Door Panel - Leather replacement?

[jwilliams]

I have been searching for awhile and I have seen conflicting information on various threads. So I thought I would post up the question directly and see what the consensus is from the interior gurus.

How hard is it to replace the red circled area with new leather/vinyl?
In looking at it, I wasn't sure if you can separate the material around the chrome strip?

I will most likely have a shop do it, but wasn't sure if this is even possible.

 

[Overland Tailor]

A good upholstery shop will have no issue with that .

 

[jwilliams]

I just got off the phone with my shop.
They said the only thing they can do is glue the new vinyl to the old vinyl along that chrome strip because it is heat molded from the factory.
Meaning there is no way to remove the chrome strip.

It makes sense if you look at it.
Anyone have any experience with a great way to attach along this contoured edge that is more permanent that glue, and still provides a good looking finish product?

 

[Tapage]

Once I try to split the top part ( metal covered on vinil ) and it's simple not possible ...

 

[Traakon]

When Brian did ours we looked at that chrome strip pretty extensively. The leather is stitched to the vinyl forming a seam that the chrome strip is them pressed in to which covers the seam. You can remove the strip but you will never get it back on again. They make a "chrome looking" piping that can be stitched into the seam in its place when your doing the new panel but it just doesn't look quite right.

We opted to just ditch it (as well as the pockets) and let the stitching line be its own defining element.

Teaser 3

• Traakon
• Oct 11, 2015

Finished 5

• Traakon
• Nov 6, 2015

 

[DSRTRDR]

when I discussed this with Shane (AATLASX) a few years ago, he said that it was almost impossible not to ruin the door panel when taking the old vinyl off - it's the reason he has been reluctant to sell replacement panels

I did not try it, so no personal experience

 

[surfpig]

I've been truly obsessed with this since I got my 80.