How to remove and replace old door cards:
I was unsatisfied with my door cards. They are in decent shape, however I feel like they are heavy, and since I’m stripping the rest of my interior for weight savings, I figured the door cards were the next thing to go. Removal is very straightforward. There are 7 bolts in total that hold the cards on to the door frame.
Bolt #
Location
1
Door handle
2 & 3
Arm rest cup
4,5,6
Bottom of door ( hidden in fuzzy area)
7
Near door hinges (covered with plastic cap)
The first step is to remove the window turn handle. To do this, insert a thin rag (I used a t-shirt edge) around the handle and move it back and forth, this will cause the lock-pin to pop out. Then the handle can be pulled off.
Now, remove the 7 bolts and pull the door card from the door frame. There are a few push-pin connectors, so the card should pop out. This will expose the door frame, a plastic weather-seal will be the first thing you see. I pulled this off as I will be replacing it with a new seal (as you can see, mine was damaged anyway).
Next, I made a template for the new door cards which will be made from thin polycarbonate sheet. To make a template I used cheap foam board. Double sided tape was used to hold the board in place on the door while I cut around the edges. A hole for the door handle as well as the window handle were cut out. In addition, I cut out a 6.5 inch hole for new speakers which I will be installing. As you can see, some of the metal door frame will need to be cut out for the speaker to fit. At the top, I will be using soft foam (cut-up pool noodle) between the door card and the window pane. This area is where I like to rest my arm when the window is down, so soft padding is a must. For the actual door card, the foam will be bolted down using angle brackets, but for now it is just held in-place by tape.
How to remove and replace old door cards:
I was unsatisfied with my door cards. They are in decent shape, however I feel like they are heavy, and since I’m stripping the rest of my interior for weight savings, I figured the door cards were the next thing to go. Removal is very straightforward. There are 7 bolts in total that hold the cards on to the door frame.
| Bolt # | Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Door handle |
| 2 & 3 | Arm rest cup |
| 4,5,6 | Bottom of door ( hidden in fuzzy area) |
| 7 | Near door hinges (covered with plastic cap) |
The first step is to remove the window turn handle. To do this, insert a thin rag (I used a t-shirt edge) around the handle and move it back and forth, this will cause the lock-pin to pop out. Then the handle can be pulled off.
Now, remove the 7 bolts and pull the door card from the door frame. There are a few push-pin connectors, so the card should pop out. This will expose the door frame, a plastic weather-seal will be the first thing you see. I pulled this off as I will be replacing it with a new seal (as you can see, mine was damaged anyway).
Next, I made a template for the new door cards which will be made from thin polycarbonate sheet. To make a template I used cheap foam board. Double sided tape was used to hold the board in place on the door while I cut around the edges. A hole for the door handle as well as the window handle were cut out. In addition, I cut out a 6.5 inch hole for new speakers which I will be installing. As you can see, some of the metal door frame will need to be cut out for the speaker to fit. At the top, I will be using soft foam (cut-up pool noodle) between the door card and the window pane. This area is where I like to rest my arm when the window is down, so soft padding is a must. For the actual door card, the foam will be bolted down using angle brackets, but for now it is just held in-place by tape.
