[atrimble_2001]

So you want to make your car look better and hate the rainbow cloth on your doors? Not to fear I have the answer.

Tools: tiny flat bladed screwdriver, scissors, 3M super 77 spray adhesive, vinyl in whatever color you want, and patience.

First remove your door panel (I'm not going into how to do that because it took me forever and those are just memories I can’t relive).

Now that your door panel is out of your car, you will meet the most used tool in this project Mr. Tiny Flat blade Screwdriver. Trust me this thing is a godsend.

Now flip the panel over so you’re looking at the back of it. At the top of the door panel is the window wipe/weather strip your going to need to remove this. It’s fairly easy to do.

Just locate the little tabs on the under side of it and bend them straight.

Then it should slid off and fall on the ground.

Now just rip off the fabric, don’t worry if it tears this sh!t is tough. After you remove it you should be left with this.

Now use the fabric that you tore off as a template to cut out the new piece, try to cut it bigger as its very hard to position it after its glued and you will want extra around the sides anyway.

Now glue the piece to the door panel, no pics of this cause my hands where covered in glue, just try to get it in the right place the first time.

Then take Mr. tiny screwdriver and shove the fabric into the slot. Keep working around the sides until it’s in. NOTE: you may have to pull it out and trim it a little to fit remember we left it bigger anyway.

Flip the panel over and cut slits in the area where the door latch and window crank(manual windows, no pics cause i have power windows) sit and fold it inside and glue it.

Remember the window wipe thing with the tabs? Its now time to put it back on. Just slit the fabric on the back side of the panel in the locations of the holes and slid the thing back on (it only goes on one way) and bend the tabs back down. Then reinstall your door panel and bask in its vinyley glory.

[Edited by atrimble_2001 on Feb 11, 2006 11:49 PM]

 

[Medic_01]

brilliant. makes me want to do it too, but getting the door trim off is the hard part.

very well done, it should be a sticky.

 

[atrimble_2001]

Its not too hard to get the door panel off you just have to now how LOL, and have pictures of where the tabs and screws are.

Ive been workin on cars since i was a kid helpin my dad change the oil in our old VW Bus and my grandfather was a mechanic for like 40 some odd years. So workin on cars comes almost naturally.

[Edited by atrimble_2001 on Feb 11, 2006 11:13 PM]

 

[Medic_01]

this is the only car that i can't get the trim off. my old car was a swift gti and i could pull everything off it, and on friends cars, but this one has got me stuffed. i am probably just missing something so simple.

do you have the pics of where the tabs and stuff is?

 

[rubenz]

you can still see white all around it where the material was "pushed" in there with the screwdriver...me no likey.

 

[ftwvampftw]

if put painter tape over the screw driver you'll prevent the scratching.

this will be posted in the sticky articles

[Edited by ftwvampftw on Feb 12, 2006 8:28 AM]

 

[atrimble_2001]

Ya thats the only problem i had was the white still showing. But you can only see it in the pictures. When its in the car it doesnt show.

 

[ryanolson]

you have to take the screws out along the side and bottom of the door as well as the one screw that goes into the door handle (not the latch, the handle) but take the latch off as well. then just use the handle to pull up. its also a little easier to take the panel off with the window rolled down.

 

[peddymn]

Couple of ideas for hiding the white that's showing:
You can get some piping/trim/cord from the same fabric shop you got the vinyl from & poke it in there. maybe use some clear glue to hold it in place.
Instead of a fabric cord, what about some sort of metal wire like copper, aluminum, etc.
Or how about some of that really thin light wire stuff. Wiring the lights may require removing the door panels again though.

Just a couple crazy ideas.

 

[phantasm]

Originally posted by peddymn
[body]
Or how about some of that really thin light wire stuff.
[/body]

That's a unique idea there peddymn. That could look pretty cool if done properly. I intend to have that done when I have the car re-upholstered later on down the road. When I saw how Phil had his done some years back I fell in love with that two tone leather.

[Edited by phantasm on Feb 12, 2006 1:52 PM]

 

[TAK82]

that's a very cool DIY, i've been planning on doing such a thing to my door panels

I'm thinkin of recovering my whole door panel in black leatherette..along with some upholstery grade K-Grip Adhesive.

BTW Atrimble..where did you get that vinyl from??

 

[LilTimmy]

I think you used the exact same vinyl I used to do that. Reminds me of my car, of all the pictures I have of mine I have no good ones of the doors, nice work though.

 

[Medic_01]

now to retrim the map pocket in the door to match.
that would look good.

 

[atrimble_2001]

You guys are gonna laugh when i tell ya where i got the vinyl. Jo-Ann's fabric shop of all places, they have an entire section for automotive upholstery. Hmmmmm as ricey as that sounds i may do it put some neon light wire in the groove. The piping sounds cool too. Well when i do that ill make another DIY. Or add an addendum to this one.

[Edited by atrimble_2001 on Feb 12, 2006 10:14 PM]

 

[TAK82]

the finished door panel look's good but the ugly gap is unsightly,

go back to jo-ann and buy some piping or cording and sew it with the vinyl and hot glue it to your door panel's edges..that'll give it a more pleasant finish.

 

[atrimble_2001]

Ya im thinkin about the Neon wire that the guy above mentioned. Ive already got a few neons in the interior so ive got the switch for it. Routin the wires will be easy, just run em thru the door grommet with the window and mirror power wires.

 

[LilTimmy]

I have an LED tube and two LED's down in the pocket in the doors. I looks okay not a whole lot of light escapes due to the shape of the door, but it lights up the door okay.

 

[TAK82]

diy seem's ruined ater kemper's site went down.

 

[atrimble_2001]

Ya i know, CURSE YOU KEMPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL we will see if that did any good.

 

[2003GS]

And months later... still dead...