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Door Card Installation Help Needed

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1.9K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  55wagoncrazy  
#1 ·
I’ve tried search, google, etc. Looking for experienced advice, please. Working on door cards, repros from CARS. Need to cut window crank holes in cardboard. Location is good using the vertical scoring shown in picture. Guessing the hole needs to be round, same size as latch hole. I’m a little scared to use a razor knife, for fear of going through the vinyl. Next issue is the orientation of the spring for each. I believe the small diameter end goes against the door, but does the large end press against the inside of the cardboard, or come through the hole to press against the plastic washer? I’ve got three larger springs, that I’ve read are used on the windows. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

John

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#5 ·
I bought mine from Year one when I was going to do my own but decided to go with Gina and not fool with it. Ended up cutting up the back door boards to make tack strip for the headliner. Think they were like 88 bucks for the set. All needed holes are perforated. still have the 2 front ones.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Working on front door cards now. Stainless install went well. More questions. Installing new armrest pads from Ciadella. There are two metal tabs (in pull cup area) on the base that interfere with the new (surprisingly hard) pad. Does anyone know how these are to be installed? I can bend the tabs out of the way, but I think they should hold the pad in place somehow. I’m not sure about trying to fold them over the top of the pad, for fear they will show through the cover, or even worse cut through it over time. Planning to use 3M Super 77 adhesive to attach the pads, and some thin foam in place of the wadding that came out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

John

Original orientation of tabs:
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Tab bent up to clear pad:
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Door panel with bare armrest base:
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#11 ·
55 BelAir Wagon said:
Working on front door cards now. Stainless install went well. More questions. Installing new armrest pads from Ciadella. There are two metal tabs (in pull cup area) on the base that interfere with the new (surprisingly hard) pad. Does anyone know how these are to be installed? I can bend the tabs out of the way, but I think they should hold the pad in place somehow. I’m not sure about trying to fold them over the top of the pad, for fear they will show through the cover, or even worse cut through it over time. Planning to use 3M Super 77 adhesive to attach the pads, and some thin foam in place of the wadding that came out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

John

Original orientation of tabs:


Tab bent up to clear pad:
Click to expand...
Just mailed my arm rests to Gina this morning. I had extra upholstery to do mine myself but got more complicated than I wanted. I’m using 56 armrests in my 55. From what I saw on mine is the upholstery glued over the edge of the metal base and the whole assembly sits in the plastic base and just the 2 screws holding it all together.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Something to also take with you is the fingernail cups. There was extra pressed cardboard used on the
back side, or door panel side to move the nail cup more to the interior of the car side. Also the factory
used some cotton padding over parts of the foam so it formed a better fit. On a 56 Nomad i recently
did where Ciadella recovered his, they were done wrong. The cup was to far down and they trimmed
off material that should have been left. I struggled trying to make it look better.

Look at the 55 upholstery manual that is here on the site, and maybe print off a page for the trimmer
Its found on pages 354-356


Mikey
 
#17 ·
Thanks Mikey! I did keep those small cardboard pieces. I have the old padding, but it’s in rough shape. My upholstery guy gave me some 1/4” high quality foam when I picked up my car for the headliner, thinking I was doing the armrests at some point. Does the padding/foam go over the hard rubber pad, or just up to it?

John

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#19 ·
Nice job. The way the extra material was done on the back edge, is it was pulled and stretched around the edge, trimmed and stapled to the back. If you don't have a stapler with 1/4 fine staples you can glue it. This leave a nice finished appearance and it will not be pulled
off.

The same is true for the back door armrests. Only I believe it is on both ends.

As to the alignment of the arm rest and the slots. You can find the best place it fits on the door
panel, and just slot the holes with an X-acto knife. The metal retainer the nail cup is screwed down
into has slotted notches in it for the screws. It is plenty wide enough to fit almost any where close.

There were only 3 trim screws used on the front panel. One at each lower corner. and on up at
the top by where the upper stainless end. Look at you doors and see where these holes are.

On the rear door there were trim screws used on the lower corners only.

Like this:
Image


Mikey
 
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#20 ·
Thanks Mikey!
I just now used the old door panel, overlayed on top of the new panel, and marked the cutout slots. I used a razor knife to cut new slots. Haven’t shoved it on yet. I’m pretty confident it will be aligned very close to the original. If there ends up being a small gap between the bottom of the finger cup and the door flange, is it necessary to clamp it down all the way? I guess I could put a washer or two under the cup, if necessary. Last question (promise), what type of trim screw/washers do you use on the corners? I have some of the raised washers that the tapered screws nest in, but mine look a bit large…

John
 
#21 ·
You can use some door panel cardboard under the cups to raise them. Cut it to fit, and punch
some large holes in it. Cups should fit down in, but the edge should be just below the material.

The screws on the corners have very small chrome washers under the heads. This allows the
screw to turn, and not twist the material. Not like the ones used on the seat shells.

Mikey
 
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#22 ·
Mikey,
I think I may have found the correct screws. Looking through misc screw drawers, I came across these. They are chrome, with a chrome captive washer that spins freely. As luck would have it, I found exactly 10 of them, which gives me three for each front door, and two for each rear door. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good… I also got the driver armrest installed.

John

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Image
 
#23 ·
While those may work for you, they are not what
Was used. The head is recessed and the washer is “V” shaped so the pull down into the panel to be flush

Mikey
 
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