will go with future orders.

Dale:

Is this part correct? " By the time Clastique finally responded and dropped the ball a couple of times, summer was over and ……" I do agree with the first part of your post. thanks,

If anyone has used clastique 14 touring seat kit please contact me via Email or 561 262 0393 respectfully, Rich
P S looking for a partial pieces ,decent used O K, doesn't have to be perfect .

James, yes, by the time that I got the correct part it was mid fall and not warm enough to get a good tight fit on the top, it is still sitting in the shop waiting for sunny warm days for the install.

The chief difference I can see between Cartouche kits and Classtique's is that Classtique kit uses power coated buttons (which are nice) and the Cartouche doesn't, theirs are seat fabric covered. The other difference is that the Classtique kit comes with everything and installs as a unit (upholstery cover, padding, muslin sewn to the cover, the buttons are installed through upholstery to back muslin cover with a flat metal button to anchor them, so it is a unit. Whereas Cartouche's kit has the buttons installed, but through loose padding with large pieces of upholstery fabric or strips to anchor them. and you've got to cover your springs with burlap first, then add extra cotton (padding to make the crown). With Classtique's upholstery the muslin is tacked to your tack strips and forms a nice shelf for building the seat backs crown. You can get good results with both, just with a Cartouche kit, you've got to work with a bit more than with a Classtique's kit.

As for the instructions, both are about the same for both Top and Upholstery....crap (xerox copies of xerox copies or xerox copies...really muddy). I offered to help Mark with that problem, but he seems to think I do nothing but cut and paste whatever he has already (which are also pretty crappy). First off I don't "cut and paste", I draw, and I've made enough ordnance prep and load out manuals to know how to show what needs to be shown to clarify hard to fathom areas of installation to leave absolutely no doubt as what goes where or how. Needless to say he didn't take me up on my offer, which is why you still have the vague instructions with the crappy often hard to read drawings too. But at least he's available by phone if you need answers.