so i started today doing the swap of the interior and it wasn't as bad as i thought..after 2 hours non stop a few skinned fingers and back hurting i got the passenger side done.....they were several trial and errors with the door panel but the one that worked was installing the top part first and then the bottom grommets.....not gonna lie, it was semi difficult but it went in after a few trys and don't be fooled by the plastic trim,,,those were a bear to remove....anyways here a few shots before during and after









before





during





after





here are some pointers for anybody doing the same thing:

-wear gloves, door trim panel edges are like razor blades
-buy a set of plastic trim removal tools, you'll be glad u did
-tape up the entire door opening (jambs and sill)(masking tape or painters tape)..i had some really close calls with my painted areas..tape saved the day
-glove box, lightly pressure the inner sides to dislodge it from the the stops, then once its is hanging down remove the plastic hooks from the back, also don't forget to remove your OEM sticker (on the left inside of the glove box) from the old one and put it on the new one. it tears up easy, so go slow when trying to remove
-find out where the metal clips are located under the plastic door trim before you start prying up..use light pressure
-the rear jamb trim is tricky to remove because it slides under the rear speaker trim panel. you have to separate this one first including the small plastic rivet on the door jamb itself...you'll need to buy two new ones.
-when removing seat, you have two connectors under the seat to unplug. remove all 4 bolts holding the seat and flip the seat on its side and use something to hold it in place sideways while unplugging the seat connectors - i used a piece of 2x4 lumber. don't forget you have to remove the seat belt bolted plate from the seat too.
-when removing seat from car, watch out for the legs hitting your dash,,,i almost ruined mine.
-locate heavy home towel on the sill to protect painted area
-door panel removal pretty simple from the bottom up, dont forget the bolts, 2 on passenger, 2 on driver. i forgot one and almost ruined my panel.
-when installing door panel be careful with the speaker on the door and the panel plastic studs, ensure all male and female door panel studs/grommets are there. test all the switches before re-installing it completely - in case you have a bad one and have to remove panel all over again
-wear gloves, door trim panel edges are like razor blades

-

 

After reading this I not going to attempt the change. Good on you!

 

lol...not what i want to hear,,but wanted to put it out there for ppl to know.....it was not like changing a radio,,,more like changing a wheel stud or a CV joint..that level IMHO..

it is rewarding though to see the change it made..,,lots of reading material in this forum that helped me a lot...im sure with a buddy it would go easier.....i was just flying through it bc i had to drive it next day...luckily nothing broke..

 

I am changing out some (not all) of the cashmere in my interior and am working on the door panels next. Where did you buy the panels?

Nice work!

 

thx,,i got them used online..

 

Good job.

 

Now yours will look like mine used to look and mine will look like yours used to look.

 

ok so i finished the driver side last nite. took me exactly 2 more hours going fast but somewhat easier - of course. here a few new pointers for you:

-remove the gas pedal stop and the dead pedal before removing carpet

-the hood release trim is a two part, trim with the lever and a cover plate. the trim has a screw that needs to be remove to loosen the grip against the door sill trim. the cover (with the symbols printed) its snaped on the lever trim..grab it and pull towards the back of the car...carefully so you dont break off the plastic tabs..once this is done the door sill trim will come off easier.

-like the passenger side there are two wire plugs to remove from under the seat, one for the motorized seat controls and one for the air bag(yellow one i think). the yellow one hangs from the underside of the seat. if left laying on the carpet you might get an airbag light to come up..i imagine it picks up static.

- the knee kick panel under steering wheel has two tabs that hook up to the bezel shroud. to remove first pull on the bezel shroud to dislodge it from it, then remove the two small screws underneath then and swing panel down and out. Re-install is basically backwards.

-dont forget two bolts on the door panel below the door handle are behind a small oval cover plate

there you have folks,,have fun, and wear gloves...youl thank me later

 

Too bad, you could have traded parts and saved a bundle.

 

I started my transfer last year and finished it up over the winter. Half the fun of it for me was the hunt for the parts. I only did a 1/2 conversion too. I wanted a 2 tone interior.