How many have done this? Re-ulholstered the insert and re-attached? Specifically in an EK, but I guess others may apply?
My question is about re-attachment of panel, how you did it (the plastic rivets).
TIA

 

on the '05 is was just a glue/stretch and tuck
no need to remove the insert

 

I reupholstered mine with black suede.. I cut the glued plastic rivets off with a hand saw and then I used the 3m spray glue to glue the suede to the insert and reattached the insert to the door panel by putting bulldog grip construction adhesive on all the plastic rivets and clamped the insert to the door panel just enough to hold it overnight for the adhesive to dry..

 

Rob, did it hold up? That approach worries me because my car is daily driven and I use the driver door armrest a lot. Also what kind of clamp did you use to get all the way across the door?

 

my main problem is that i have removed the insert, re-upholstered it, but upon re-attachment some of the holes are too big for me to fit the appropriate screw into.

 

Try a bigger screw qith washers. You can also Hot glue them in aswell.

 

there is a larger width washer, but its about 2" too long, i fear that the door panel will not fit back on the door with them.

 

I did it. I filled the holes (all of them) with a glue gun using good glue, not garbage glue, and stuck 2 long twist ties into the hole in a V shape, then drilled holes in the door panel and twisted them to it. It held perfectly and none of this is visible.

 

double post

 

trust me man once the bulldog grip has dried it's not going anywhere.. I used this stuff to glue some pieces of wood together before and I tried to break them apart and instead of breaking at the joint, the wood just snapped..

and thinking about it now, I actually didn't use clamps for this job. I think I bent a hanger and hung it off the opening for the window controls and hung a weight on the bottom end to pull the insert down into the door and then used a liberal amount of adhesive on all the rivets..

 

hmmmm, you've changed my thoughts on the issue. Where is this available? home depot?

 

yep, I got it at home depot.. it's in a black/gold/red caulking type tube and says BULLDOG down the length of it.. and don't get it on your clothes