So my girlfriend really wants new interior, so I decided to get off my butt and start it. I did a door panel last night.
Difficulty: EASY
Time: Total including removal and reinstallation (if you can get the window crank off) about 2 hours for both doors
Tools you will need: Staple Puller, Flat head, Pliers, Heavy Duty Staple Gun, Spray Glue, Scissors.
1st, remove the door panel (obviously) Careful with the christmas trees. I broke a few and have to get some new ones.
Ok, Here we go. THis is what I had to start with. (sorry the pics are bad. My phone sucks with the camera and I cant find my digital for some reason)
To start flip the panel over and undo the clips holding the cardboard covered fabric on.
Here is a pic of 2 of them
Now take off the "bolt" holding the one screw in the corner off
Once all that is off, the cardboard will flip up like so
Now the only thing holding it on is the window track which is stapled to the back side top. You need to remove the staples, which is a little difficult
This is what it looks like with the panel off.
Ok, now take your fabric, cut it to shape. (leave 3/4" 1" so you can wrap it over and have some extra to glue to the cardboard)
You can leave the fabric that is already there on since it has the foam backing if you want to have the [padded feeling. I left it.
Flip over the fabric you plan to use and spray a healthy amount of glue on it. Now place the cardboard panel right in the center of the fabric. Pick a side (top or bottom works best) and flip the fabric over, being sure to pull tight. Take your finger and press it against the cardboard on the back to make sure it sticks. (it should stick instantly).
Once you ahve that done, it should look like this.
Do a test fit to make sure it fits alright before going further.
Cut off excess fabric so it doesnt bunch up too much in the corners. for outside curves you dont have to worry about it, but for inside curves (front) you need to cut reliefs in the fabric so it can stretch on the backside and not bunch or have bubbles in the front.
Once youre done, it will look like this.
Now staple the window tracking back on and youre done!
Again, this is pretty easy for anyone. Sorry for the crappy pics. I just hope it helps a little
Ill be starting to reupholster her seats this week and Ill be sure to use a better camera for that. Ill throw up another how to for that too. (You just have to know how to sew a little bit for that)
95 Ranger 2.5T
Got the other door done last night and both are installed in the car. Ill take a good pic after work today and post up....
Im kinda surprised i didnt get any replies. Not even a "that looks like crap" in classic JBO fashion. HA
95 Ranger 2.5T
That is true about waiting a couple minutes. I never read the glue I just always wait anyway. Im excited to start the seats. Maybe people wont be so afraid to do their own interiors so much. I have done 3 and was scared the first time, but they all have turned out great. Im kinda thinking about doing this on the side... and maybe itll blossom into a business.
95 Ranger 2.5T
nice write up, you sunfire guys have it easy. when i did my interior it was all plastic welds holding them in place.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=45&i=105744&t=105744#105744
^^^there's the way to do it in a cav in case anyone is interested, if you look at the 2 write ups they're vastly different in the way gm put the fabrics onto the door panels which is interesting cuz most things between the 2 cars are identical. it's funny i did my write up almost exactly a year ago.
blucavvy wrote:nice write up, you sunfire guys have it easy. when i did my interior it was all plastic welds holding them in place.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=45&i=105744&t=105744#105744
^^^there's the way to do it in a cav in case anyone is interested, if you look at the 2 write ups they're vastly different in the way gm put the fabrics onto the door panels which is interesting cuz most things between the 2 cars are identical. it's funny i did my write up almost exactly a year ago.
this is why i'll only ever have mine professionaly done
www.driftnamiperformance.com
Plastic welds are easy to redo, if that is your reasoning... On the grand prix I did, I actually epoxied them back into place instead of plastic welds, and that worked well too.
I see what youre saying about the doors being vastly different. Im very interested in doing the armrest and seats this weekend. (started anyway)
95 Ranger 2.5T
I recovered my cav arm rests with black vinyl about a week ago.
I chiseled off all the plastic welds and PL'd the inserts back in, now it is more solid then stock. Here is some pics.......
This project does have potential to go horribly wrong.. but I am impressed with my results and see it holding up quite well.
Pretty good man. If you pull that corner tighter, you wont have any ripples like that. I really like your interior alot.
95 Ranger 2.5T
Splatranger95 wrote:Pretty good man. If you pull that corner tighter, you wont have any ripples like that. I really like your interior alot.
Thanks man, I'm glad it's almost done, gotta get new seats, and do something with the head liner and then I can slow down.
And those ripples are as good as it gets, I hit both the vinyl and the with the Super 77, laid it on, pulled it tight, looked good, so then I put the insert in the back seat of the car for about a week, see how it would hold up to daily heat..
Well, because of the contour of the insert, the glue pulled away, and came out of the dip, so I had to pull it back and re-glue and that was as taught as I could get it without stressing the vinyl. The polyurethane based construction adhesive I used to glue the insert back into the panel is rock solid, and more or less permanent, so I had to make sure the vinyl sticks and stays.
Hmm. sounds like that would be a tough one. If you go to Hobby Lobby the have a small hobby stapler called and EZ tacker. it uses really small staples, so maybe you could try that?
Well Good luck on your seats. Ill be doing some this weekend (starting) but probably wont be done for a couple weeks because school starts. Ill post pics.
95 Ranger 2.5T
Splatranger95 wrote:Hmm. sounds like that would be a tough one. If you go to Hobby Lobby the have a small hobby stapler called and EZ tacker. it uses really small staples, so maybe you could try that?
Too late at this point as the inserts have been caulked back into the panel, the issue was more with the
center of the insert coming unstuck when the vinyl was pulled tight. Its all good now and the ripples don't stand out much at all in person, and are behind the seat when the door is closed.
Splatranger95 wrote:Well Good luck on your seats. Ill be doing some this weekend (starting) but probably wont be done for a couple weeks because school starts. Ill post pics.
You are recovering the stock seats? Definitely post pics when you get around to it, that would be interesting to see.
I will be buying seats, something stock out of another car, or race seats.
I don't trust my upholstery skills enough to tackle the stockers, and am not a fan of them in the first place...
Ya I'm doing the stock seats. TBH I think they are pretty comfy and when Im done They will look awesome. This will be my 3rd set of seats so Im pretty good at it now. It takes me about 2 hours per front seat and and like 1.5 hours for the backs.
I have done a grand prix (Ill try to find pics) and a mustang. both of them I did vinyl, but Ill be doing Blue/Gray suede on these.
95 Ranger 2.5T
