Checked another item off my repair/replace list this weekend.

One of the things that really bugged me when I first got my convertible was the constant dust in my eyes whenever I drove it. Didn't take long to figure out that all the "dust" was 50 year old disintegrated foam, falling out of my visors.

Visors aren't super expensive, but I like to repair before I replace, so I thought I'd take a whack at them.

First step was to remove them from the car, then pry open the four little stainless steel clips that secure the ends of the edging material.



I used a razor blade to cut the thread holding the edging.



Once the edging was off, I could see that the comfortweave was also sewn together, so more work with the razor blade.



Here's what 50 year old foam looks like.



The foam is formed around a piece of cardboard/mdf material. I wanted something a little better and I happened to have some veneer-type plywood laying around, so I used the original piece as a template and cut out replacement pieces. The metal piece that holds the chrome rods was stapled to the cardboard with some heavy duty staples. I didn't have anything similar, so after I removed them all, I straightened them with a combination of pliers and my bench vise and then reused them to secure the metal piece to the plywood.
The bench vise also came in handy to force the staples through the original holes in the metal and then through the plywood. I used an appropriate sized socket on one side to allow the staples to pierce the wood and not hit anything.



Next, I replaced the foam with some Frost King product that I also used to insulate my floorboards when I replaced my carpet. It's adhesive on one side, so I wrapped the plywood with it, then peeled the foil off of it.



A little trimming with scissors, and it's ready to be put back together.



Here's where I had to get some help. I don't have a sewing machine, but Mom does! Shout out to Mom for sewing the visors back together for me. She actually had to do the edging by hand, bless her heart.

Here's the finished product plus a shot of them installed again.




Now, on to the next item on the list (which seems to grow, instead of shrink!).

 

Very nice!

 

Yep. The 'hobby' is not driving and/or showing the car. The hobby is repairing the car! And, the hobby is never-ending. Just keep the list updated and take it one step at a time. It will be like Grandma's knitting......she's always working it.

If that's not why folks bought their C3 (well, looking at it is cool, too ), time for a reality check...

 

Those look great! Good job--both yours and your mother's

Fine use for the Frost King insulation! Another product I've found very useful for similar uses in car interiors is "dry mat" which is available at fabric stores. It's used in baby bedding. No self-adhesive layer but it has a tissue thin sheet of plastic bonded to both sides of a 3/16" or so very sturdy batting. It's easy to glue on using contact cement but non-glued surfaces are free to move against the plastic layer which prevents bunching

 

Congratulations on a job well done! They look great.

 

Nice work, they look like new

 

 

Sewing 101, nice write up, I got several visors needing rebuilt.
did you tackle the rotating assemble ?

 

Looks great!!

 

Huh. I can't imagine that the rods would be bound up so tight that the visor can't be rotated. Unless they're rusted in place? Might as well break them down and see what's going on.

I did take the time to bend and/or straighten the metal pieces that the chrome rods rotate in. Just forgot to mention it.

Mine were a little out of line, possibly due to the flexibility of the original mdf/cardboard pieces. I secured the metal piece in my bench vise and kept a screwdriver of the appropriate diameter inserted where the chrome rods fit while I worked on massaging them back into shape.

 

San Diego Ron - Mine were rusted enough that I actually bent the metal piece trying to push the visor down.

I think I just pounded a screwdriver into the openings to open them up a little (after I was able to get the pins out, which took some effort).

Then put the pins in and used a rubber mallet to bend the metal piece around the pin where it had the right amount of resistance.

Some trial and error involved.

 

x 100