anyone made their own door panels?, Don't want to spend $$$ if I can duplicate the old pressboard Options

[914Mels]

I'm continuing the interior rebuild, moving on to the door panels. The old ones are pretty basic construction, press board, foam and vinyl. The press board is shot after fifty years plus the big hole for a door speaker I'm not putting back in. I can get the board for cheap at HomeDepot so I plan to trace the old ones and try my luck. I'm not worried about durability so much as the car never sees rain so If I can duplicate them so much the better. One thing I noticed, the vinyl is sewn together at the bolster but the vinyl I see for sale shows two separate pieces. There is a channel they tuck into so how do you hold em together?

[vintagethunder]

There is waterproof door card material out there now. I don’t know, but I would think it should become the go-to material for the industry. I'm hoping an auto upholstery shop will sell some to me. I have not been able to nail down if it is a waterproof treatment on the surface or if it is all the way through. Hopefully the shop can tell me. I have seen where some treat the holes for the snaps in door card with superglue for strength, as the panels can be popped on and off several times during the life of the material.

I’m also assuming the foam being used these days is closed cell instead of the water absorbing foam rubber used in the past.

Has Scotch 77 spray adhesive replaced staples?