James92SE

iTrader: (31)

I need some new door panels for my VE I'm about to sell. I have two circular cut-out holes in the panels from where my tweeters were, and I haven't been able to find some cheap tweeters to stick in there.

The panels are black/gray tweed. I'm wondering how hard it would be just get any set of panels at the junkyard and swap out the fabric inserts (if I can't find a set to match mine). Surely they're just glued on somehow. Anybody have any first-hand experience with doing it?

Michael

iTrader: (21)

yes and its a huge pain. There is a lot of glue left over and its difficult to get off. Then its tough to get the replacement fabric to stick correctly and lay down on the edges.

It can be done but it is a big pain.

also I got your PM and will be replying soon.

traxtar944

iTrader: (12)

Do. Not. Do. It.

Take it from someone who knows. I pulled off the old fabric, and have used 3 different types of adhesive to get new material to stick. It just doesn't. I've even taken it to a professional upholstery shop and it's starting to peel at the edges (Though I think a way to fix this is to put a plastic piping strip in the seam around the edge). There just isn't really a product out there that reacts well to extreme changes in weather from summer to winter...

The best way to stick on new fabric is to use the old fabric as a base for adhesive to stick to, since glue doesn't like to stick to vinyl. Save yourself the trouble and buy door panels that have the color you like, or keep the ones you currently have and just stick new material over the old. You can't even use material you pull off the door as a template, because it'll stretch out of shape... good luck!!

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Hmm, that's what I was afraid of. I've seen guys that had leather inserts put in the door panels and they always looked crappy like they didn't want to lay down properly and always seemed to be peeling at the edges.

Guess I'll just have to try to wait out some tweed door panels

maxitech

iTrader: (7)

I have always wondered how this would turn out. When I bought Todamax's Catzkin leather interior out of his old car when it was wrecked he also gave me matching leather door panel inserts that were part of the kit. He had tried to install one but peeled it off because he wasn't happy with the results. I still have all of the pieces and have often thought about seeing how much a professional upholstery shop would charge to install them. Not really high on my to-do list, but I may try it one day...Then again, what you guys are saying does not make me want to try it...

traxtar944

iTrader: (12)

Yeah, I went through the whole process of peeling off the gray fabric, cleaning off all the foam and adhesive to the black vinyl, and using rubber cement adhesive with 3M Super 74 (much better than Super 77). It stuck fine all summer and looked great, but as soon as it started getting cold the material started to shrink and peel from the edges and the glue lost its adhesion.

I tried again during the winter with new templates from material that was temperature acclimated to the cold, but it was hard to work with, and in the summer it started peeling again.

I finally brought it to an upholsterer, and he said it would have been easier to keep the original material in-tact as a backing for the glue to hold on to (which makes sense). He's a real old school one-man-shop guy who does hot rods and show cars with an impressive showroom... His work lasted for two years and is starting to peel at the edges, so I will go over it again this summer with some black piping to keep the edges down and it should look nice.

jonmandude

iTrader: (1)

great thread. I just had my rear seat upholstered to match the corbeau seats and spoke with the upholsterer about the inserts. He said, he didn't feel comfortable trying to tear off the old cloth and put on new suede. He thought the insert was molded in and could not be removed. He did not want to risk ruining the door panel to find out. I still have a bunch of material to do the doors, but not sure where to start.

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

if you are going to a junkyard, it might be easier to just grab two front door panels and swap them in. There are only a couple of different colors I think.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

I've been looking at the junkyards to no avail, unfortunately. I know there's at least four different black door panels:

black with gray cloth inserts
black with corduroy-ish material inserts
black with tweed (89-91 style and 92-94 style)

I have the 92-94 style tweed and can't find a pair

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

It's rare to find tweed and in that color man. Most Maximas are leather or velour. Your best bet is a light blue colored Max for the color you want though.

Buy some cheap tweets and include them with the car.

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

Are you selling it to someone you know?

Other than the nuts on the board, most people won't even notice the difference, as long as they are black. Pus the velour ones on.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

I would certainly prefer to NOT sell it to anybody I know. I don't want to be constantly approached/asked/expected to have to deal with the car for the remainder of its life (see: VEvolution)

I first wanted to stick some tweeters in there, but I can't seem to find a pair that fits. The holes are about 2 1/4" and 90% of tweeters don't list their flush-mount cut-out diameter and I can't afford to do trial and error. Maybe I'll just put my tweeters back in there (even though I'd hate to break up my component set). I guess that would certainly solve the problem, then I can buy whatever new tweeters I want.