Total internal reupholstery

[CanTechZ]

I found the old non-useable door panels (cards) from my 12'70 parts car and dissected one. Firstly the plastic "chromed" strip was definitely applied with some kind of hot molding process, as @Patconsuggested. It appears to have been done with some kind of heated platen that would do the full door panel in one go. The original vinyl has thin padding that appears to be glued to the back side before the heat molding process. The strip can be removed but it would be very difficult to salvage the chrome coating. I used two methods and both worked to remove it. First was using a sharp utility knife with the blade on the "flat" during cutting. Second method was with a heat gun on a low setting and after cutting the end free with a utility knife, I did some preheating and then held the heat gun aimed at the "release" point while pulling the strip free slowly. I had to kneel on the door panel to keep tension on the vinyl as I pulled. The heat method does more damage to the chrome on the strip. Here are some pictures on the door panel and vinyl and the process.

[Seppi72]

Thanks for those leads, AZ-240z.  I shall definitely take a hard look at that option.

And, CanTechZ, what can I say other than "WOW!"  You went to a LOT of trouble to do that exploratory work and I truly appreciate it.

[CanTechZ]

1 hour ago, Seppi72 said:

Thanks for those leads, AZ-240z.  I shall definitely take a hard look at that option.

And, CanTechZ, what can I say other than "WOW!"  You went to a LOT of trouble to do that exploratory work and I truly appreciate it.

You're welcome. I had nothing to lose cutting up that old door panel and I found it quite interesting to look into the methods of manufacture used 50+ years ago.

[heyitsrama]

Just wanted to add some noise to the conversation, this dude makes some really nice interiors for other Datsuns. Wonder what two completely new door cards would cost, and how close they are to OEM.

https://www.instagram.com/tree_ausawa/

[Seppi72]

Whoa!  That boy has got mad skills.  I'll contact him even though he's in Malaysia.  Between lower overhead costs and the freight charges, it might just be a wash with getting what I need done here in Columbus, Ohio.  And probably faster too.

[Namerow]

On 5/10/2023 at 4:19 PM, Seppi72 said:

My biggest issue is how to remove and preserve the chrome strip along the top of the panel.

For your consideration:

HVAC duct-sealing foil tape (adhesive backing) can, with care and patience, be used to replace the chrome film.  The result has a finish that's almost indistinguishable from the original. I used this foil to restore my door cards and rear kick panels.  Five years later, the tape remains securely in place.

Steps:

Leave the trim strip in place, but peel off the 'chrome' layer.  It comes off as a thin film and you should be able to remove 100% of it without needing to use chemicals.  Left behind will be the blue-coloured plastic strip.  It has a 'D' cross-section.  Measure the perimeter of that cross-section by shaping a piece of aluminum foil over the surface and marking the base of the 'D' on each side with an awl or straight pin.  Flatten out the foil and take your measurement.  I measured it at 9mm for the rear kick panel.  I'm not sure whether it was the same for the door card accent strip.

Cut a length of HVAC duct-sealing foil that's about 6" slightly longer than the door trim strip.  Secure it to a flat surface, shiny side up, using regular 'duct tape' at each end.  Mark off several strips, using the 'D' perimeter measurement to define the width of each strip.  Using a long straight edge and a utility knife (with a fresh blade), cut at least full-length 6 strips (you eventually only need two, but you'll probably ruin at least two at the start as you practice stripping off the backing sheet and then applying to the door strip).  For each lengthwise cut, work from the inboard edge of the widthwise duct tape at one end to the similar point at the other end. Then, after making your six lengthwise cuts, use a shorter straight edge to cut widthwise at each end.  Tip:  It helps if you clamp the long straight edge to the table/bench top, so that it can't move while you're making each long cut.

Clean the surface of the blue plastic trim strip thoroughly.  I used denatured alcohol.  It's particularly important to get the top and bottom parts of the 'D' clean (where the strip meets the door trim vinyl).

As noted, it takes a bit of practice to figure out how to pull the backing strip off the aluminum foil strip without putting a kink in the foil and/or having the foil accidentally bond to some unintended surface before you have a chance to start laying it down on the intended target (i.e. door card's blue plastic strip).  It also takes a steady hand to keep the tape properly centered on the blue plastic strip as you lay it into place along the length of the plastic strip. 

The application technique is to lightly lay the foil onto the crown of the D.  Press it into place at the front end of the plastic strip, then align while gradually lowering the full length of the foil down into place. It may take a few tries to get this right.  Unfortunately, every failed attempt will ruin the foil, so you'll need to use a new strip for your next attempt. 

Once you get a good result, the next step is to cut the excess off at the front and rear ends of the foil.   You'll need to judge the position of these end trim cuts so that, once pressed down, the cut end of the foil will align with the end of the blue plastic strip.  Getting an acceptable result here requires a little additional work because the end of the blue plastic strip is rounded.  The foil will not stretch to meet this contour.  The only way to avoid a crinkled surface is to make two short lengthwise cuts so that the foil is now divided into three short segments.  Eventually (but not now), you'll be able to press the center part down first, and then press the top and bottom segments into place.  There'll be a slight overlap.

Returning to the main job, your foil strip at this point is lying flat along the length of the blue plastic strip, touching only the crown of the 'D'.  You now start working the foil down over the 'D' contour.  Use a soft cloth rub lengthwise, gradually working the tape down over the 'D' contour.  To avoid 'bunching', work from the center out to each end, rather than from front to rear. Work from the crown of the 'D' outwards, alternating from the upper half to the lower half.

I think you'll be very pleased with the final result.  My only caveat for this technique is that I haven't tested the effectiveness of the foil adhesive under extreme temperatures (e.g. car parked outdoors in the summer with the windows up).  If you're concerned about this and think you know of a better adhesive, you could always try gluing chrome mylar film over the blue plastic trim strip.  Personally, I like the foil because it's metal and actually bends to into shape over the 'D' contour, meaning that there's very little residual force trying to lift the edges.  At extreme temps, the adhesive may temporarily get a bit gooey (technical term), but I don't think the foil will lift unless it's disturbed by the side of your arm.  I take some consolation from the fact that this foil is designed to be reliable for use on air distribution ducts that carry both cooled and heated air.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Namerow

[Seppi72]

Thank you for that imaginative and detailed report on reproducing the door panel chrome strip.  I might just do that.

BTW, I've contacted the owner of Treeaswa Retrocar Co., Ltd. in Thailand and will be mailing him a sample of the light blue vinyl fabric that I've chosen for the soft bits of my interior.  I'm sure he will be able to work it as it was designed to be used in boat upholstery.  I've also asked him to quote on the parts I need produced.  Between that and the cost of shipping stuff from the U.S. to Thailand and back, I'm not sure it will be competitive with what a local auto upholstery shop would charge me but you never know until you ask and do your due diligence.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Seppi72

[Namerow]

A few photos to go with my write-up.  I didn't take any photos of the work that I did with my door trim panels.  These pix show the same technique used for the rear kick panels...

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Namerow

[HusseinHolland]

On 5/12/2023 at 3:55 AM, heyitsrama said:

Just wanted to add some noise to the conversation, this dude makes some really nice interiors for other Datsuns. Wonder what two completely new door cards would cost, and how close they are to OEM.

https://www.instagram.com/tree_ausawa/

Nice find! I messaged him on FB, to ask if he has 280Z templates. ZcarDepot has an Asian vendor, but they have no stock or ETA on 75 280Z pattern

[Yarb]

Did he mention having any other templates for later year 280’s

[HusseinHolland]

15 hours ago, Yarb said:

Did he mention having any other templates for later year 280’s

He sent pics to me of what he does - he recreates the original covering, but you have to send him your panels, so the backing card has to be usable.

[Seppi72]

And that would seem to be THE problem, even with good panels, which I have.  The freight charges getting them to Thailand and then getting the finished products back to the U.S. are phenomenal.  Now, I'm no international shipping maven (are there any on this forum?), but just messing around within the UPS website produced a quote for a 15 pound box with dimensions of 43"x24"x7" at over $1,000.  And that's just getting the panels to Thailand.  I'll have to mess around with FedEx, DHL and the USPS but I suspect they will all be in the hundreds of dollars.

So, unless you know someone going to Thailand for a while and who would take your panels there and back as checked baggage, this exceptional craftsman's work looks to be simply out-of-reach for a typical Zcar owner.

I HOPE someone will be able to disprove the above statement.