Airtex, local hot rod shop or...?

[Chrisgoesflying]

I'm in the process of redoing the interior of my Cherokee 140. I already ordered the carpet from SCS interior which will arrive mid January. I also want to change the side/door panels and headliner. Airtex is the obvious solution here. Another consideration would be a local hot rod shop. What other alternatives are there? So far, I don't like the reliability of any of the local shops I called and I don't like the fact that Airtex has a lead time of 8 weeks (that's what they said when I called them) which means I wouldn't get my parts until the end of February at the earliest. Is there anything else like Airtex out there, just less known? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to disclose a specific business as it may come across as advertising especially if it's your business. I just want to get my parts a little faster than any of the options I've found can do.

 

[Gary Ward]

Where are you located ?

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Saskatchewan, Canada...

 

[Bell206]

Saskatchewan, Canada...

Down here, I would have the local upholstery shop do all the fabric/carpet work and I would sign it off. We used all Part 25 materials to keep things simple and had an excellent product when done in a very reasonable time. Perhaps a PM to @Dan Thomas will get you similar answers for north of the border.

 

[Rich Holt]

I chose Airtex for an entire interior change-out. I already received the carpet. The headliner should be any day now. The side panels and seats were a 17-week wait, however. 8 weeks might be a little optimistic.

 

[Gary Ward]

Saskatchewan, Canada...

Sorry can't help with any recommendations up that way.

I did meet and tour a upholstery shop in KY earlier this year after I had installed a Airtex interior.
Airtex I think is reasonable and good stuff. I ordered it in Jan 2020 it took them 4-5 months to get my upholstery to me. That is what they predicated also when I ordered it.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

In my Cherokee we did a mix'n match. Local on the upholstery, and Airtex on the headliner. The headliner fits pretty well, but does take some finagling and trimming. A helper is definitely necessary. Had the local shop sew up a new wind lace as well.

 

[BryanAV8R]

I'm in the process of redoing the interior of my Cherokee 140. I already ordered the carpet from SCS interior which will arrive mid January. I also want to change the side/door panels and headliner. Airtex is the obvious solution here. Another consideration would be a local hot rod shop. What other alternatives are there? So far, I don't like the reliability of any of the local shops I called and I don't like the fact that Airtex has a lead time of 8 weeks (that's what they said when I called them) which means I wouldn't get my parts until the end of February at the earliest. Is there anything else like Airtex out there, just less known? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to disclose a specific business as it may come across as advertising especially if it's your business. I just want to get my parts a little faster than any of the options I've found can do.

8 weeks is nothing. Try 24 weeks to get delivery of a DC One headphone (with LEMO plug) from the factory. Things are just taking longer, and between raw material shortages, plant shutdowns due to gov't heavyhandedness or excess of caution or half the shop floor out ill or in isolation, lack of skilled labor, on and on...it's just taking longer to get things (and Airtex, which is about 2 miles from my PA residence, is most certainly NOT a high-production assembly line shop...more like one step above your local rag merchant and one step below General Motors.) Be thankful you don't need a set of jugs out of Lycoming, case work at Divco, or an autopilot install/panel upgrade/annual/IFR check at 5 months waiting for bits and pieces...8 weeks would seem lightning fast.

 

[flyingron]

If you're going to do it yourself, Airtex isn't bad. If you are going to have someone else do the work, get a local upholstery shop to do it with whatever material is suitable for your vintage aircraft (Part 23 certified needs approved material, CAR3 just needs "fire resistant.").

 

[Gary Ward]

If you're going to do it yourself, Airtex isn't bad. If you are going to have someone else do the work, get a local upholstery shop to do it with whatever material is suitable for your vintage aircraft (Part 23 certified needs approved material, CAR3 just needs "fire resistant.").

It is fun and a rewarding project to do yourself with Airtex.

I did it a little at a time and kept my plane flying at my own pace. My IA checked it out gave me my log book entry. Then asked me to do his upholstery! lol I did the co pilot seat first, then mounted it on the pilots side and did the pilots seat while flying the plane with the co pilots seat.

 

[Gary Ward]

Actually I did the rear seat first and got some practice, then the co pilot seat and pilots side last after I got a little better at it. I have done some car and truck upholstery in the past.

 

[Eric Brunelle]

Airtex is worth the wait - take your time, have fun with the job.
Except…working on these planes- everything is round yet sharp , tilted, many little holes to lose little screws, vey tight especially where the rudder peddles are.

 

[Grum.Man]

Most people seem happy with Airtex. I bought some interior panels from them for my Yankee and wasn't too impressed. The fit wasn't great and the glue holding the leather onto the backer board didn't hold. The seat covers I have seen from them do look nice though.

 

[Eric Brunelle]

I had some fit issues too. Remember - the planes aren’t exactly assembly line machines. They err on the large side, so you really just need to trim. I kept the ashtrays in honor of my dad, who used to light up while flying. He pretty much lit up any chance he had…

 

[thito01]

I like that black trim. Was that special order vs. white, or just standard for your aircraft. All my PA32R trim is white.

 

[Racerx]

I like that black trim. Was that special order vs. white, or just standard for your aircraft. All my PA32R trim is white.

Used krylon on all the plastic when the original red was switched to grey. Seriously, how was bright red ever a thing on a white plane?

 

[thito01]

I am looking at an interior job this year and am planing on replacing any of the brittle plastic that I can find replacements for. Maybe I will check the vendor and see if they can run a version with black plastic.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

I might do my seats this year. I'm planning on the hot rod shop route.

 

[Eric Brunelle]

I used SEM paint. I replaced all the brittle stuff with new plastic from premier plastics. SEM works great

 

[MajorTurbulence]

I'm in the process of redoing the interior of my Cherokee 140. I already ordered the carpet from SCS interior which will arrive mid January. I also want to change the side/door panels and headliner. Airtex is the obvious solution here. Another consideration would be a local hot rod shop. What other alternatives are there? So far, I don't like the reliability of any of the local shops I called and I don't like the fact that Airtex has a lead time of 8 weeks (that's what they said when I called them) which means I wouldn't get my parts until the end of February at the earliest. Is there anything else like Airtex out there, just less known? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to disclose a specific business as it may come across as advertising especially if it's your business. I just want to get my parts a little faster than any of the options I've found can do.

How did the SCS carpets go in? Did they need any trimming or other modifications?

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Quick update: I ended up finding a nice interior, even the colors I wanted, used but in great shape on Texas Air Salvage. It's currently on the way to me and should arrive next week.

@MajorTurbulence : I don't know yet as it hasn't arrived. It'll get here in mid January. They say it should be plug and play with no trimming needed, but they added some uncut extra parts just in case I do need to trim and make mistakes while doing so.