Door card recovering

[Cliffdog]

After hydro dipping my center console with a carbon fiber pattern, I need to reupholster my door cards to match (or at least look better with the CF)...

For clarification, I'm just talking about the upholstered door cards, not the whole interior door panel.

I'm going to use a marine grade CF vinyl fabric but the looming question is how to reattach it to the door panels after covering. They are attached using plastic melt points so I can't just buy or 3D print new fasteners.

I read about someone using hot glue, but that seems like it wouldn't hold well. It might depend on the type of glue though.

Any suggestions?

 

[Rudyrov]

Contact cement sprayed on both the panel and the material

 

[Cliffdog]

Contact cement sprayed on both the panel and the material

I don't mean the upholstery itself, I mean attaching the door card to the interior door panel, after the card is already finished being covered.

 

[Rudyrov]

I don't mean the upholstery itself, I mean attaching the door card to the interior door panel, after the card is already finished being covered.

Sorry, and as far as mounting stock door panel back on the car I don't know of any other cosmetically pleasing method other that the standard hardware. I also recall that the Z3 doesn't have the most robust door card, my drivers side arm rest has been failing for a long time.
If it was me and there where no alternatives I would use bolts mounted from the inside of the door that the card could hang on, these would be bolted through the metal and use nuts to secure them to the metal, then I would hang the door card on those and use either lock nuts or acorn nuts for a neat appearance.
I hope my description is self explanatory.

 

[Stevo7682]

Will post some pictures of what i did when i changed the leather sections on my doorcards once i get home.
Stephen.

 

[Cliffdog]

Sorry, and as far as mounting stock door panel back on the car I don't know of any other cosmetically pleasing method other that the standard hardware. I also recall that the Z3 doesn't have the most robust door card, my drivers side arm rest has been failing for a long time.
If it was me and there where no alternatives I would use bolts mounted from the inside of the door that the card could hang on, these would be bolted through the metal and use nuts to secure them to the metal, then I would hang the door card on those and use either lock nuts or acorn nuts for a neat appearance.
I hope my description is self explanatory.

We seem to be talking past one another. The armrest is most certainly not part of what I'm calling the door card. The door card, as I understand it, is the almost figure-8-shaped upholstered piece that's attached to the interior door panel with melt points at the factory. There are no fasteners or other hardware that you can buy to reattach it.

The section outlined in white is what I'm talking about.

 

[Rudyrov]

are you talking about the red part in this door panel?

Google Image Result for https://d3inagkmqs1m6q.cloudfront.net/333934/media-photos/pk005469-98-bmw-z3-m-roadster-e36-1009-right-door-panel-black-red.jpg

 

[Rudyrov]

 

[Cliffdog]

are you talking about the red part in this door panel?

Google Image Result for https://d3inagkmqs1m6q.cloudfront.net/333934/media-photos/pk005469-98-bmw-z3-m-roadster-e36-1009-right-door-panel-black-red.jpg

Yes

 

[Rudyrov]

I am sorry! I misunderstood, Have never done that part of the door, perhaps using fasteners embeded into that card.

 

[Cliffdog]

No problem at all. Glad we were able to clarify...

I've heard of that being done, however, anything poking through the upholstered card, even if under the padding, would be evident if any pressure was put on the surface. I don't want to see or feel an impression of a screw tip.

I think hot glue might be the best solution without going truly permanent (epoxy)... I'm told that there are types of hot glue sticks that should maintain their adhesion and composure under vibration and heat, but I haven't looked into it in any detail yet.

I'll update this thread and include pictures as I go.

Thanks!

 

[Rudyrov]

No problem at all. Glad we were able to clarify...

I've heard of that being done, however, anything poking through the upholstered card, even if under the padding, would be evident if any pressure was put on the surface. I don't want to see or feel an impression of a screw tip.

I think hot glue might be the best solution without going truly permanent (epoxy)... I'm told that there are types of hot glue sticks that should maintain their adhesion and composure under vibration and heat, but I haven't looked into it in any detail yet.

I'll update this thread and include pictures as I go.

Thanks!

Good luck to you and looking forward to your experience, sooner or later I will be doing the same.
Cheers!

 

[Stevo7682]

Not sure if this will help but this is what I did when i swapped the leather portion of the doorcards into another one.

I carefully drilled the heads off of all the plastic rivets to leave me as much as possible left.

On reassembly i drilled tiny holes into the remains of the rivets then i used some tiger seal to bond everything then using small screws and the lower half of number plate screw covers to secure everything.
That was 8 months ago still perfect.
Might look like a dogs dinner at the back but no-one sees that front looks spot on you'd neve know I'd touched it.
Stephen.

 

[IanA]

... On reassembly i drilled tiny holes into the remains of the rivets then i used ... small screws.

This is my Z300S Barchetta, the 4th one built of 8.

I painted the tops of the door cards and for the inserts, covered them with alcantara fabric.

Fastened them as above but with washers under the screw heads. Yes there are a lot of them.