Door Cards

[Carl Reading]

Just doing some tidy up jobs on the Stag. I have removed the door cards to give them a good clean and so that I can get inside the door to clean and lubricate everything. Who ever last replaced the door cards did a bit of a bodge fixing them in place with self tappers and some black rubberised goo.
When I look at the door cards they are a bit distorted, I assume by 40+ years of damp or what ever.
My question is does any one have any tips how to straighten out the door cards or will they magically pull back into shape when I replace all; the clips with new, undamaged, ones? Did the previous owner resort to goo and self tappers because he couldn't get the door cards to lie flat?
Secondly, there is a strip of vaguely door card coloured vinyl fixed inside the door card which protrudes down below the bottom edge of the door card with about 10 - 15mm of it visible from the front of the card. I don't think this "factory". Any comments on this? Is it a normal mod.

[mole42]

The door cards are made from hygroscopic hardboard so they inevitably warp. There is no way that simply replacing the clips with new will undo the ravages of time. I have some board which is an aluminium/foam/aluminium sandwich, 3mm (⅛”) thick, that is stable to moisture and heat. I have had the boards for nearly eighteen months, and now that my business is locked down, I may have the time to rebuild the door cards.

Richard

[new to this]

J Paddocks sell replacement door cards

Dave

[v8ken]

I used clips from 'Just Kampers' J10562 for my door cards,they have a barb on them which helps them to stop popping out.
I also fitted a plastic membrane to the door which helps keep moisture off the hardboard of the door card,Ken.

[Lingen]

Carl.
The inside of the door cards were covered in a sheet of "Vaguely door card coloured" plastic, presumably to protect them from any rainwater coming in past the window glass seals. The very bottom of the sheet extended to below the level of the card, down to the rubber of the furflex seal round the door frame, and kept the water out of the interior.
As Mole has advised, you will never get the old card back in to shape, or get the clips to hold it in place. The vinyl is glued to the hardboard sheet, so needs removing very carefully, but it can be done, and stuck back on to new cards. As I am better with metal bits than I am with upholstery, I got someone to do it for me, and they now look as good as new again.
Mike.

[STypeR]

I worked out early in the piece too that once water has got to the door cards they were suitable only as a good template.. I now have made sure that there is a hardy plastic lining in place as per factory and that it has no rips allowing moisture in.
I have had a go at using other materials for a more permanent solution to the original Masonite door cards including some plastics and aluminium but there were too many issues for me. The main ones being the heavier weight and difficulty of re- gluing/stapling the vinyl material. Also as I wanted a leather re-trim it would have made my job even harder.
So the original Masonite it was but then I found it difficult getting the original 2.5 mm thickness. Anything thicker may have hindered easily shutting the door.
Plus getting European made hardwood door cards was a challenge for me as well. I didn't like the quality of the Asian sourced Masonite I came across at the time.
Not sure of the weight of the aluminium composite sheets mole42 mentioned compared to the original Masonite.

[mole42]

Not sure of the weight of the aluminium composite sheets mole42 mentioned compared to the original Masonite.

It's lighter, if it wasn't raining I'd go and weigh them! The big advantage for me is that they are dimensionally stable & won't warp in the damp. The only downside is that you can't use staples, but I've found that a good contact adhesive works well.

Richard

[LAMBRETTLAD]

I got a set from Aldridge Trimmers 3 years ago in red ,very good quality ,the armrests are extra ,if they are recovered

[Neil in Deal]

Evening all,

Back in December Jim at Southeast Trimmings showed me some white coloured flat sheet he can use for replacement door cards. Doesn't warp or distort.Some kind of plastic, therefore wouldn't warp if it came in contact with water.
Believe easy to drill/work with. Old card used as template.
Needs slightly longer clips to fix to the door, which he had sourced ok They appeared to be more robust than the standard clips, so no snapping of clips when re-fitting.
As we're in Lockdown, I've no idea if he's working at his place in Tynham.
Maybe try to contact him via his details in the Club magazine ??
Stay safe,

Neil.

[new to this]

The door cards are made from hygroscopic hardboard so they inevitably warp. There is no way that simply replacing the clips with new will undo the ravages of time. I have some board which is an aluminium/foam/aluminium sandwich, 3mm (⅛”) thick, that is stable to moisture and heat. I have had the boards for nearly eighteen months, and now that my business is locked down, I may have the time to rebuild the door cards.

Richard

Richard

I made my door panels for the Stag in Ply wood,but for the Sprint i use ABS plastic,i have seen the aluminium sandwich board,but never used it,may be on the next set

[Sapphire CW]

Guys,
My cards are blue and faded/dirty. Is there a product that cleans and then restores the vinyl? I really don’t want to replace them.
CW58763FFF-5C33-4AAC-AE46-F2A6628568BD.jpg

[Symmo]

I have previously made new door cards using 3mm Foamex Board, waterproof doesn't warp and cuts easily

[Sapphire CW]

Anyone have tips for bringing the color back to life?

[Seaking]

you could try https://www.vinyldye.co.uk/All-Vinyl-Dye-Color-Sprays

[Philip Wardle]

My thinking for what it's worth ...

The vinyl may have discooured or faded in a way that can't be restored by cleaning, but vinyl paint may be a possibility. I have looked at this product as an option for dashboard restoration but in the end took a different route - https://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1551-vinyl-paint. Woolies offer a colour matching service but need a sample. Assuming the colour matching process is non-destructive one possibility is to lend them the the rear panel from a seat.

The total cost of this including the minimum quantity of four tins, cleaner and primer would be around £150 - a significant investment - so I would remove the door cards and check their condition, e.g. for water damage or warping, before finally deciding on refurbishment or replacement - new cards are £480 per pair from Aldridge Trimming (February 2023 prices). In any case I would remove the door cards to apply the vinyl paint to the panel and handle separately, and to get access to the edges of the card where the vinyl wraps round.

I don't know whether there would be any colour matching issues between new door cards and the rest of the interior, which may have faded - perhaps more of an issue with some colours other than black. The colour matching process with the vinyl paint process would mitigate this.

I have taken the replacement route but the fettling and adjustment to get correct fit and position on a given door frame demands a good measure of time and patience. In my experience it wasn't possible to get a good fit by sheer brute force, however tempting - possibly one of the most frustrating jobs I've attempted on a Stag. Not forgetting that the finishing strips along the top edge have to be re-used from the old cards and pop-riveted in position. Along with the lower cost, these are issues where refurbishment of the originals has advantages.

The fettling aspect isn't a criticism of the quality of the replacement panels but is rather the reality of variations arising between one door frame and another.