How To Fix Your Car Door Trims (JDM MIRA)
video description
Date: 2020-07-07
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
RyTrapp0
As far as DIYing door panels, two-tone is easy enough - where the two differing materials meet, you cover with a piece of trim material or molding, just like an OEM does. If it's trim material, you would ideally sew it all/get it all sewed together down this joint since all 3 pieces of material are overlapping. If using a molding of some sort(anything from a thin chrome strip to a full length arm rest - it just needs to cover the joint, you can possibly get away with just an adhesive as long as you choose the right stuff(there's a specific industrial adhesive for EVERYTHING today, or poke holes through the card and put short screws in through the back of the molding(don't poke through, or attach spring tabs, or fold over tabs, anything like that to the molding to stick through the door card, whatever attachment method is most appropriate. It's no different than using the pinchweld material to trim the bottom of the door panel here.
Also, put a thin soft foam layer between the door card and the cover, it'll fill it out and give it a bit of a perceived value boost. You can experiment with thicknesses, but between an 1/8-3mm and a 1/4-6mm would probably be the 'safe' zone. You can even get sneaky and use thicker pieces on one part of the panel and thinner pieces on, say, a second material, or you can leave a gap between two pieces of foam and pull the cover down to the card with some thread to emphasize a visual seam.
These things really aren't that difficult to get creative with - especially once you figure out how to build door structures that match a custom door card that maybe has large custom arm rests(shape a block of hard foam into the shape you want, coat in resin, cover with layer of felt or similar material[T-shirts even work], coat in resin, let harden, coat in body filler and sand it to shape like bodywork, then paint it or upholster it; attach through the door panel to the custom inner door structure, likely using screws. If you can do basic bodywork, basic composite work(in other words, you've worked with a hardening resin before, you've cut/drilled wood with a power tool at some point in your life, you have the basic skills to make door panels from scratch.
Making something like an upholstered center console from scratch really isn't that much different - but, you start talking about upholstering seats from scratch, especially doing custom foams too, that's some straight wizardry, I don't even know where to begin with that stuff.
reply
As far as DIYing door panels, two-tone is easy enough - where the two differing materials meet, you cover with a piece of trim material or molding, just like an OEM does. If it's trim material, you would ideally sew it all/get it all sewed together down this joint since all 3 pieces of material are overlapping. If using a molding of some sort(anything from a thin chrome strip to a full length arm rest - it just needs to cover the joint, you can possibly get away with just an adhesive as long as you choose the right stuff(there's a specific industrial adhesive for EVERYTHING today, or poke holes through the card and put short screws in through the back of the molding(don't poke through, or attach spring tabs, or fold over tabs, anything like that to the molding to stick through the door card, whatever attachment method is most appropriate. It's no different than using the pinchweld material to trim the bottom of the door panel here.
Also, put a thin soft foam layer between the door card and the cover, it'll fill it out and give it a bit of a perceived value boost. You can experiment with thicknesses, but between an 1/8-3mm and a 1/4-6mm would probably be the 'safe' zone. You can even get sneaky and use thicker pieces on one part of the panel and thinner pieces on, say, a second material, or you can leave a gap between two pieces of foam and pull the cover down to the card with some thread to emphasize a visual seam.
These things really aren't that difficult to get creative with - especially once you figure out how to build door structures that match a custom door card that maybe has large custom arm rests(shape a block of hard foam into the shape you want, coat in resin, cover with layer of felt or similar material[T-shirts even work], coat in resin, let harden, coat in body filler and sand it to shape like bodywork, then paint it or upholster it; attach through the door panel to the custom inner door structure, likely using screws. If you can do basic bodywork, basic composite work(in other words, you've worked with a hardening resin before, you've cut/drilled wood with a power tool at some point in your life, you have the basic skills to make door panels from scratch.
Making something like an upholstered center console from scratch really isn't that much different - but, you start talking about upholstering seats from scratch, especially doing custom foams too, that's some straight wizardry, I don't even know where to begin with that stuff.
reply
autos
When I was doing this for my early 90's Corolla, the door cards were mirrored, which made my process a lot faster. This kind of job is also so much easier with a router and patterning bit, especially with mirrored door cards: Double side tape the old to new, old to new to new in my case, do an oversized jigsaw cut, then take it to the router. Not only do you reduce time by reducing cuts, but you're also doing less setup for each step.
I only ended up dong my own because it was becoming too difficult to find door cards within my car's own spec. At some point they changed from all wood to half plastic and half wood, and I believe the latest years of it changed to full plastic. Each type of door card also had their own style, it wasn't just a move from wood to wood+plastic to plastic, but each style changed a noticeable amount, and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the change, especially if I couldn't find matching front and rear cards.
Sadly the car was totaled while I was fixing up the interior. RIP that nugget.
reply
When I was doing this for my early 90's Corolla, the door cards were mirrored, which made my process a lot faster. This kind of job is also so much easier with a router and patterning bit, especially with mirrored door cards: Double side tape the old to new, old to new to new in my case, do an oversized jigsaw cut, then take it to the router. Not only do you reduce time by reducing cuts, but you're also doing less setup for each step.
I only ended up dong my own because it was becoming too difficult to find door cards within my car's own spec. At some point they changed from all wood to half plastic and half wood, and I believe the latest years of it changed to full plastic. Each type of door card also had their own style, it wasn't just a move from wood to wood+plastic to plastic, but each style changed a noticeable amount, and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the change, especially if I couldn't find matching front and rear cards.
Sadly the car was totaled while I was fixing up the interior. RIP that nugget.
reply
Hellsong89
When you have cut the board into shape, put on few coats of urethane lacquer. This prevents wood from sucking moisture even if it gets moist and weather stripping fails etc.
Also when putting the leather or what over in place, place it where it should go. Fold it on it self, spray the contact adhesive, hold fabric in place while folding it back to glue it and repeat on other side. This way peace stays in place and there is much less fighting to get it fit properly.
reply
When you have cut the board into shape, put on few coats of urethane lacquer. This prevents wood from sucking moisture even if it gets moist and weather stripping fails etc.
Also when putting the leather or what over in place, place it where it should go. Fold it on it self, spray the contact adhesive, hold fabric in place while folding it back to glue it and repeat on other side. This way peace stays in place and there is much less fighting to get it fit properly.
reply
KnuntCuckle
5: 14 For anyone who is redoing door materiel you can use wool felt!
It's cheap, easy to work, very forgiving comes in a multitude of colours and also helps with sound deadening from the outside world furthermore it also helps with speaker setups (hence why they use it in subwoofer builds) It can be glued down all the same and can be sown together with ease if you want a MaAaaD design and or two tone. Actually looks quite regal if done well.
reply
5: 14 For anyone who is redoing door materiel you can use wool felt!
It's cheap, easy to work, very forgiving comes in a multitude of colours and also helps with sound deadening from the outside world furthermore it also helps with speaker setups (hence why they use it in subwoofer builds) It can be glued down all the same and can be sown together with ease if you want a MaAaaD design and or two tone. Actually looks quite regal if done well.
reply
Rutger
As an car upholster, I recomend doing it completely new. Despite the fact that it will be more work and it will be more expensive, you avoid one serious problem. On of the things that makes this usually a bodge job is the simple fact that old glues and new ones will try an eat each other. Simply put, I wont stick well enough in most cases. Mcm does it well, I'll give m that but that is in most cases what I'll happen. Same with roof liner.
reply
As an car upholster, I recomend doing it completely new. Despite the fact that it will be more work and it will be more expensive, you avoid one serious problem. On of the things that makes this usually a bodge job is the simple fact that old glues and new ones will try an eat each other. Simply put, I wont stick well enough in most cases. Mcm does it well, I'll give m that but that is in most cases what I'll happen. Same with roof liner.
reply
Mike
Thanks for all that you guys do to entertain us! I bought a 1990 Miata last year and ordered a Chopped fingers keychain to go with it. My daughter has been hounding me for it ever since she first saw it haha! I just placed an order for another one, plus some other goodies for her and me both. I'm proud to rep your show, and again, thanks for all you do!
reply
Thanks for all that you guys do to entertain us! I bought a 1990 Miata last year and ordered a Chopped fingers keychain to go with it. My daughter has been hounding me for it ever since she first saw it haha! I just placed an order for another one, plus some other goodies for her and me both. I'm proud to rep your show, and again, thanks for all you do!
reply
Krzysiek
awesome job as always: ) i'm waiting for my honda back to me after body repairs (and make it wider: D) then i'll start some detail repair before summers cars party in poland: D many thing will be done with your help from videos; )
P. S. sorry for my shit english: D
reply
awesome job as always: ) i'm waiting for my honda back to me after body repairs (and make it wider: D) then i'll start some detail repair before summers cars party in poland: D many thing will be done with your help from videos; )
P. S. sorry for my shit english: D
reply
MeZmeriZe_
Should have used coreflute instead of mdf. Coreflute is at Bunnings for 8 bucks a sheet and it's waterproof and won't fit and you can shape it with scissors and a Stanley knife and it covers well. Oh and it's less than a third of the weight.
reply
Should have used coreflute instead of mdf. Coreflute is at Bunnings for 8 bucks a sheet and it's waterproof and won't fit and you can shape it with scissors and a Stanley knife and it covers well. Oh and it's less than a third of the weight.
reply
Dan
If youtube and the internet had been around back in the 50's and 60's, I wonder if we would of tried to be celebrities too when we messed around on our trucks/cars? . I don't think so but there may have been one or two with ADD, lol.
reply
If youtube and the internet had been around back in the 50's and 60's, I wonder if we would of tried to be celebrities too when we messed around on our trucks/cars? . I don't think so but there may have been one or two with ADD, lol.
reply
aserta
You can use MDF if you soak it in lacquer. Then it becomes stronger and water proof. I use HDF that's been lacquered with 4 layers by brush or 5 by spray. I've got them on a open top Jeep, no issues in 3 years now, since install.
reply
You can use MDF if you soak it in lacquer. Then it becomes stronger and water proof. I use HDF that's been lacquered with 4 layers by brush or 5 by spray. I've got them on a open top Jeep, no issues in 3 years now, since install.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
