“Inside or out, we gotcha’ covered!” is WNJ Automotive Upholstery and Top’s motto, and it couldn’t be more perfect. Located at 205 Jacksonville Road, WNJ has been covering the needs of Hatboro (and surrounding area) car owners for more than 25 years.
A shop specializing in the repair and replacement of convertible tops, seat upholstery, headliners, carpets and complete interior restoration for classic and custom vehicles, WNJ is owned and operated by Bill Neapolitan, Jr., his wife Sue, and long-time colleague Mike Candell, Jr. Jointly, this trio has been building the business since 1992. And what’s impressive about their longevity is that they have been doing it all through word of mouth — without any advertising.
“We have really created a niche business and a solid reputation for ourselves here,” says Bill. “We get a majority of our business from car dealers, body shops and referrals from our customers. It’s almost like when a customer can see what is possible in terms of repair or restoration, they want to share it with other people. A lot of people don’t realize they don’t have to live with a torn seat or a hanging headliner or a worn-out carpet. And when people find out we can even re-outfit an entire interior, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for them.”
And that’s what’s fascinating about what takes place in their facility. They are doing small jobs like replacing a panel in a seat from a cigarette burn to literally replacing every “soft material” surface in an entire car – and everything in between. They can replace the inside and/or outside of one seat or every seat in a vehicle. They can replace one door panel or every panel in the car. They can do a complete removal and replacement of the “ceiling” (headliner) of a car, or they can fix a portion of it. They can replace an entire convertible soft or vinyl top. If it’s a soft material…they can fix or replace it! And, with a huge inventory of manufacturers’ original materials (vinyl, leather, cloth, carpet, etc.), as well as access to those that they may not have on hand, Bill and his team can match most cars’ original materials or can change up the look of a vehicle’s interior or top if requested.
The craftsmanship and attention to detail that Bill and Mike put into their work results in major and authentic transformations. Bill and Mike both agree that this type of work requires a great amount of patience as some repairs can be very challenging. They strive to make their work look like the original and they take great pride in the skill levels they have achieved in this area.
“Mike and I have been doing this a long time together,” says Bill. “We’ve learned a lot over the years about what works and what doesn’t. We’ve been called upon to use our imaginations to re-invent vehicles, and we’ve been called upon to re-create the exact original features and surfaces of vehicles. In either case it is always fun and challenging and really fulfilling to provide customers with an end-product that looks new again.”
“There’s nothing better than seeing the faces of customers when they come to pick up their vehicles,” says Mike. “We love seeing how happy these repairs and re-finishes make them feel.”
Bill and Sue were born, raised and currently live in Hatboro, and they have two sons that are 23 and 25 that they have raised here as well. Bill says the WNJ business is in Hatboro today because more than 25 years ago a fellow business owner took a chance on him and provided him with an opportunity. All that business owner asked in return was for Bill to provide opportunities to others and to also pay it forward when the time was right. It is in that spirit that Bill supports an apprentice model in his shop. Known as a “trimmer,” WNJ currently has Brian Moran on board learning the trade and providing customers with the same quality product and attention to detail.