Chris McClintock from BUX Customs

I was always a car enthusiast as a young kid. My dad always had something cool and that definitely sparked things.

I had a mini truck that I showed in high school, and then built a 66 Chevy Nova right after.  I realized quickly that my stock interior ( which was all new ) was hurting the car with judging. Everything else was fairly modified.

Around that time I started getting into Fiberglass fabrication.  Just tinkering around.. In the Truck scene it was way bigger on the west coast in magazines vs what we were seeing here on the east coast. Wild shaped interior panels, base coat, clear coat finishes etc.. That intrigued me, I knew nothing about it nor have I scene it done before. At the time YouTube didn't exist, I literally found a few fab DVDs and went from there.  I built a console and some other pieces for the Nova. I found a shop to do a Full custom interior in it. I got it back, it was nice but not fully what I was expecting. 

I found myself really starting to take a liking to interiors, the creativity and overall design.

I was in my early twenties, I worked 65-70 hours a week at my families Pizzaria, I bought my first sewing machine not having a clue how to use it, or what I was going to do with it..

I think I bounce around a little on this one.  Generally speaking a super clean OEM plus style interior but that can have several variations.  We have been doing a bunch OEM plus interiors in some Porsche and Lamborghinis but that is sticking to factory panels, seats, custom carpeting. Clean stitching maybe a small tweak on the factory design.  Overall makes a super clean look BUT I prefer do a fully fabbed OEM plus interior. All new everything, custom designed panels, seats, console and so on.  We have 60s Ford that we are doing now and I think most people won't have a clue how much we machined custom vs what would be factory. When you stand back and look in and see that, that is when you know was done right.  

I Think this is a play off of the previous question.  That being said it really depends on the vehicle, the style of the build.. That usually dictates the direction.  I love a timeless classic look... but that doesn't limit the degree of detail. 

Basically as long as leather and carpet don't go out of style, you should be able to pull your car out in 10-15 years from now and everything make sense that is pretty much timeless.

A lot of pro touring style interiors tend to fall into the trendy category.

I think stitch designs, perforation patterns, certain textures, lighting, hardware, anything that can date the interior or technology usually makes a big difference.  If the design calls for it, I am not saying we aren't using all that as well though.

If we are talking about new car interiors, I am always studying their lines, textures, color pallets, trim features, seat shapes.. List goes on.  I think most EV interiors they go a little extra on the futuristic appeal good or bad. 

Probably bad technology.  A lot of people are diving into 3D printing, such as ourselves.

I am sure there will be plenty of parts that don't hold up due to the wrong prep, the materials and overall design of it.

I love the use of multiple textures but wild CNC stitch designs, crazy perforation designs.. Not that is bad now, but definitely goes back to possibly dating the interior down the road.

I get wild ideas all the time but I try to make sure that it's not something the customer is getting tired of 5 years when they're looking at it in the garage.

Quality. End of story.

First thing is the seats.

You can have the greatest fab shop designing and building your panels, but if you don't have someone that can pull through on the seats or the stitching. It's not good or great.

I think we are going to continue this off of the last question as that response applies as well.

I guess if your saying average work in the sense of your general Automotive Upholstery shop that is repairing headliners and seat bolsters or even doing contract work or marine interiors it really is a niche to all of them.  Not everyone wants to build custom high end interiors.  I have come across plenty of shops that are doing well on general work.  That being said,

Honestly I have heard it a hundred times where guys say I don't have the high paying customers, or the shops with the expensive cars.. None of those matters.  They aren't coming unless they see the quality of work.  Invest in yourself first, your skillset, your shop and then go from there.  

Pretty much half of the interior honestly.  Primarily the design and CAD work.

Most of the panels start off in 2d and 3D CAD modeling.  We are gauging the leather thickness for tolerance, when we design each layer we add in the leather thickness, the paint thickness, if we are lasering out the materials we are accounting for .007" that the laser takes off and so on.

Basically just over obsessing on GAPS. 

Besides that SEATS

The previous answer definitely gives some insight into the panel making process. 

We primarily use Aluminum base panels, and composite design layers built on top.

 

Seats.

I love designing and building custom built seats.  Sometimes it is an exhausting process, but just about every interior we have done has had one off custom built seats.  Yes I have a style and a look I like, but non of them are a plug and play seat.

CNC Laser 

I got my first one in 2018

My laser runs all the time, everyday.

I enjoy all of it.  I love seeing it incorporated into the builds.

It took me a while to grasp 3D modeling.  It took me a long time of late nights watching YouTube before I remotely dove in to quickly realize I couldn't do much!  I am still falling asleep watching videos, learning, trying to constantly get better.

Each build we have utilized 3d parts so much more.  I just bought my 4^th printer.

There is nothing better than the 3^rd shift machines working over night.

I'd say the majority of car owners and even shop owners don't know what all is involved.

The short of it is time and money.  The amount of hours we have into everything is wild at times.  Materials are through the roof, and that is not anything new.

The phrase Upholstery Shop is the farthest thing from what we are.  We are pretty much a full fabrication shop with sewing machines, and we can work well with leather.

Paying the government.

Office work 

To be completely honest I don't see or know a ton of younger trimmers to make judgement on it.  I'd be happy just seeing young trimmers period. Trade schools are fading, or have faded away but thankfully I have seen classes being taught, fabrication courses.. Tons of stuff with new technology happening also.

I am sure there has been plenty of things.  There is certain things I have been able to adjust my mindset on so it better benefits my bank account..

But if we are talking about one skillset, I'll say glueing my custom seat covers down, vs different variations of listing attachments.  

I am self taught, so there has been hundreds of things that we realized along the way. 

I don't think anything in this industry is truly mastered, But I would say there are a few that definitely have it figured out.

But I said this earlier, invest in yourself.  Do it, do it again.. Mess it up, fail, make it better..

The amount of people that will send me a picture or a post of something we did and just say " what did you do here?  How did you do that?..I am always open to share what I can but usually I will ask to see what they have, what are they stuck on.. What issues did they run into and the majority of the time they have nothing. 

Most people don't want to try and fail or be willing to.

Anyways.. lol  

I think just a much more refined version of how it is. It is not going away. The Hot Rod industry is booming and it'll continue trending that way as long as crazy regulations and laws don't kick in.

I don't foresee shops filled with 32 Fords as they aren't now either, but Trucks, street machines, Euros they will still be strong.

Technology. Currently it is 3D modeling and scanning.  It is wild, and I can barely scratch the surface but It is so satisfying when it works out.

I love being able to apply that to our interiors and elevate the level of design and function even higher.