Interior door panel repair

[Skip Wolfe]

Hey guys,

Anyone know of any good procedures for repairing a door panel. The top of the panel spererated and the leather/vinyl is pulling away. Any specific adhesive that should be used?

Thanks,

[BmotorMsportW]

duck tape...or hot glue if you dont want to be redneck

[zed///M]

i did mine today best thing to use is hot glue, (glue gun) just be very careful and take ur time that way you wont burn the panel :cool


zed

[towncarblue]

i used super glue (sold at autozone)

[Skip Wolfe]

Thanks guys. The wife has a glue gun so Iwill give it a try.

[choffa]

I tried several adhesives on the plastic rail that attaches to the door panel & snaps into the door frame. The only thing that worked (2 years & running) was Gorilla Glue (available at Home Depot). Get a dozen spring clamps, cheap "C" clamps and a piece of wood to protect the interior panel from the clamps.

Before you start, mark the original location accurately since you may lose the exact spot once you put the clamps on.

The glue will expand & ooze out, so use caution where you apply the glue, don't get near the edge where it meets the vinyl (or leather). Very strong bond! Scuff the surface of the door panel to help adhere (rough sand paper). Let it set over night with the clamps on.

CJH

[Skip Wolfe]

Thanks Choffa. Did you try the glue gun route, or just different adhesives? Makes sense about suffing the surfaces. I tried the 3M trim adhesive and it didn't work for beans. Also the vinyl is pulling away as well - did you use the to attache that as well, or just the plastic trim piece?

Thanks again for the help.

[borealiss]

i just used epoxy for all of the plastic pieces that mount to the pegs that plug into the door. works great and you can handle it in about 10 minutes. just make sure you use a lot of it. as for the vinyl, i tried superglue, but it isn't the best imo.

[bmwhighroller]

Just buy new panels on ebay. They're not worth repairing.

[BMW Aquarium]

I work for an Aviation interiors design and manufacturing firm. We have a top of the line leather department. Tons of people who used to own or work in the interiors business.
I've been told countless times that the method used to mold the leather to the panels is a one time thing. Once the leather seperates from the panel, the leather is starting to shrink. Tighten up. This happens mostly because of the sun and heat.
If you get to the seperation soon enough you can prolong the inevitable but ultimately need to replace the panel.
I know some people would argue this point but its just what I was told from many people in the business of leather.

The panels go, on ebay, from 160 to 350 bucks depending on the demand at the time.
Also try www.usedbmwparts.com this is the best site IMO to find used parts. Especially if you want to upgrade your OEM bumper, side skirts to M3.

[choffa]

I did finally replace the driver's panel, around $200.00 at the dealer. The Gorilla glue is holding well on the passenger door. As for the leather, I agree that once it lifts, you are fighting an up-hill battle.

The hot glue did not work well for me, others may have had sucess. There are threads that describe the properties of the composite backing panel (probably some sort of recycled plastic/fiber material) and the mold release lubricant that inhibits the glue from sticking. Cleaning with a solvent before applying the adhesive will also help.

Best of luck.

CJH