Series 2 door cappings

My series 2 Daimler Sovereign has the black vinyl covered door cappings, which I am about to recover. However, after stripping the old vinyl off, a couple of areas of the rigid foam ( I think ) padding underneath, has crumbled away at the ends, losing the profile.
Has anyone successfully repaired this sort of damage successfully on their car?
If so what materials / methods did you use ?
Thanks

HI David,

sorry to hear about your problems! Your report kind of sets me back quite a bit myself: with some tears and cracks in the right front and rear door cappings of my car I was about to engage in the same procedure as you did with some new matching vinyl. - As a precaution though I got myself some original parts in the wrong colour, but without any damage. - To make it short - I was about to pull the cappings, drill off the rivets from the chrome finisher on the back side, peel off the vinyl cover and pry off the lower chrome finisher. Of course, this wouldn’t make much sense if I were to destroy the underlying material.

How did you proceed and at which point was the foam material damaged? With the benefit of hindsight do you think it is possible to save the foam at all while peeling off the vinyl?

As for repair: I don’t see any possibility to add on any missing foam, but then I’m no chemist either … larger chunks broken off might be glued back. If your concerns are more about an uneven surface of the foam part I’d cover the foam part with some polyester fleece padding (e.g. https://www.schaumstoff.net/de/watte-polyester-fill-ts), which is good practice in upholstering anyhow and will provide a supple feel of the capping. Do you have any pics of the damaged foam?

Good luck

Jochen

75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)

David,

Two thoughts on possible repair to the foam…first thought is spray insulation expanding foa…the kind used to fill cracks. Spray the foam onto ths areas missing…let expand and then sand smooth. Second thought is urethane glue…Gorilla glue comes to mind. Lightly wet area with water… apply glue…water aids in foaming action of glue…sand smooth when dry.

Just thoughts and would be my first attempts.

Cheers

Gary

Hi Jochen and Gary
Thanks for your replys
It’s the front LHS door capping. I got a set of four from a car in a breakers yard, and that window was broken for years. The damp had got beneath the vinyl, and damaged the foam in the middle and also both ends.
The metal frame under was also severely rusty, and one of the fixing strips has now snapped off. So I have binned it, and have a good lead on another.
Good ideas about the fleece padding, and the foam and glue though.
Thanks

David,

I have a set of these, some with the vinyl removed. I can’t remember what sort of condition they are in but I could dig them out and send you some pictures if you email me and are interested.

Only problem is I am in the UK but you could have them for free. Would just need you to pay the shipping.

The cost of the shipping may be prohibitive but the offer’s there if you don’t have any luck elsewhere.

Dave

Hi David
Thank you for your kind offer. I too am in the UK, south London.
I only need one, the front passenger, LHS.
I would be very grateful if you could have a look at your cappings.
Thankyou
David

David,

Give me a couple of days and I’ll dig them out

Dave

Hi
Fingers crossed
Thanks

David