Door Panel Finish

[SamboSamba22]

Good Day,
I have received my new door panels in from the Depot, they look very clean and solid. Overall I’m happy with them. I was attempting to make my own, save a little money and have the pride of crafting my own, but after a couple failed attempts, trying to use what was left of my original panels, I bought the pair for $60.
My question now, how do I finish the panels?? They are paintable, though I’m not sure what color (or make) has an orange similar to the Brilliant Orange paint job the bus is rocking. I have knowingly endless options of cloth, but I’m worried about durability. As for vinyl, other than SewFine in Denver (heard great reviews and have spoken with them personally, good folks), any suppliers of vinyl material that would be worthy of install and durability???

[Tom Powell]

I like the material you have there. Probably good sound and insulation qualities too.

Aloha
tp

[SamboSamba22]

TP, are you referring to the carpet rug that everything is laying on?
It’s a shame that the original vinyl shrunk so much, it for 40 years old is really nice, full in color and pretty clean. Wish I knew how to accurately stretch it out to reuse.

[DenverB]

I bet you could get a local upholstery shop to cover them in a quality vinyl in your color of choice for about the price you paid for them.

that would be my suggestion... that or get a bolt of vinyl and some thin foam and do it yourself. nothing better than material that wipes clean.
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'77 Transporter/camper (Bussy - Reef Blue/Pastel White)
'67 bug (Santos - VW Blue)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia (Pink Flamingo - Pastel White/Pink)
'88 Vanagon GL Westfalia (Frankie Says - Wolfram Gray)
'02 Eurovan Weekender (Green Apple)
'95-'03 Eurovan full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'84 -'91 Vanagon full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'72 Porsche 914 (Greta - RIP)

www.RockyMountainCampervans.com

[alaskadan]

Ive been getting vinyl and automotive fabrics from Yourautotrim.com. i usually know what i looking for but something you can look for in a vinyl is one that has a good cold crack resistance. That tells you its going to be softer and nicer to the touch and usually a sign of a better quality. Symphony is my favorite go to vinyl. It a faux leather grain pattern. Spray glue and 1/4 inch foam over your panels first to give a little cushion, just dont wrap foam around the back of the panel.

[Bala]

[SamboSamba22]

Bala,
I'll get a pic of them up here when I go home for lunch, I would love to reuse them. I've called around and have had no luck with finding a supplier with truly close to OEM color, which was a two year run. Bus Depot has a set of MDF panels with the Orange Vinyl on them, but they do not have the original lines and design in the panels.
The reason I'm wanting to reuse the originals is because of the look, the true to character of the factory panels. The bus is a deluxe, so the panels do have the vent door inserts, so the panels of the Depot wouldn't be a drop in replacement. Plus they are $300/set.
I'll look into the heat gun idea, we have plenty here at my day job.
Thanks guys,
Sam

[SamboSamba22]

Here are my original door skin vinyl. This is then soaking up the sun, trying to make them a little bit more flexible to work with. I'd love to reuse them!!

[werksberg]

Good luck reusing what 40 some year old heat pressure strip on vinyl off snf reuse it .... and I have tried all the ways to peel it off.

Those lines are tons of pressure and heat seamed.

IMO chip up $'s to buy the covered Bus Depot panels or get a local upholstery shop to cover them.
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[Bala]

Those look great! I would do everything possible to re-use them. Using small binder clips as you go might be helpful too. Last time I made some beetle door panels they were useful in keeping the vinyl in place until the glue sets. And use a bunch, pretty much butt them right up against each other.

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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[SamboSamba22]

Werks,
These are my vinyl skins already removed from my original door MDF panels, and I wouldn't mind buying the Bus Depot completed door panels if I hadn't already purchased the blank MDF panels this past week. Plus the completed door panels are for the standard models, not the ones with the vented doors, as my bus is the deluxe.
Bala,
Good thinking, I mean I have no other use for the vinyl panels, so it's worth a shot. It's been a complete miss trying to find accurate model replacements for the front doors.

Cheers guys,
Sam

[werksberg]

Should had order the panels with the vent as they such the inside stale air out those vents.

IMO then plan on trimming the wood blanks down the edges for the vinyl shrink over the ages.

Just some ideas trying to help you out.
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[Bala]

I think they'll turn out nice. Are the new panels the correct thickness?
And, I'm guessing you know this, but make sure you don't glue the entire surface to the panel, just the edges that wrap around.
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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[SamboSamba22]

Well really looking at it, I don't know if I'll be able to stretch it as much as I'm needing to. What do the wise world of the Samba think??
Bala, once you stretched the door panels you used, have they shrunk back much since your install?

[Bala]

I didn't re-use the original vinyl, but it did hold in place well with the clips utilized.

What about ironing it out on a low setting?
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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[SamboSamba22]

I’m still contemplating how if possible, to stretch the vinyl. It has shrunk a large amount in the last 4 decades.
Does anyone know of anyone who has close-to factory orange vinyl for the 74-75 Brilliant Orange Westies???
Please, I don’t want to waste money in the door panels I just bought, to buy the orange panel kits at Bus Depot, just to drop another $300, and cut out the vent track openings in the panels. The panels I have now, are correct to the T, just needing a finishing material.

[lil-jinx]

If you were to bend the backing panel then attach the vinyl to the front and back the force of the backing panel may stretch the vinyl to fit,much like stringing a bow,you may have to trim the bottom of the backing panel .
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1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[captincanuck]

How about starting by attaching one edge and using a heat gun to soften it enough to stretch and pull it over to the other edge? Just a thought, never tried as my vinyl was shot.
http://www.upholsteryresource.com/node/149
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[JeBusSaves]

What if you tried throwing the vinyl in the Clothes dryer on low heat for 10 mins?
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[THall]