A vehicle with a newly customized interior will have an incomplete appearance if small details, like door panel upholstery, is ignored. While door panel upholstery looks good with extra details, upholstery beginners might want to craft basic door panel upholstery. After the basics are mastered, trimmers have the opportunity to move on to more detailed covers.
What Kind of Door Panels are Best Suited to Door Panel Interior Upholstery?
Modern vehicles have molded door panels that cannot always be easily upholstered with Naugahyde because of shaping, but vintage vehicles have flat door panels that are ideally designed to be upholstered. The artificial leather known as Naugahyde vinyl is a durable upholstery covering for both door panels and matching vehicle seats. Naugahyde vinyl is frequently used as a door panel covering because it comes from the factory, coated with a stain-resistant, anti-microbial treatment that is, according to the manufacturer, designed to be easy to clean.
Supplies and Materials Needed to Upholster Door Panels
- Tape measure or yard stick
- Door panel clips (optional)
- Scissors
- Fleece or poly-foam padding, 1/4 inch thick
- 1 can high-tack upholstery spray glue
- Naugahyde (approximately 1 yard per panel)
Steps for Upholstering Door Panels
- Measure the door panel, and replace any missing door panel clips.
- Cut the padding so it is half an inch larger than the door panel you just measured, and place the padding face down on the table.
- Shake the can of spray glue, and spray a light coat on the back of the padding. Then spray a light coat of glue on the front of the door panel. Place the door panel face down on the glued padding.
- Turn the panel over quickly, and smooth out any wrinkles you see by pressing and pulling down on the padding with the palm of your hand. Trim off the padding that hangs over the panel's edge, and set the padded panel aside.
- Add 4 inches to the dimensions of the door panel, and cut the Naugahyde to the larger dimensions.
- Place the Naugahyde face down on the table, then place the padded panel face down on top of Naugahyde.
- Spray a 2-inch-wide strip along one vertical edge of the door panel, stopping 2 inches from the corners. Spray the vinyl edge that is sticking out past the panel's edge. Wait 30 seconds and lift the Naugahyde up and over the edge, and press firmly to stick the vinyl to the panel. Cut half-inch notches out of the vinyl to avoid the door panel clips, using the scissors.
- Pull the Naugahyde on the opposite, unglued side gently to make sure there are no wrinkles in the front of the panel. Repeat the gluing step on the other vertical side before gluing the top and bottom edge of the panel, remembering to stop 2 inches from each corner.
- There will be a pleat in the corner of the Naugahyde; use the scissors to cut 2 V-shaped lines in, to meet the back edge of the panel. You will be removing about 1 inch at the widest spot. This will remove the excess vinyl and will allow the panel to be flat against the car door when installed.
- Lift the unglued edges, and spray glue into the gap between the vinyl and the panel. Wait 30 seconds, then press the Naugahyde vinyl in place. Allow the panel to dry for at least an hour before installation in the vehicle.
Check with upholstery suppliers and car parts stores to locate accessories like door panel clips and upholstery glue.
References:
Naugahyde: Clean Naugahyde
Car Craft: How to Rebuild Your Door Panels: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0706_auto_upholstery_repair/photo_02.html
Laure Justice - Laure is a Topic Editor for Suite101, covering three topics. View her full profile for details and contact information.
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