freshly wrapped pillar with jet black alcantara :-)

[das4]

side-by-side a pillars




my focus was OEM look front to back. I want that RS6 headliner look


c pillars that have yet to have the edges trimmed and adhered to the pillar composite


down sight of the c pillar after adhesive and alcantara were laid


this took me a total of 5 hours so far. I took my sweet time measuring and trimming to get an exact fit and finish. my headliner and rear deck are next.

still have yet to figure out what to do with this. it's scratched up and the edges are cracked, as are almost all others. ordering brand new ones for sure. if I wrap, it'll be tough to work something in with those vents on top. hmmmm. 1st world White boy problems...

[MarlinFoundNemo]

For those unwrapped pieces with the vents.. just make a cut in the fabric that goes around the vent. Its such a minute detail it wont matter.

[TheDarkness]

curious to see more of your process and materials used to get your final results, looks great!

[das4]

For those unwrapped pieces with the vents.. just make a cut in the fabric that goes around the vent. Its such a minute detail it wont matter.

that's not a bad idea. I was thinking about cutting an X over the top of that vent and folding the alcantara under. it would keep a cleaner rolled edge. only issue I foresee would be the folds underneath stand out. but like you said, it's such a minute area, doubt anyone would notice on black. I want a very clean look

[das4]

curious to see more of your process and materials used to get your final results, looks great!

for sure. I didn't take a ton of pics. I usually don't because I get so laser focused on the task. I'll be better about it when I do all of the other interior trims. as far as materials:

*genuine alcantara from JPM coachworks. color 9040 jet black. 4 yards bought to cover majority of interior and door cards
*2 cans 3M 90 adhesive. I've read both good and bad reviews, but there were a ton of good. lays clear and followed the instructions to the t including a room setup to allow proper adhering and drying
*fine 350 grit sand paper
*metal scraper to remove old adhesive/fuzz from OEM fabric
*wide plastic putty blade to smooth out surface and work material from center to outer portions. eliminates wrinkles/bubbles
*a very, very thin foam to keep a smooth looking surface and great feel. really turned out better than I'd hoped
*xacto knife or, knife if x-act-zero if you've seen the Lego movie
*titanium sewing sheers


I think that's it. removing old material sucked a bit. took majority of my 5 hours. I pulled up one corner and just worked my way through the pillar trims. once I had those off, I used them to cut an outline in the alcantara. it helped to get close to sizing and also eliminated the waste of fabric.

I then scraped off old fuzz on the composite. sanded down just a very small tad to smooth it out. I then used the double bonding process on the foam, let it dry for about 45 minutes. then moved on to double bonding process for the fabric. it was very tedious I will say. but it saved me almost a grand that two nearby shops quoted to do the entire interior, and it urned out great. if you use the same method, I would say make sure you have the fabric exactly where it needs to go. once this 3M sets, it's a bi*** to get the fabric off. I wasted my very first cut out by laying it about 5 mm off kilter. after that, calm hands and focus and all others were very smooth. I really took my time planning and prepping for this. the fit and finish is incredibly important to me. done right, the result should last quite some time and have a great look. almost like wrapping the interior in a tuxedo.

I'll for sure post other pieces once I start working them on Wednesday. going out of town for work tomorrow or else I'd jump right into that.

cheers

[wbrunner23]

I like your attention to detail. I've got a very similar job planned for my Avant once Spring hits - headliner, pillars, etc.

In for results, tips, and tricks

[S4tech2]

I did mine but the 3m glue I used didn't hold but I dont think I had the headliner cleaned enough. I have to do it over again so this time it will be better

[88ninety9]

Use the DAP landau stuff. Much better than the 3m

[christianb5s4]

That's awesome work, do you have a source for the foam you used? Also, are you planning to the the headline as well? I wonder if 4 yards is enough for all the pillars and headliner.

[das4]

That's awesome work, do you have a source for the foam you used? Also, are you planning to the the headline as well? I wonder if 4 yards is enough for all the pillars and headliner.

it's 4 yards long and 56" in width. the B5 headliner is about 5' front to back and nearly 4' wide if I remember my measurements correctly. I think I'll probably run short once I get to the door cards, but it will cover the headliner, the rear deck and all of the upper trims. I'll probably have to order another yard of the alcantara. it is pricey at 109/yard but the finish for sure is worth it. the foam I used is called 1/16" polyethylene closed cell foam rubber sheeting. it's basically a neoprene/memory foam feeling material that is incredibly thin. i bought mine from a guy locally named Riggs upholstery, but I believe you can buy it online from several places. I test fitted it where the bottom inserts into the dash and it fits snug. looks good up top by the headliner. I'm debating using 1/8" on the headliner. I haven't decided yet, but either way I'll post my results with pictures. I should be tackling the headliner this weekend

[christianb5s4]

Thanks man, that's good info. I'm going to order that alcantara to start on my interior too.