My door panels were really falling apart, so I decided to redo them! I had some green metallic vinyl laying around from after doing my door handles and sunvisors. I picked up some cool fabric for only $4.00/yd. I had some masonite laying around from covering my garage ceiling. Spray adhesive and a glue gun with wood glue sticks. First, heres what I started with So remove any trim if you can. My trim was very easy to remove and in great shape to reuse Remove the upper original vinyl to reuse later This is what I was able to salvage for the rebuild Next I laid them out to trace out the shapes onto the masonite. I thought I would use the rough side out so that the spray adhesive would have something to grab Then I cut out the panels, used a hole bit for the handle holes. Then I traced the original vinyl onto the board Heres the materials I chose for the panels Heres the package tray .
Heres the fabric put on with spray adhesive Use a hole cutter punch to get the holes started for the mounting screws Now put on the vinyl with hot glue Next, put on the original vinyl on top with hot glue and secure the chrome strip Mount them, Im done!! Hope it may help with ideas!
Did your originals curl over at the top so that they grab onto a lip at the bottom of the glass? I can't remember if mine do or not but it seems like they might. Nice work, by the way.
Thanks for the replies! Scott, the top does not curl over, it gets pinched under the metal window trim. Check out #20 motoandy, I did it in the same way. I took off the crusty old vinyl and used it as a template. Then spray adhesive onto the pad. Press on and tug tightly. Hotglue the tabs over. Screwing the pad to the base insures the tabs dont come loose. Doesnt take much time really!
Nice work! Here are the ones I just made for my '55 - same basic deal, glued and stapled on masonite. i hadn't planned on using the carpet on the bottom but I ran out of material. The "chrome" trim is actually just stick-on body side molding. Still looking for a pair of arm rests...
I like those 55 panels! I just made some for my 57 but I am not reinstalling any arm rests.I figure John Milner rolled his windows down and had his arm on the door so I will too! Love the glitter green vinyl on the other set as well....
Thanks! Gator, those panels turned out slick! I also was thinking of the carpet thing on the bottom. But since I had used the glitter vinyl on the arm rests and sun visors, I stayed true to the "theme". Did you sew the pleats and the two sections together? Sometimes I wish I had a sewing machine. Id make some pretty awesome seat covers for my car. Not to mention cover my trunk area with custom upolstery.
Heres the sunvisors I did a while back. With these, I didnt strip the original cover off. I simply wrapped the green vinyl over it. So I did a wrap that looked like a taco shell, leaving some material over hang. Then I cut a long narrow strip for the edge treatment. Curled that length wise like a taco shell too. I pull the large wrap piece tight as I hand stitched the edge to it with green thread. Worked like a champ! And it tied in with the doors now. When I use them on a sunny day, people get a treat with the glitter! haha! Heres the door with flash so you can see the panel and arm rest better .
Thanks, not meaning to hijack your thread. I have a commercial machine but it doesn't have a walking foot (which helps feed the material thru) so I'm kinda limited to simple stuff. I have a friend who's been a trimmer or 50 years, he says he doesn't see how I do anything with my machine. Guess I just don't know any better. Great job on the visors, not real happy with how mine turned out. I see now you hand stitched yours, maybe I'll try that and re-do mine. BTW if you decide to get crazy with the flake I have a partial roll of the white sparkle vinyl- not the silver on white, but true white.
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