DIY: Retrofit Side Blinds
Okay folks, as some of you know I retrofitted the side blinds recently. I've bought an all black doorcards set with the side blinds, and my existing doorcards are grey with light silver grey nappa leathers. So after researching on the net and asking several people who have done it, its obvious that I needed to merge the two doorcards together. Basically I needed the top trims of the donor doorcards and associated brackets etc and transfer it to my existing doorcard. I don't find this retrofit to be too hard, but it does take a bit of time to get completed.
Here goes the steps:
My big parcel came from UK. Due to size and weight, have to ship via sea and took a while to get here.
No wonder its big and heavy, the seller over wrapped the items. There were lots and lots of newspaper, boxes and other stuff to fill the box.
Everything unpacked. Unfortunately the seller forgot to include some trims, brackets and hooks. After I complained to him, he did found the trims and posted it to me, the rest of the brackets and hooks I bought myself from an online seller quite cheap since its just small items. For some reason the seller also included the exterior shadowline trim which I dont need since i already have it on my car.
First thing is to remove the blind itself. Easy, 3 screws and pull it out.
Then you will need to remove these 4 clips, 3 were plastic and one in the end is a metal clip. Two were glued on, and two were riveted.
You will need to peel off the top foam/plastic part out from the wood backing. Its glued on with quite a strong adhesive. I used a pry tool to do it, and managed to separate the pieces without destroying any of its parts.
The top trim and the brackets separated from the donor doorcard.
This bit is different from the normal doorcard without the side blinds. Thats why you need to rip this part off the donor doorcard. I was quite lucky, as the side blinds are rare enough, and I found one with the black Shadowline interior trims in really good condition. Note that some of these doorcards come in chrome trims.
Then you will need to peel off the top trim of your existing doorcard too.
Compare the donor and recipient doorcards, and draw a line of where would you need to cut it.
I used a Dremel tool with saw bit to do the cutting of the doorcard wood backing and it works well and quick.
Doorcard wood backing cut as required.
Then you will need to drill 7 holes on each doorcard for the screw and rivets to come through. Again compare it with the donor doorcard to get the exact locations.
Glue the new top trim to your existing doorcards. I used 'Amazing Goop' automotive grade adhesive that I found in the local hardware shop, I guess you can use any strong adhesive that will stick wood to plastic/foam material.
Rivet the two brackets to the wood backing.
The other two brackets I glued back on using the 'Amazing Goop' above.
Mount the new side blinds onto the doorcards using 3 screws and the 4 brackets just now.
Tested the doorcard with the rest of the trims. Everything seems to go where it should.
Now do the other side
Now these were the hooks and brackets that were not included by the seller and I had to buy them separately.
The hooks mounted on the window trim.
The new window trim with the hooks installed in the car. The remove the old one, there is one plastic plug towards the back of the trim and the rest just pulls out.
Mount the doorcards in.
Screw in the brackets for the small quarter blind, and the blind will just clip in.
Now everything is installed nicely =)
As you can from the last photo I have two kids normally seated in the back. Together with my newly installed rear electric blind they would be nicely seated in the shade now. Result!
