Interior Door Panel Restoration - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

al76slc · #1 08-17-2006, 07:36 AM

76 450SLC. Purists can stop reading now.

I'm changing my interior from blue to black, and have nice black OEM seats, rear interior door panels, and other black parts. The interior door panels are not good. . ., and before I spend $265 for the skins & $120 for the masonite panels, I'm fooling around with a set of spare interior door panels.

I picked up some textured black vinyl that seems to match the OEM vinyl nicely, but it obviously doesn't have the perforations and the embossing of the originals. (Also cost only $7.00/yard.) I'm also not wild about the "fussy-ness" of the OE parts.

I'm trying to find some chrome strips, hopefully in a roll, with screws coming out of the backside. I'm thinking something about 1/8" - 1/4" wide. I will use the strips to fasten the vinyl somewhere in the midline of the side facing the seats, and then wrap the vinyl around the back of masonite panels and fasten from the rear. There will be 1/2" foam padding under the vinyl.

I'm thinking this is a simpler look, more like current generation models, and besides, saves money. If I don't like it, after I finish swapping out the interior, I can always buy new skins.

Anyone have a source for the chrome strips, or an alternate way to accomplish securing the vinyl on the front surface (facing the seats) in a few places? It will be held in place to some extent by the armrest, but I think it will look too bland without any sort of chrome or texture.

Thanks.
Al

My SLC is medium blue metallic, with blue, soon to be black, interior, 68K miles.

Strife · #2 08-17-2006, 08:28 AM

Some people have mentioned that thinner foam like OEM has been found in art/crafts stores. Maybe contact cement (like the kind used to do the hood pad) would hold it properly?

al76slc · #3 08-17-2006, 10:02 AM

Thinnest foam I found at the fabric store was 1/2". I didn't think that was bad as the existing masonite panel was kinda ratty & I thought the extra thickness would be helpful. I could spray contact cement all over the vinyl, although I didn't think that was a good idea as I thought it would show glued spots.

Now as I'm thinking about it, maybe I'll fiberglass over the masonite panel to smooth it. As long as I'm doing that, do I have enough clearance in the door panels to mount 6" speakers at the lower forward sides, and ditch the map pockets, and also ditch either the rear shelf or dash speakers?

The map pockets seem to be a weak area on many of these vehicles.

I hate it when projects expand exponentially after I start.

Strife - I'm guessing you're a purist on this stuff. Does it offend you to use smooth, not perforated OE type, vinyl on the interior door panels.

Dee8go · #4 08-17-2006, 10:12 AM

I've bought a lot of trim pieces for varios applications from a place (in NJ, I think) called Outwater Plastics. They have a website. They cater mainly to the store fixture, and cabinet-making industry, but you might find something there you could use.

al76slc · #5 08-17-2006, 10:49 AM

Dee8go

Thanks for the tip. Checked their website, but nothing jumps out at me. I'll re-check when I have more time. But I'm thinking there must be someone specific to the auto upholstery industry.

Strife · #6 08-17-2006, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al76slc

Strife - I'm guessing you're a purist on this stuff. Does it offend you to use smooth, not perforated OE type, vinyl on the interior door panels.

Hmmm...you would be wrong! I modified my car (tastefully and mostly reversibly, I think) quite a bit, and I know this has irritated some people who've seen it - because it actually would have been a good restoration candidate. Because the next time my car changes hands I will be in a box, I don't really care. But if your car is a "driver" and not a concours candidate, I think you should do whatever you feel is worth spending on it. And IMHO it is somehow more satisfying to say "I MADE something" as opposed to "I bought something".

This site looks interesting:

http://www.denverfabrics.com/pages/static/vinyl/car-vinyl.htm

I will say, that from an aesthetic point of view, the large sheet of vinyl might look a bit bland...also, choose a vinyl with good abrasion resistance. I notice a spot on my door where my arm usually is in the summer.

Roncallo · #7 08-19-2006, 09:35 AM

Try this guy on E-bay it ends tomarrow

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=320016129447&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

John Roncallo