Time to tackle the interior door and rear side panel coverings.  The front door panels were in sad shape, had holes in them for speakers and the backing board was falling apart.  The rear side panels were also in 50 year old tired shape, with bigger issues to the backer boards. 

Also, I wanted my door panels to match my newly reupholstered Recaro seats (https://www.bmw2002faq.com/blogs/entry/2594-raising-recaros-back-from-the-graveyard/) and my rear seats, so when I ordered the seat recover kit from LSeat.com, I also ordered an additional 40 square feet of the same leather.

I was hoping to make my own replacement front door panel cards, as mine were severely deteriorated and had speaker holes.  I bought what I thought was the best plywood for this project, but they just seemed too thin and flimsy.  So, I bit the bullet and purchased new cards from Turtle Laboratories.  They were pretty good, but a couple of the top holes had to be enlarged with a sharp blade because they weren’t lining up with the top black metal frame piece.  Not a big deal, but thought I would mention it.  Also, I gave the new wood backer boards a couple coats of urethane varnish to add extra moisture protection.

I took lots of pictures when I tore them down to make sure I had all of the documentation needed to put them back together.  This is a huge step, don't overlook it.  When you put everything back together, those tear down pics are priceless.

I also was hoping to stich my own door panel material.  I used my wife’s cheap Brother sewing machine to sew a new vinyl upholstery for my boat and it worked fine.  However, the leather from LSeat was just too thick and it wouldn’t sew a stitch.  So, I bought a Chinese knock-off of the Sailrite sewing machine, but it too wouldn’t sew a stitch in the leather, so I returned it.  I have a local friend who does auto and marine upholstery, so I handed him the project and he did a great job.  I wanted the stitching to closely match the “stitching” on the original panels and he didn’t disappoint.  I also thought I was going to need to staple the upholstery on the card, so I was preparing for that, but ended up getting Weldwood contact cement to work perfect.  I ended up not needing any staples at all.

For the rear side panels, my boards were pretty warped and torn.  I used a steamer to heat and moisten the boards and worked them back into their original shape as best I could.  After they were dry again, I used resin and fiberglass, with a little thin plywood, to rebuild some of the missing corners and torn holes.  They aren’t pretty, but they are stronger and functional. 

One thing to note if making repairs to the front or rear panels, at the top where the black metal frame piece attaches, you have to make sure you do not add any thickness above what was there originally.  Not only does it make attaching the metal frame piece difficult with the prongs, but it also interferes with how the panel attaches to the top of the door/body.  The clips actually sit right inside the lip of the black metal frame piece, so you cannot have anything impeding that area.  My repairs were very much in the way and I ended up having to grind away a bit of my repairs to clear enough space for the clips to fit up in there.

When applying the new covers, I started by using 3M 90 Spray Adhesive to attach the new covers to the front of the panels.  After the spray adhesive setup for a couple of hours, I used Weldwood contact adhesive on the back side of the panels when wrapping the extra around the back.  The key thing to remember when using a contact adhesive is to follow the label directions.  Usually that means applying the adhesive to both surfaces and letting them dry until they are tacky.  After they are tacky, you can adhere the two surfaces together.  The Weldwood holds very strong when applied properly and no staples are needed.

The results are fantastic, I am very happy with the door panels.  And, the original rear armrest perfectly matches my new leather.