DIY-Replacing Door Carpet with Leather - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

TimAustinW · 03-01-2008, 09:59 PM

Hey guys,

I finally got around to doing my passenger side door panel and promised a few that I'd do a DIY when I did it. I skipped documenting the door panel removal. Refer to this post to get that info...

To remove the door panel

Here's the DIY once you get the door panel off...

TimAustinW · 03-01-2008, 10:01 PM

TimAustinW · 03-01-2008, 10:02 PM

Cheers!

TimAustinW · 03-01-2008, 10:22 PM

One correction. I bought 39sq ft of the leather that was enough for both door panels , the firewall or heat sheild behind the seats and the two panels that cover the seatbelt mechanisms. In the DIY I think I said I bought 6 sq ft.

Here's a link to the seller on Ebay I got it from...

Kyson Leather

Gary in BR · 03-02-2008, 10:44 AM

Thats a great looking mod, I always wondered why Porsche put carpet there.

blinkwatt · 03-02-2008, 11:26 AM

Damn nice work! Looks amazing.

RandallNeighbour · 03-03-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

Thats a great looking mod, I always wondered why Porsche put carpet there.

Gary, I'm betting it was put there to make the interior feel less spartan and absorb some sound.

Tim, I bought a sheet of leather from Kyson Leather on Ebay as well this last week and will get it in this week I think. I have nasty vinyl door panels and a cigarette burn on the passenger side, so I'm planning on keeping the carpet below and doing the upper vinyl over in leather.

Do you think I can keep the vinyl on it and just spray it and put the leather over it?

PS - for other readers, I paid $144 (incl. shipping) for 39 square feet of very thin, light pebble finished black leather from Kyson on Ebay... great folks to work with. They sent me three samples to choose from. BTW, the "125" hides they have are what I bought because it was only 1 mm thick and had a grain pattern that matches the rest of my car.

I will be doing the doors, the oddments tray cover, and then I will tackle the dash... mine is old looking and it will give me a big project to do for very little money.

My interior will be swathed in black leather before I'm done

RandallNeighbour · 03-15-2008, 02:56 PM

Timothy, you've inspired me to action.

Found the 3M adhesive spray at Home Depot this afternoon and did three interior pieces... the plastic and vinyl bits to the left and right of the cubby holes below the radio, and the oddments tray lid.

It was easy!

I already feel like the interior of my old boxster got an upgrade. Next, I'll tackle a door.

BTW, I didn't take pix, but I will say that I removed the vinyl so I wouldn't have "fat" pieces that didn't fit well. As one removes the vinyl, it's important to leave as much of the foam on the plastic piece so the leather has some padding on it. My vinyl was so old that it came off the foam nicely.

TimAustinW · 03-17-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Timothy, you've inspired me to action.

Found the 3M adhesive spray at Home Depot this afternoon and did three interior pieces... the plastic and vinyl bits to the left and right of the cubby holes below the radio, and the oddments tray lid.

It was easy!

I already feel like the interior of my old boxster got an upgrade. Next, I'll tackle a door.

BTW, I didn't take pix, but I will say that I removed the vinyl so I wouldn't have "fat" pieces that didn't fit well. As one removes the vinyl, it's important to leave as much of the foam on the plastic piece so the leather has some padding on it. My vinyl was so old that it came off the foam nicely.

Good deal! Yeah, I just did those pieces on the sides of the upper center console myself. I also did the triangular carpeted pieces that fit just under and behind those as well as the two vinyl oval shapes on the lower center console on each side of the shift knob. My goal is the get the carpet back to the floorboard and leather from the floor up. It'll take some time. I'm considering getting a sewing machine so I can do some strategic stitched seams.

angman · 03-17-2008, 05:46 PM

Very nice DIY. The project looks excellent once completed. I was worried at first that the top and bottom don't match. You have inspired me and I will tackle this tomorow. Hopefully I can find a leather supplier locally first.

Thanks for the detailed write up. I have been looking for good instructions for awhile now as I have been afraid to rip up my door panels.

RandallNeighbour · 07-09-2008, 07:10 AM

Well, last night I ruined my passenger side door panel. I cut the leather to size and it really looked like it would go down smoothly without wrinkles or bunching, but the sculpted parts of the door where it jutts out for the handle made it impossible.

I now have a door panel with dried, nasty glue all over it. I will attempt to remove the glue with goo-gone or something else, but I think I've messed up the vinyl to the point with all the solvents that I'll have to replace the panel.

So much for this DIY. The bottom part that you did, Tim, is a straight shot though and that would have been no problem. I tried to do the top part, leaving the carpet below.

Grrr.

angman · 07-09-2008, 01:02 PM

That's bad news. I take it you're not going to tackle the dash now? I have been too afraid to do the dash msyelf.

BruceH · 04-13-2013, 05:58 AM

The contrast looks great! It's on my list too, someday when I have the time!

rah rah 986 · 05-19-2013, 03:20 AM

Great improvement! I am hoping someone can elaborate on the glueing processs. I have found the 3m glue at Home Depot. It seems that the glue can be used in a two surface process, where it is applied to both surfaces; allowed to tack; and then adhered as a contact cement application. Or, it can be applied to one surface, and applied wet.

Any advice on which approach works best would be helpful.