Can these panels be saved?

-
halfafish

halfafish

Damn those rabbits, and their holes!
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
4,005
Reaction score
4,529
Location
SW Washington
I'm not sure what happened to these rear seat panels, but they need help. In the first two photos, one of the panels is warped about 2" at one corner, and the vinyl is pulling back. The vinyl feels hard and would probably be crunchy and break off if I messed with it much.

DSCN0356.JPG

DSCN0357.JPG


This photo is the other panel. It is warped a lot more, kind of like a potato chip, and has the same vinyl shrinkage issues going on.

DSCN0358.JPG


Can these panels be flattened out, and the vinyl conditioned somehow to make it pliable again? And if so, how does one go about stretching it or reattaching the vinyl to the panel backer?
 
I'm following this. I'm in the process of cleaning and trying to save mine. I got the back two done they look pretty good. The front 2 are alot worse. Similar to yours. My dumbass put masking tape on the wood grain part to paint them and never took it off that was 16 years ago haha. They cleaned up nice with some awesome cleaner and elbow grease the back corner of the one is warped but I test fitted it yesterday and it appears it will be hidden by the seat

20200517_162154.jpg


20200517_162206.jpg


20200517_182841.jpg
 
Looks pretty much like it got sun baked and or cooked by interior car temps. I used a heat gun and pulled gently and then a **** load of small clamps with the material bent over the edge of the door card. Let cool and then glued. Try your best pulling with the grain of the already there print to not to distort the pattern.

If I was going to do another I may try a steam cleaner or a damp rag and an iron.
 
Like Dicer said, work it gently with a heat gun. Go slow and clamp the edges when you get it where you need it (use wood/heavy cardboard shims under the clamps so you don't distort the vinyl). When it's mostly back where you want it, GENTLY (plastic putty knife) separate the vinyl from the backer board. Use your old backers as templates and cut some new ones out of 1/8" masonite. If the padding self-destructed when you removed the vinyl, replace it- I use that thin sheet foam like they use for packing sometimes...Use contact cement to reattach foam to new backers, when that dries reattach the vinyl to the foam- use lots of spring clamps/shims. Note: you MUST have some kind of padding between the vinyl and the backer board, or you will never be able to insert the panel clips so you can install your newly reconditioned door cards...!
 
Professor Fate said:
Like Dicer said, work it gently with a heat gun. Go slow and clamp the edges when you get it where you need it (use wood/heavy cardboard shims under the clamps so you don't distort the vinyl). When it's mostly back where you want it, GENTLY (plastic putty knife) separate the vinyl from the backer board. Use your old backers as templates and cut some new ones out of 1/8" masonite. If the padding self-destructed when you removed the vinyl, replace it- I use that thin sheet foam like they use for packing sometimes...Use contact cement to reattach foam to new backers, when that dries reattach the vinyl to the foam- use lots of spring clamps/shims. Note: you MUST have some kind of padding between the vinyl and the backer board, or you will never be able to insert the panel clips so you can install your newly reconditioned door cards...!
Click to expand...
How do you attach the panel clips to the new board ? I thought about using Velcro .
 
I used velcro on front door panels, as well as on console carpet. New panels do not come with "notches" for panel clips. Pain in the arse to fit clips on new boards.
KudaKid said:
How do you attach the panel clips to the new board ? I thought about using Velcro .
Click to expand...
 
KudaKid said:
How do you attach the panel clips to the new board ? I thought about using Velcro .
Click to expand...
There are holes in the board that the spring clips slide into; these holes must be duplicated when you make the new boards- the padding gives it room to fit without distorting/tearing the vinyl.
s-l225.webp
 
When I did my door panels on my 69 383-s, I made new boards and glued on the original vinyl. They turned out great! Rod

IMG2671-M.jpg
 
Following! I've thought about trying to get mine cleaned up... then I think, I should just buy new gts door cards and seats lol.
 
rklein383 said:
When I did my door panels on my 69 383-s, I made new boards and glued on the original vinyl. They turned out great! Rod

View attachment 1715530790
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I was thinking about doing too. I wasnt sure If it would work and I was gonna try it before I posted anything about it! I thought people would think I was insane for trying it haha I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks outside the box lol
 
Naw, them are done. They've gotten wet at some point, warped all to hell and dried out.
 
halfafish said:
Jeez RRR, you should take lessons on how to be clear. What do you really think?? :poke:
Click to expand...

I know what happened because one of my door panels and both kick panels are the same.
 
Mine are far worse than that and I'm gonna save them. I will take some pics of the front today but the back ones I already cleaned them up and got them in the car. They are pictured above
 
Those panels look workable, I think. They are better than mine. I just solved my problem with a full set of panels and seat covers that will be heading my way in the very near future.
 
halfafish said:
Those panels look workable, I think. They are better than mine. I just solved my problem with a full set of panels and seat covers that will be heading my way in the very near future.
Click to expand...

Yea i saw some of the adds... I should have purchased the seat covers lol...
 
I had pretty good luck with wetting them down real good with a spray bottle and putting them in between two pieces of plywood. Then putting concrete blocks on them. They flattened out pretty nice. But mine were not in real bad shape. Where the vinyl had pulled away from the edges I use contact cement and a whole bunch of clothespins to glue them back down. Maybe you could gently work the vinyl out with a heat gun as previously suggested.
20190630_181359.jpg
20190629_181317.jpg
20190629_181350.jpg
20190626_193157.jpg
20190626_193214.jpg
 
Last edited:
Remove all the hardware, first. Each panel has about 10 of these clips holding them to the door. Gently feel along the outer edge, find them and again, gently pry them out of their holes in the door. A tool like below can be helpful to pry. I have hardly ever seen some of the clips not break out of the panel if your panels are worn and water damaged. I skipped trying to re-install them and just use interior screws to re attach the bottom of the panel. Not factory but works.


upload_2020-7-30_21-38-54.png
71QvjxmvdmL.jpg
 
Last edited:
Before you go yanking on the crispy vinyl, it might be worth trying to rejuvenate it. Ive got my 65 Bcuda back seat Cleaned snd slathered in baby oil in preparation for re stitching some separated seams. Seems to have made the vinyl lots more pliable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top