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I need to repair the upholstery along the front of the rear wheel well. Has anyone done this job? What is the piece that the broadcloth attaches to made of and how is it attached/removed ? I dont want to break or destroy anything.

Thanks

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On mine it is like a heavy cardboard.

reuse the one you have if sound. Or make a new one from the stock that you use for kick panels and package shelves. Alternate is masonite, but it's harder to work with

As others said, it is some kind of heavy material slightly over 1/16 thick-- it has a sheen on one side like maybe it was the same tar or asphalt coated material they used in other places to cover openings. It was held on by carpet tacks that are slightly longer than those used for the windlace placed along the outer edge and driven into a tack strip. I am thinking there was possibly a dab of adhesive on the very bottom and top ends.

The body has a section where the heavy compressed cardboard tacking strips are clamped in a body channel. Windlace has already been attached to the strip so it is not visible in the photo. It appears tacks were first placed in the curved upholstery cardboard and then cotton padding was laid on top of the heads and fabric on top of that. Fabric edge was glued on rear side of cardboard and there was also a thin jute type padding on the rear side. Whole thing was probably installed by hammering against some kind of block laying over the fabric and placed directly over the tack heads so nothing is damaged.

My pieces were torn, dried, shriveled and generally in too bad a condition to reuse so made new by cutting them out of the water resistant door cardboard. That cardboard is a bit thicker than the original. Am going to try and mount the same way but if not secure enough in the old tack strip I may also use some adhesive and even some doublestick tape.

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I believe it is called automotive panel board. It is about 7/64" in thickness (slightly thicker than the original. Cuts easily with a box cutter after making several passes. Don't use a jig saw as it leaves ragged cut edges. Just finished replacing all panels in my 2126 7 passenger. Not sure if the "tacks" referred to are the ones holding the panel to the imbedded tack strip. Upholstery shops have those metal tack strips in rolls that clamp over the edge of the panel. The upholstery shop also might have scraps of the panel board that they will give you to get them out of their way. The upholstery shop did most of my interior but I did replace the right and left front kick panels and the right and left rear quarter window panels (larger than the ones in your picture) using the metal tack strips.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to the upholster today. Hope to get some more direction/advise.

Is this the same type of board on the "B" pillar?

Now that I have to replace the headliner I have noticed the material on panels covering the B pillar. Where is the best place to get panel board?

Thanks for your help!

The best place will be if your upholsterer can order it from his wholesaler at minimal freight cost. If not there are several places that carry it but freight for the large pieces is outrageous. Restoration Specialties has some and here is another

The B pillar board in my car was masonite as was the door panels. I used fiberboard from the home center for my B pillars but that stuff is not waterproof. Haven't decided whether to use the water resistant cardboard for doors or use the fiberboard on both but place a plastic water protection sheet between the door and panel. The original masonite had warped a bit from moisture. The fiberboard could probably be used on those curved pieces since moisture is not too likely a problem there.

My upholstery shop had a lot of scrap panel board that just ended up going in the trash to get out of the way. The B pillars and the small quarter trim are small enough to cut from the left overs. He might charge you a buck or two but saves you ordering a full sheet and then figuring out what to do with 90% leftovers.

I removed mine a few years ago and I believe the're held in with an inside clip at the top and just one screw at the bottom.

Remove the seat back and bottom then the screw at the bottom of the arm rest and lift up and back off the clip. If the shape is still sound a good interior person should be able to reuse it (recovered with padding and fabric).

If my recollection is "fuzzy" please feel free to correct me!

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