the 3m stuff starts to dry after a couple minutes, which gives you a few moments to lift up the material real quick if you lay it down crooked or weird

 

Yeah that spray rips. I always have a can around. Works for just about everything.

You can lay it down and trim to fit right? Or did you cut and place?

I would think you could use the old stuff as a pattern. Leave it a little long and then cut the excess off. But I haven't really looked at it. I just need new door panels. One of them is jacked. I'm not bothering with making stuff pretty right now. haaa.

 

oh ok, then that leaves me some room for error

Yep, that's what I've seen in other installs. Trace out the stock cloth and cut just around it in case you should need some extra.

 

I actually glued my microsuede on top of the stock door cards.

i took off the cards, then layed some suede on top, and cut to fit. then i'd spray the adhesive and lay the material over it gently massaging it into place.

it's VERY important to not overspray the adhesive, because if you get a glob, it will soak through the micro suede and make a hard dry spot on the "nice" side

and don't get spray on your fingers because then when you grab the suede piece it will stick to you and get all messed up

 

Spraying the adhesive isn't hard as you'd think. WIthin about 45 seconds it wil tack enough that it will stick, but 99% of the time just stuck right away. I rubbed it all ahead of time got it smooth and cut correctly. For my interior pieces Ive been spraying on cardboard and using q tips..............its worked very well. Just don't get the glue on any visible side and you are cool. I haven't taken the door cards out but i'd think it'd be easy. I just worry about making sure the front side is righteous looking since thats all you see.

 

^yeah I figured I'd tape off and use newspaper to briefly cover the some key parts.


Update: I've actually gotten around to taking off my door cards, and I must say it's quite a pain to actually seperate the differnt parts of the card. I will write a tutorial for it, with several pictures. But that will be in the future when I can get all my materials and prep work together.

 

yep microsuede for the win

 

Update: okay almost finished with this project. Just gotta get to the actual cutting/ gluinng then my tutorial will go up.

I got another question for you Jeff. You said you placed the microsuede over the stock material right? how was the fitment around the edges?

 

It's fine. the microsuede is very thin

 

Finished! I'll try to get some pics up soon.

 

I've been lazy on the pics

 

Same here, but I have to say it was a bit of a PITA to get everything just right. Definitely a worthwhile mod though.

 

Nice! I'd like to see, I am wanting to do some of this in my Mini.

 

Pretty fun project I must say. Had to pay attention to the details to get the fabric sitting just right.

(btw: the material is actually clean looking, the suede just happens to be "going different directions" in my pics.)




Also, Rescuer, would it be possible to make a "tutorial thread"? I know not in the BAIC area, but somewhere else on the site?

oops, forgive the rabbit...

 

definitely just cut out the pattern you want, more than large enough to fit whatever piece you are doing. Then cut the excess. Dunno bout doorcards, but you need to be careful on the backside of other interior pieces, as if you get to much fabric they dont' want to fit right.