The rear interior quarter panels in my car are badly warped towards the back along the lower portion of the cargo area. Looking from the outside down through the rear quarter windows, one can see that they've pulled back from the body of the car leaving an inch or two gap.

The leather has detached from the panels in the affected areas, and is pulled taught over the warpage. It looks as though sun/PO negelct might have caused the leather to contract, contorting the panels below.

I'm considering if I may be able to gradually bend them back into shape, but I'm not sure how to go about this or if it would even work. I could replace it all, but I'd be nice to find a good-looking solution that won't cost as much, and the leather still has good color and texture.

My dash has a simmilar issue: it looks like it has erupted up around the air vents. The vents aren't obstructed, so the defrost works, but it sure looks strange.

 

Jessa,
I'm presently dealing with the same problem with my rear quarters, I spoke with Dave Roberts at 928 Specialists for advice and I've taken some photos of the process: <a href="http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ericdvorak/lst?&.dir=/Auto/rear+interior+quarter&.src=ph&.view=t&.last=1" target="_blank">http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ericdvorak/lst?&.dir=/Auto/rear+interior+quarter&.src=ph&.view=t&.last=1</a> I used 1-1/2" flat steel and put it on each side of the warped area to sandwich the waves and clamped it tight with C-clamps then I propped it up in the bathtub and filled up the tub till the water was just over the warped/ clamped area and left it in for about eight hours after which it was removed and left to dry for a day with the clamps still on. As you can see in the pic's it works, now I will take the panels someplace to be recovered. BTW I also have bonded a few layers of fiberglass mat on top of them for more strength and resistance to warpage due to moisture penetration and covering shrinkage.

Good Luck <img src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" border="0" alt="[blabla]" /> <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

 

Hi Jessa:

Are we going to see you at the Sharks in the Park on May 4 in Berkeley?

Well, to answer your question: There is no easy solution. It seems that once the leather has shrunk, it is impossible to stretch it again permanently. I have never heard of anybody who succeeded.

However, there is hope: A place in Oakland recovers them for reasonable cost. Three years ago they qutoed $100 each for vinyl (doesn't shrink); leather would be more. The catch is that you have to remove them yourself (otherwise the cost shoots up tremendously - about $250 each). I have seen great results of this procedure. If you ever run into Phil Eskildsen from Berkeley, ask him to show you.

The place is called "King Kovers"
2800 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611
510-832-4455.

The sad thing about your dash board is that it will have to be removed in order to be recovered. My friend at Porsche told me the main reason for the leather moving was that they could not find an adhesive that was heat resistent enough for Southern climates. The factory found the right stuff in the meantime, but I have no idea what it is called, and if it is available over here.

Porsche did not offer leather dash boards in the US from the late 80ies until very recently, for that very reason.

See you!

 

Thanks, I'll try the reshaping technique. Are there any good referances on getting the panels out cleanly?

Maybe my presrunk leather can be used elsewhere in the car like the dash or glove box. Is the new adhesive any better than the original?

And yes, Nicole, I will be seeing you at Sharks in the Park

 

Hi Jessa:

Somebody - it might have been Dave Roberts from 928 Specialists - once mentioned that the repair technique only works if the leather has not shrunk too much.

If your panels are seriously warped, it means the leather has shrunk a lot. In this case, you need a lot of "extra" material to wrap it around the straightened panel, which is typically not there. Also, you'd have very little material to glue it back onto the back of the panel. Once you have the panels out of the car you'll know. Then you can still decide to take them to a qualified upholstery shop.

I wonder, if the Porsche dealers would know what the newer glue is, and maybe be able to order that stuff? Or would the upholstery shops have it by now? Definitely a question worth asking, especially before you tackle the dash.

At least the rear windows can be tinted to protect the panels from future warpage (just be careful who does that for you - I had big $$$ damage on my car from unqualified window tinters).

See you in May!

 

Jessa, here is what Clay did.


<a href="http://members.rennlist.com/clays928/panel.html" target="_blank">Panel</a>

 

Thanks for the tips.

A friend of mine who wants to, as he put it, 'play with composits' more, suggested replacing the rear panels and dash with carbon-fibre. I've seen this done in other cars (no 928s), and I think it would make for a striking accent to the cockpit of a 928.

I'm going to check out the $$ and practically involved there befor going ahead, and post befor/after picures when the work - be it reworking or replacing the old panels - is done.

 

Wow good info. My dash is getting bad. I also have rear panels to repair. My upolstery guy quoted me $500ea for the rear panels if he did all the work. but my dash is getting really bad.
Just how much does it cost to get one re-covered.
The idea of getting the dash removed scares me bad ...real bad. Any alternatives, like taking off the leather and having the bare spots fixed by one of those dash repair guys...?