JDM_SOHC

So I found this thread to teach me how to fiberglass the panel, but mine is actually missing the whole upper portion of plastic on the armrest so if I fiberglass it while it's on there it will stick to the door panel as well and I'll just have one solid door panel lol..

http://www.ek9.org/forum/interior-ex...our-civic.html

I want to replce the fabric as well that's why I want to fix it and not just have one solid door panel because once I cut off those little melted tabs holding the armrest piece on, the armrest is probably gonna fall apart =/

Thanks in advance..

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

I'm confused when you keep saying "one solid door panel". If your armrest is that far gone then you cannot use this guide to repair it. You're better off sourcing replacements from a junkyard. As for the fabric, there are tons of DIYs on how to do that.

JDM_SOHC

One solid door panel, as in, if I put fiberglass on the armpiece my only choice will be to attach it to the larger surrounding portion of the existing door panel to hold the fiberglassed portion in place.. The upper part of where you rest your arm, is entirely broken, but the side portion is all still intact.. I'm sure I could scrounge around for a door panel to get an armrest out of, but the last time I went to my local u-pick, the only civics they had were completely gutted and that wasn't much of a surprise since the day they come in the are stripped...

Do you know if we can buy just the OEM armrest plastics..?? I've searched but no luck so far..

tony_2018

I'm sure he's talking about the armrest on the door panels, and not the center console arm rest.

OP search on here and you'll find a guy who redid his interior for his civic hatchback. He also painted it black to match the ek9. Very nice work, unforunately the civic was sold and parts of the black interior was flaking.

JDM_SOHC

Yeah I am referring to the door panel armrest, that's why I posted that link on redoing the door panel armrests..

Do you remember his user name by chance..??

If you take a look at this picture of the back side of a door panel, look at the bottom of where the little pocket/change holder on the door is, and count down 4 rivets, to the bottom of the white door panel insert.. Well from those 4 rivets to that inside creased portion of the door panel insert, mine is entirely missing from previous owner droppin bow's on it lol..

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Fiberglass a new sections to replace the missing section if you can't locate one.

tony_2018

Dude just search, its there. and the guy was able to screw the panel back on, there was your hint right there.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Yeah. Pretty much every single DIY on how to reupholster armrests show how to re-attach the panels after you Dremel off the plastic rivets.

JDM_SOHC

I did search, but most of them are just how to re-fabric the door panel inserts, which is not what I'm trying to figure out.. I'm looking more along the lines of what kind of material can I use as a make-shift door panel insert for the to fiberglass to adhere to..

I supposed I could just fiberglass the flat part first, then when that dries I could remove the door panel insert, re-fabric it, put it back together, and than finish the fiberglass job that is where those 4 rivets are...

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

I could've sworn I said that very thing.

tony_2018

I think you did.........

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Except, the fabric is the last thing you need to attend to. Fix and modify all the plastic first.

speedjunkie_g35

I went to the junk yard and found the best looking door panels I could find. One of them had the armrest cracked. I used strips of plastic from my original door panels to reenforce the cracked area. I used abs/pvc cement. I used the dust and shavings from cutting strips to size mixed with the cement to fill in any voids in the crack on the side that fabric will be laid on for a smooth surface. I can now put my weight (225lbs.) on my door panel and it doesnt budge.

JDM_SOHC

Yeah but you didn't say what I could use as an adhesion supplement aside from fiberglass to fill in the blanks, so that's what my original question and the ones following it were all in reference to.. I got PM'd from someone with a pretty solid link though, so I think I'm good to go now.. I'll post back with some results because I'm doing it this weekend..

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

So I have to supply a list of materials for you? C'mon. Then you'll be asking for a step by step of how to use them.

tony_2018

The sense to do any leg work is gone these days.

JDM_SOHC

Haha, nah but that would be awfully nice of you Marc I already get quite the workload from my C.O. so having friendly individuals save a fellow brother time and headache is always appreciated!!

Oh how I strongly disagree to that.. Now I could go into the whole "I've been in the USMC for 10 years (6 with Force Recon) protecting our country so you can stay free and work on your Honda, all the while doing nothing but leg work as a recon soldier" but I'll stay away from all that, and keep my comments pertinent..

You've done nothing but add to your post count this entire time.. Obviously I've searched and found obsolete threads with useless clutter and unbandwithed images.. If you knew of such a thread already created that was consistent with my initial question, wouldn't it be a lot easier to just post it, instead of posting useless opinions?

I'm not mad at ya brother, ijs.. I searched, found quite a few threads on door panel stuff, but none specifically for what I was asking.. Hope we can still be friends though

tony_2018

If you did do some research and found the thread, you would've seen that the guy repaired that same armrest and refabric to type r red and then screwed it back onto the door panel. The only reason my research came up with that particular DIY was because I wanted to see what others used to either dye or paint there interior pieces. There is no sureshot in reinforcing it from breaking in the future unless you want to have some shop mold you a replica using sheet metal, other than that just don't lean on it too much or it will break.

JDM_SOHC

Hmmm, getting a sheet metal fabrication with some batting over it may not be a bad idea actually.. I'm just curious how the additional door panel structure would sustain with a thin sheet metal armrest attached to it.. I'm not much into fiberglassing but it sounds like many people are having good luck with that also, and since it's more easily attainable maybe I'll start that way... The only reason I started this thread was because mine is missing that whole portion, not just a crack, or little hole.. So I was seeing what the individuals who had to refabricate an armrest portion did.. But I'll take what I can, thanks..!

tony_2018

The issue I can see is how are you going to mold it properly, smooth out the curves.

So its missing a chunk, well fiber glass is your only choice. Fiber glass the bottom and then apply bondo to the top so you can sand it down.

JDM_SOHC

That's what I was talking about in the first post, properly molding it by using something to keep the shape since it's curved and not just a flat piece.. Sounds like bondo and fiberglass is what I'm gonna be doing this weekend.. I dont bondo anything but I imagine it wont take much to do such a small portion..?!

tony_2018

Molding sheet metal is not an easy task for the home DIY'er, fiberglass and bondo will probably have to do, don't put to much and you won't have to worry about sanding off alot. GL, you can make a build thread of it if you want to keep track of what you have done.

JDM_SOHC

::thumbsup:: thanks brother, will do..!

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

You can get a sheet of acrylic or some other plastic, heat it to a desired curvature, and use that as a base. We used to do it all the time back when we modded computer cases.

tony_2018

****! Yeah acrylic. Forgot about that.