Door Panel Leather Sagging - **FIX**
09-07-2012, 05:23 PM
#121
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
My sons friend has an '05 that started to bubble a few weeks ago. He's bringin his car over this evening to give this DIY fix a run. I'm helping him with the first panel and then depending on how it goes he will either do the other one himself when gets time or we'll do them both tonight.
I'll post how it goes later this weekend.
My 08 doesn't have this issue so I get to practice on his in case mine does down the road
I'll post how it goes later this weekend.
My 08 doesn't have this issue so I get to practice on his in case mine does down the road
09-08-2012, 10:51 AM
#123
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Georgia
Posts: 228
hey ONF1R, great looking car. Ive also came accross that same problem. I have a question though. Where or how did you get your door panel leather red? Id like to do the same to mine but havnt found any info on it. thanks.
09-08-2012, 07:34 PM
#124
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Winter Haven, Florida
Posts: 2,214
the red door panel trim came stock with the GT Premium package to match the stock red leather interior...
Last edited by 0NF1R; 09-08-2012 at 07:37 PM.
09-11-2012, 03:04 PM
#125
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Okay so we did this procedure over the weekend. His door panels inserts were in worse shape than I thought. Both sides were down to the arm rest and had pulled away completely from the upper armrest.
Sorry but no pics, it was threatening to rain on Friday so we needed to make sure we got it done right the first time before it rained.
He had gotten most of the crappy backing off. I took the bondo filler spreaders and scrapped off what was missed on the door and vinyl backing.
What we used.
- Wellwood (DAP) contact cement works really well. It is strong smelling so do this outside.
- Foam style brushes are good use 2" or 3" for the large areas and the 1" for small areas and for touch up.
- He also picked up some bondo type filler spreaders for getting the door panel edges back into the crevices (tan/rose in color, not yellow). They are very flexible and can be used for several purposes including to protect the plastic door panel from the contact cement as you work your way around the edge with the foam brush and pushing the edges into the crevices without scratching the door.
- Soft terry cloth type towels these were used to push the air out of the work as we reglued everything and didn't damage the vinyl as well as clean up any contact cement that ended up on the door plastic.
First thing is, as stated previously in this thread, two medium or thick coats on the door side, one on the vinyl side and let them sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Right before you begin reattaching the vinyl after waiting, put a second thin coat on it to get the best adhesion accross the entire surface. We learned this from our experience on the first door where we simply did 2 on the door and 1 on the vinyl and ended up with an air bubble.
Start from the bottom up and move left to right, as you make your way up. When you reach the top, use the spreader tool to push the edge into crevice.
Something else we learned on the first door. If the vinyl has come out of the joint at the top of the arm rest. DO NOT put any contact cement along that edge until just before you are ready to put the vinyl back onto the panel.
The reason is, if you do, when you start to put the bottom edge in, it will stick and make realigning that bottom edge very, very difficult. If you wait until right before you start putting the vinyl back up, it will have some give/slide and make it easier.
After we finished the first panel we noticed a bothersome air bubble. After squishing it every couple of minutes for 20 minutes without change we peeled back some of the vinyl and reapplied contact cement to the entire area including what we just pulled up. The bubble decreased but was not totaly gone.
The next day my sons friend texted him letting him know he had gone home and just pushed on it a couple more times overnight and the bubble was finally gone.
We had no airbubbles on the second door using 2 thick coats on the door panel, 1 thin on the vinyle, and then 1 thin again on the vinyl right before adhesion. The bottom edge was much easier to align with holding off on cementing that edge until right before we were ready to restick everything.
It took us about 1 1/2 hours to complete
Sorry but no pics, it was threatening to rain on Friday so we needed to make sure we got it done right the first time before it rained.
He had gotten most of the crappy backing off. I took the bondo filler spreaders and scrapped off what was missed on the door and vinyl backing.
What we used.
- Wellwood (DAP) contact cement works really well. It is strong smelling so do this outside.
- Foam style brushes are good use 2" or 3" for the large areas and the 1" for small areas and for touch up.
- He also picked up some bondo type filler spreaders for getting the door panel edges back into the crevices (tan/rose in color, not yellow). They are very flexible and can be used for several purposes including to protect the plastic door panel from the contact cement as you work your way around the edge with the foam brush and pushing the edges into the crevices without scratching the door.
- Soft terry cloth type towels these were used to push the air out of the work as we reglued everything and didn't damage the vinyl as well as clean up any contact cement that ended up on the door plastic.
First thing is, as stated previously in this thread, two medium or thick coats on the door side, one on the vinyl side and let them sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Right before you begin reattaching the vinyl after waiting, put a second thin coat on it to get the best adhesion accross the entire surface. We learned this from our experience on the first door where we simply did 2 on the door and 1 on the vinyl and ended up with an air bubble.
Start from the bottom up and move left to right, as you make your way up. When you reach the top, use the spreader tool to push the edge into crevice.
Something else we learned on the first door. If the vinyl has come out of the joint at the top of the arm rest. DO NOT put any contact cement along that edge until just before you are ready to put the vinyl back onto the panel.
The reason is, if you do, when you start to put the bottom edge in, it will stick and make realigning that bottom edge very, very difficult. If you wait until right before you start putting the vinyl back up, it will have some give/slide and make it easier.
After we finished the first panel we noticed a bothersome air bubble. After squishing it every couple of minutes for 20 minutes without change we peeled back some of the vinyl and reapplied contact cement to the entire area including what we just pulled up. The bubble decreased but was not totaly gone.
The next day my sons friend texted him letting him know he had gone home and just pushed on it a couple more times overnight and the bubble was finally gone.
We had no airbubbles on the second door using 2 thick coats on the door panel, 1 thin on the vinyle, and then 1 thin again on the vinyl right before adhesion. The bottom edge was much easier to align with holding off on cementing that edge until right before we were ready to restick everything.
It took us about 1 1/2 hours to complete
10-02-2012, 11:08 PM
#128
I know this an older thread but, I am having the saggy panel prob now. Its going to be this weekends project. My pony is garage kept in Ga and still has the prob. Thanks for the great write up! This should be a sticky, if it isn't already Admin's!
10-15-2012, 11:14 AM
#129
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Rocket City, AL
Posts: 331
My panels haven't started peeling at the edges but I have 2-3" spots in the middle that have came loose from the backing. I don't want to purposely peel the corners to fix, but is there any solution to repairing the current spots?
10-16-2012, 06:49 AM
#130
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: FL
Posts: 26
If your panels are bubbling, I would say give them another 6 months. They will need a full repair eventually. Let em peel a bit more. It will give you some time to get psyched up to do the repair.
One year after repairing our driver door panel, the passenger door finally needed it, as did the small strip that surrounds the armrest in the driver door. The driver side gets more afternoon sun and I am sure that is why it has had the worst damage first.
The repairs went well ... two heavy coats on the fiberboard backer, one light coat applied to the vinyl, applied just after the second backer coat. Then one more light coat on the vinyl and start working it in place.
One year after repairing our driver door panel, the passenger door finally needed it, as did the small strip that surrounds the armrest in the driver door. The driver side gets more afternoon sun and I am sure that is why it has had the worst damage first.
The repairs went well ... two heavy coats on the fiberboard backer, one light coat applied to the vinyl, applied just after the second backer coat. Then one more light coat on the vinyl and start working it in place.