a problem that is driving me mad........

[dan whitehead]

Hi there all my name is dan and i have just bought my 1st bmw 325i coupe 1992 e36 with light grey leather and i love the car 2 bits,but i need sum help big time.The grey vinel on my doors has shrunk and came un stuck and i rly want 2get this problem sortid as my car is in vry good nick 4 its age.plz,plz can any 1 give me sum help in wot 2 do as its driving me mad.any help wud b so gr8 2 me.

[VMZ]

If they have shrunk then you're either going to need to get it recovered or get some replacement door cards.
The leather on your door cards shouldn't be shrinking though so I'm not entirely sure what your talking about. Pics?

[dan whitehead]

hi there all,thanks 4 ur reply,its mor vinel than leather on the door cards.i will try and post u sum pics,wud have any ideas wer to get them dun?if not any ideas wer to get new door cards from?as i have been on the net lots looking 4 new or second hand door cards.

[VMZ]

I'm not sure what country you're in but here in Australia it's next to useless looking on the net for parts, best bet is to get some number for BMW wreckers and give them a call. If you pull your door cards off and take them into any Upholsterer they should be able to re-cover them for you.

[jesse7]

Yea the same thing happens to me with the leather door panel. I took off the door panel tryed to stretch it and glue but i had no luck in fixing. Better luck just replacing it. Tryed finding a website for e36 door panels but couldnt. The dealer sells the door panels but I never called because i know it can be a bit expensive.

[Javier]

Hi Dan, I had my sedan door panels re-upholstered a while ago...

The guy who fixed them also fixes old sofas so it really mustn't be that difficult. He did a very neat work. Just make sure he uses a heat-resistant glue and, better yet, he can sew the leather(ette) to the door panels in key areas such as armrests. I've seen some M3s that have the upholstery attached to the door panels like that.

[BecStar]

Hey everyone I'm new here, got the exact same problem I'm just going to look around the wreckers for new door cards... hopefully they look way better than my current ones ;-P

[VMZ]

It'd be interesting to see the cost comparison between re-covering and just buying better looking ones.

[B.M.DUB]

Hi Dan, I had my sedan door panels re-upholstered a while ago...

The guy who fixed them also fixes old sofas so it really mustn't be that difficult. He did a very neat work. Just make sure he uses a heat-resistant glue and, better yet, he can sew the leather(ette) to the door panels in key areas such as armrests. I've seen some M3s that have the upholstery attached to the door panels like that.

How much did you pay to get that done?

[Javier]

Well, it was part of a full revamp of roof, pillars, door panels and seats (from old damaged cloth to new leatherette). And since I live in Paraguay everything (except BMWs and parts) is cheaper. I payed like 320 USD for the whole thing How much would it cost where you live?

Oh, better if you supervise the job... lots of plastic parts that are old and fragile. Not good if people dismounting them are careless.