Is it possible to repair this door? The material is pulling back from the door panel's top edge?

 

I have the same problem on one of mine. Since the deluxe door panels have the vinyl part heat welded to the fabric, their isnt any real way to repair them factory style aside from pulling the fabric back up and glueing it together with your gingers crossed and one hand on the Bible. Even then it probably isnt gonna hold up once it sets out in the heat for a few days.

The plan I have to fix mine is by using a sheet of plastic cut to the shape of the fabric portion, then wrapped in fabric and attached over the top of the old fabric with push clips and some press nuts on the back side. Kinda hard to explain, but when mine gets done, I will have pics up showing it. It should turn out pretty good, but it wont have that little welded lip around the edge of the vinyl showing anymore, the new fabric cover will butt up against the vinyl edges. All in all it will look the same to the untrained eye.

I am working on them at the moment, but I keep getting sidetracked so hopefully I will have one of them ready before long and you can see what it looks like. Only real problem with this repair method is that it requires drilling some holes, so once you fix it this way, you can never remove the new fabric part or you will have holes in the original panel.

 

Thank you and let me know how it turns out.....

 

clean good with alcohol , and try a hot glue gun . has worked for me in the past . good luck .

 

Thanks uncletom, I will see if it can pull tight enough to do that. Does anyone know if it can be professionally redone?

 

Not sure if anything sold in stores would really keep it sealed. Id look around online for some medical-grade glue. Adhesive Systems makes some good stuff

 

Unfortunately there is no fix!
I do Uphostery for a living and
I repaired mine by making an insert panel over the whole cloth area.
I also added a Pontiac Name in the middle of the insert.

Gluing may leave a stained and hardened area, but it should keep it from spreading!

Hope this helps, any ?'s just post

 

Thank you nemoose5 and gotabekidding. Gotabekidding, do you have any pix of the door panel after the fix? Did you cut out the the cloth and glue in the insert?

Thank you again......

 

sorry for the size

technology challenged, you now know!

 

Thats looks really good. It appears you did pretty much the same thing Im working on doing for mine, but I keep getting sidelined by other stuff. Did you use push clips to hold yours on or just glue it down over the old fabric ?

 

upholstery spike strips, then bend over the tabs.

assemble the door panel with the insert panel before you cover it.

Had to trim it twice to get it to fit just right.

I used 1/4" foam behind the vynil

 

Thats a very good idea, I was gonna use push clips, but a spike strip would be much better. We have some at the shop for furniture repairs, Ill see if they are flexible enough to go around the curves of the panel.

I made my backing boards out of an extra plastic lazboy display sign we had lying around. Its less than two millimeters thick, but is very sturdy and has flex to it so it wont crack. I am planning on using a large sheet of heavy duty felt as the padding under the fabric since foam tend to break down over time, but I will use foam if the felt doesnt do good.

 

Gotabekidding; Thank you so much, that looks AWESOME!! I know you are technology challenged, but if you could post a few more pix it would really help me understand what you did. I am uphostery challenged!

Did you take the door panel off the door? Did you cut out the carpet area? Did you make a template of the carpet area? What materials did you use?

Thanks again, I love it and want to do the same thing.......

 

I had done the passenger side, procrastinating doing the driver's side.

I have a pattern for the insert board as well

Yes - remove the door panel and bring the armrest with you

I did not keep the map pockets, I always wound up hitting them with my foot anyway

I added a PONTIAC name in the middle that I had from a '77 Bonneville!
Most people do not even know it is not factory!

I will take some pictures as I redo the driver's side to help guide you, if you want.

If you want a pattern for the insert, just pm me a mailing address and I will send you a paper one!

 

You may have to cut out the cloth insert or you may wind up with a dimpled look. I cut the spike strip down into sections, so it could fit where I wanted it. I bent the tabs over on the backside. The logo in the middle is also tightened down with some inverted panel nuts, gave it a nice "tuft" look. I will be posting pics on how I do that shortly, within a week or so. Do Not make your backer board go behind the armrest, it will not reassemble.

 

Gotabekidding; Thank you once again. Sorry I didn't get back with you sooner...I have a few irons in the fire rite now. I am sending a PM.......

 

on my door panel, where the 2 vinyl pieces interface, which is the seam where the metal strip runs along, my vinyl pieces have separated. The vinyl didn't rip, but it just loosened at the seam and stretched the other way. Is it possible for me to pull the 2 vinyl pieces together and fasten together with a spike strip, thereby securing them to the door? How do I lay the metal strip piece back along the vinyl seam after the spike strip has been laid down? Do they connect? Will it look too raised?

 

Depending on how pliable the vinyl is you might be able to stretch it back over and tack it down or use glue. Just be very careful since that vinyl has the perferated holes in it, it could tear easily. The metal strip can be removed by taking the panel off the door and bending the little prongs out straight on the back side. That metal strip has prongs on the back jsut like a tack strip.

 

How do I take off the panels? Any instructions available on this? How do I remove the clips and where are they located?

thanks

 

Thanks a bunch NetViper. You probably saved me a trip to the upholstery shop!

 

Glad I could help. Sorry I didnt get to respond sooner about how to get the door panel off, I assume you have done that already. I have a special clip puller that I use to remove them. It looks like a screwdriver with a wide forked tip on it.

 

I'd like to get a clip puller. Where did you get yours? What brand?

 

Im pretty sure I bought it from the Snap-on tool truck that visited the body shop I used to work at.

Here is one on Ebay that looks very similar to mine.

 

Thanks. That is a must have for me. I ripped a few holes in the cardboard by prying them out with a straight edge. Did a little better on the second door using 2 straight edges on each side of the plastic fastener, but I'm sure that tool will work a lot better.