#06 - Classic Mini Door Panel Restoration
Old cars have a smell of their own. It usually comes from things like aging sound insulation and rubber seals, and I don’t really mind it. Somehow, it just feels like part of the classic car experience. But my Mini had another smell—a rather unpleasant musty one. After sniffing around the interior trying to find the culprit, the door panels seemed like the most likely source. So I decided to restore them.
Yuck… 🤮 Just as I suspected, the inside of the panel was covered in mold. The original covering had absorbed so much of the musty smell that it was beyond saving. If nothing else, for the sake of my health, this definitely needed to be replaced.
I made the new covers myself using a combination of tweed fabric and PU leather. I originally wanted to use Harris Tweed, but it was a little too expensive, so I found a warm-colored tweed with a similar pattern instead. I added piping where the tweed meets the PU leather to give the two materials a clean separation.
I actually bought a used sewing machine just for this project. Then I spent about a month watching YouTube videos and teaching myself how to sew.
I also cleaned the door handles and trim pieces with alcohol to remove years of dirt and grime.
I installed the finished door panels back in the car. I left the original wood trim off for now, as I’d like to restore it with a wood finish that better matches the new panels. I’ll save that project for the next post.
