Sail Panel Vinyl Installation, ...Step-by-Step Options

[Eric_Shea]

I searched the site for a step-by-step on installing sail panel vinyl. I found people who had done it but no detailed instructions to give you an idea of what’s involved and/or give you the tools to carry on for yourself. With cars that are 28-34 years old, I’m sure there’s more than a few of us driving around out there with peeling, unsightly sail panel vinyl. This is a “Big” job when done right. You’ll have a good portion of your car torn apart. Plan on a weekend where you prep one day and assemble the next. Here’s what it will take to get yours back to new.

Tools and Supplies:

 Phillips Head Screwdriver – Medium
 Phillips Head Screwdriver – Small
 Phillips Head Screwdriver – Short
 Flat Head Screwdriver – Medium
 8mm Socket with Long Extension
 10mm Socket
 17mm Socket
 Small 1” Putty Knife
 Utility Knife with Plenty of Sharp Blades
 Blue Masking Tape
 Regular Masking Tape
 Roll of Butchers Paper (or a bunch of newspapers)
 Spray Trim Adhesive
 Adhesive Remover
 Sail Panel Vinyl Kit (various vendors)

Step 1: Remove Trim

You’ll obviously need to take off all the trim pieces before digging into this task. Remove your (cars) top and start with the large pieces that trim the back of each sail panel. You may want to remove the rear wheel to access the 8mm nut underneath the car. This holds a clip that holds the trim piece at the base. There is one other mount and that’s a Phillips screw. Next would be the front side of the sail panel where you’ll need to remove the rubber weather strip at the back of the door and then remove the Phillips screws holding the mounting track. Use the putty knife to get under the mounting track trim piece as they are glued on with a nice sticky tar substance. I’ll let you work your way through the remaining pieces (basically un-screw, un-screw, un-screw…)

[Eric_Shea]

Step 5: Laying Down the Vinyl

First you should remove the paper and tape that you had protecting the car. It will stick to the back of your vinyl making the job impossible. Its job is done now anyway. The vinyl should be applied when each surface is “tacky” to the touch (not dry like most contact adhesives) and this only takes 1-3 minutes. I set the alarm to 3 minutes. You should not let the surface sit for longer than 10 minutes before applying the vinyl… meaning? You’ve got 7 minutes to get the job done. Start with the hoop top. As mentioned earlier I test fit my vinyl before applying the glue. Knowing where I was going I actually laid the top piece over my head and worked my way from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side. Concentrate on starting it straight and concentrate on the flat top surface only. Once it’s down, press it smooth and start rolling those edges down. Hurry, the clock is ticking. Lay on the sidepieces starting in the bottom corner by the handle. There’s a 45 deg. cut there that should straddle the edge of the panel. Hold the back of the vinyl out toward the rear of the car and make sure you will be just covering your mounting holes for the lower trim piece. Smooth each one up and start working the edges over… Whew! The major task is done.