[Healeys] 100 door vinyl original glue technique

[Bob Spidell]

Not concours, but when I did my BN2's doors I lined them with a thin 
insulator, basically thin 'bubble wrap' with foil on either side. IIRC, 
I did this because I didn't want just vinyl against metal, but was 
pleasantly surprised when it caused the doors to make a satisfying 
'thunk' on closing; the best-sounding doors I've ever heard (at least on 
a Healey). I tried to make a video with sound, but the recording didn't 
do them justice.


On 10/1/2021 6:39 AM, S and T Miller via Healeys wrote:
> I've done some more digging on the "Ole interwebs" after asking this 
> question of the group.  I did learn that not all doors have the 
> vertical/ central wide metal brace running from the bottom of the door 
> to the wood horizontal brace (screw attachment point for the upper 
> panel). I'd speculate that it was added on later in the run as a 
> needed exterior door skin support. I'm sure someone on here knows when 
> and why. I did find some pictures showing the vinyl glued over that 
> brace and it is visible through the vinyl covering.
>
> As far as the wood horizontal brace it appears most glue it creating a 
> 90 degree lip below the upper stiff backed panel. It just didn't seem 
> correct to me, but after viewing numerous completed cars,  it doesn't 
> look bad.
>
> I'm not doing a concours car, but some areas I just get all wrapped up 
> in making it as factory correct as possible.
>
>
> The Millers
>
> "Always drive them, but remember each drive in an antique car is a 
> test drive."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* S and T Miller
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 29, 2021 9:02 PM
> *To:* healeys at autox.team.net <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* 100 door vinyl original glue technique
> How did the factory go about gluing the bottom inner vinyl material to 
> the inner door? So if you glue it tight there is a brace running up 
> the middle that will show through, and also there would be a 90 degree 
> ledge where it meets the horizontal wood middle support (below the 
> upper vinyl covered panel). I'm fairly certain there was no backing 
> material on this piece of vinyl from the factory.  My thought is to 
> glue to the metal brace and glue a distance away to create a nice 
> transition. And the same method from the horizontal mid wood support 
> which would leave some unglued void areas between the vinyl and the 
> inner door.
>
> I do realize that adding some backing takes care of the issues,  but 
> am interested in how it was done originally.  I don't recall mine 
> having any backing, and my original vinyl is too stiff and pulled away 
> to tell how it was done. Once I flattened out my originals,  they did 
> make fantastic templates to cut the new vinyl from.
> TIA, Shawn
>
> The Millers
>
> "Always drive them, but remember each drive in an antique car is a 
> test drive."
>

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