TUTORIAL: Upholstering Door Panels/Custom Interior PICS!
Ok everyone; here is the tutorial for re-upholstering our 8G door panels, headliner and rear panel (covering rear speakers). I will go through each step with you to make sure you get those interior pieces done right. And note that I am not liable for any damage you cause to your own ride/interior, work at your own risk and just be patient…ok lets get started.
First make sure you are working in a open area free from clutter and make sure that it is well ventilated….trust me
Items/tools needed:
- 2 yards of fabric (your choice), this is for all 4 door panels
- 1 can of 3M Super 77 adhesive (Home Depot $7)
- Soldering Tool (Home Depot $15)
- Philips Screwdriver
- Flathead Screwdriver (optional)
- 12mm socket and wrench
- Razor blade/box cutters
- Scissors
- Stapler/staple gun (optional)
Ok now I started with the rear doors, just because they are easier to remove and put back on, and just safer to start with the easier stuff.
Step 1.
Remove rear door panels. These panels have 3 screws, 1 on the door handle, 1 in the holder on the armrest of the panel, and 1 on the upper right corner of the panel (this one is covered by a cap, and can be exposed by popping the cap up with your finger nail or a flathead screwdriver.
**Now make sure you have both rear windows down, trust me this will make it much easier to take the panels off and put them back on. Do this for the front panels also**
After removing the screws, you can start at the bottom of the panel and give it a good pull until you hear and feel that it’s been pried from the door. Now going up pry each clip and when you get to the top just pull upwards and the panel will be free.
And finally you will just have to unplug the window operating wire bundle, easy it just unplugs by pushing down on the clip and pulling it out.
Step 2
Now you have to get the armrest trim off (either a silver color or the wood grain color), this can be done by turning the door over and removing the 3 screws which hold it in place (pictured below red circles).
After that you are going to need to take off the foam padding, this is where you use the 12mm socket to take off the 3 pieces holing in the foam (pictured below blue circles), just twist counter clockwise and the come right off.
You are also going to need to remove the black strip at the top of the panel (pictured below yellow arrow)
http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/6709/panel1rm6.jpg
Step 3.
Now its time to get to the Infamous little white clips/rivets (pictured below green cirlcles) which hold in the panel we need to re-upholster. There have been different methods tossed around like just breaking them and using screws to replace them or just leaving them on and going around and just tuck the material under, or using a heat gun to melt them.
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/1245/panel2xo8.jpg
I went a different route and used a soldering tool. Like the heat gun it melts the clips, but the difference is that the soldering tool is much more effective and you can manipulate the clips to shape them and replace the panel to how it was, instead of completely melting them away.
Carefully holding the soldering tool like a pen, start lifting the edges of the white rivets so that they can slide right through (pictured below). Continue this with all of the rivets until you can completely remove the panel to be re-upholstered. This process will be done for all 4 panels
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/1037/panel3db6.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/2869/panel3qx2.jpg
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/7025/panel4xz2.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3020/panel5uw0.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8382/panel6bb2.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2306/panel7ba2.jpg
Step 4.
Now its time to start wrapping the panel with the fabric of your choice. Cut out the fabric using the panel as a guide and give yourself a couple inches to work with on the outsides which will be tucked (pictured below)
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8746/panel8vi5.jpg
Take your 3M Super 77 adhesive (pictured below) and start at the top of the panel. Spray some on the adhesive on the upper lip of the panel; let it sit for a few seconds to let it get nice and sticky, then wrap/tuck the upper part of your fabric over it (pictured below). For the next part it might be best for you to get some help from someone to avoid any air bubbles. After letting the upper lip dry, you can begin to spray a generous coat of the adhesive on the stock panel; you could even spray a light coat on the underside of your fabric. Once again let it sit for a bit, and with the help from someone, you can pull up on the fabric and let you partner start to apply the fabric starting at the top and working towards the bottom to make sure that there are no air bubbles.
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1610/panel14fu3.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8746/panel8vi5.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5223/panel9uv1.jpg
Now just continue to tuck/wrap your fabric using the adhesive, and use your razor blade to trim the extra material in the back that is not needed. (pictured below)
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3267/panel10sb6.jpg
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/5121/panel11wi8.jpg
Let the panel sit for a few minutes and start backwards from step 3 and begin to re-apply the panel and the rest of the parts to your door. Use the soldering tool again to heat the plastice rivets and re-melt them to hold the panel in place (pictured below)
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/80/panel12sq8.jpg
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3330/panel13pc1.jpg
This process is also the same for the front doors, but the front doors have 5 screws instead of 3...
I will be posting the tutorial for the headliner and back panel later, once I have finished mine.
If you have any other questions let me know and I will add to the tutorial.
Hope this helps