Our Press Coverage

Beyond covering the convertible top Sid Chavers Company upholstered the interior and trunk. Beginning with a base of Dynamat sound and heat damping mat laid in the trunk and interior floor, padding was added to provide additional soundproofing and create a level surface to lay tan German square weave carpeting. The door and trunk panels as well as the seat were scratch built and then upholstered in caramel leather.

The most repeated rule in street rodding is that there aren't any rules in street rodding. Whether that's true or not, there are definitely a few "general principles" that have been proven over time. Technical rules help prevent mechanical failures. Design rules help prevent empty trophy cases. A rule obeyed by most rodders, from backyard hobbyists to pro builders, involves teamwork.

We weren't but a few words into our interview with David Farmer regarding his Brizio-built 1932 three-window coupe when he mentioned he didn't consider himself a car guy and then went onto tell about his early days in California's Central Valley wrenching at a gas station, hot rodding jalopies, and dirt track racing in Merced.

Sid Chavers is hot rodding’s signature stitch man. He has been sewing things for nearly 55 years, hot rod upholstery accounting for the last 42 of those. Just barely a teenager, his uncle taught him how to sew using an old Singer. Being industrious and attentive, Chavers was a quick study. He took his propensity for threading the needle to school and began “pegging” the jeans of fellow high school students for one dollar per leg.
In 2012 we interviewed legendary hot rod trimmer Sid Chavers for our popular “10 Questions” interview series. Since then, he has continued to amaze us with his extraordinary craftsmanship and willingness to share his knowledge and experience with anyone willing to learn. We reconnected with Sid to see photos of his latest projects, which we shared with The Shop magazine. They combined the photos with our interview for an awesome three-page spread in the November 2016 issue of The Hog Ring.

Sid Chavers is a legend in the craft of auto upholstery and throughout the hot rod scene.

Operating out of Santa Clara, California, Sid has designed and influenced award-winning interiors for collectors across the world, published a series of DVDs teaching rookies the ins and outs of our craft, and even invented the highly acclaimed "Bop Top."

But it's his latest project that may have the most profound impact on our industry.

2016 America's Most Beautiful Roaster Deuce Highboy has Old-Time Looks and Hot Rod Punch

Why Color Matters

Some of the best advice a father can give to his son is the phrase: When you want to learn how to do something correctly, watch a professional do it. The "right way" is nothing that can be taught by reading a technical book or even watching a YouTube video, but rather hands-on immersion and a learn-by-doing mentality.

Gray Baskerville accurately described Dennis Varni as "a hot rodder's hot rodder." Since buying a '31 Model A as a teenager in the late '50s, Dennis doesn't seem to have slowed down ever. He has amassed a phenomenal stable of collector cars, trucks, vintage race cars, and motorcycles of practically every type, including the '29 Model A roadster built by Boyd Coddington that was named America's Most Beautiful Roadster in 1992.

The Family Plan - Premium Rod of the month - It is safe to say Roy Brizio Street Rods in South San Francisco, California, has not only found the formula for building fantastic street rods, but they've perfected it. Decades of experience will do that, as does having a dedicated team of builders and go-to guys who not only work well together (some of Brizio's team have been on the job for more than 20 years), but really are the best in their respective fields.
Over the last few decades, Sid Chavers' name has become synonymous with first-rate hot rod upholstery. His custom interiors and tops are impeccably crafted, and he estimates he's upholstered over 700 hot rods in nearly 40 years in business. In 2000, he and partner George Atkins found a way to incorporate that craftsmanship in a production, mail order collapsible roadster top. The BopTop has a good looking traditional hot rod profile, can be installed or removed in a matter of minutes, and disassembles to fit compactly in the trunk with room to spare.