My door cards were loose at the bottom and a few of the clips had parted company with the card backing so I decided to replace them. They looked OK, but flapped about a bit.
I bought some door cards and had the upholsterer make up some specific covers for me. I supplied some diamond leatherette (faux leather) and he supplied some red leatherette and made up the panels on new ply backing, complete with clips. There are numerous colour combinations available to match your trim or you can have bespoke covers done. I paid approx £80 for the cards and upholstery and £10 on eBay for the diamond material.
He can be contacted on : Gee’s Artisan Upholstery
www.geesartisanupholstery.co.uk/
So, first off, special tools. I bought some trim removal tools for 99p - but the panels were so bad, I didn’t really need them. If your panels are good, you need something. The hardboard backs were, basically, rotted and many of the clips had been prised out before and torn holes in the backing.
Here is the back of the old panel once removed. After all of the clips are undone push the panel up and the whole piece will come off in one go. DO NOT try and remove the panel and leave the top of the door trim in place - remove as one piece.
I took the opportunity to oil the door locks and repair the plastic cover on the door with gaffer tape where someone had cut holes in the past, making it waterproof again.
Installation is the reverse of the dismantling. You may have to lie on the floor to get the bottom clips lined up - Give the clips a good thump with your fist!
The door handles had collected a fair amount of detritus so they were treated to a good clean with Cif. This type really cleaned the plastic up and gave it a nice shine without them feeling greasy or oily.
Finished door - the pattern matches the IL motorsport diamond shaped lining that was fitted to the interior (subject of another post)
