Tools & supplies needed:  Phillips screwdriver (recommend manual, not motorized), needle-nose pliers, Exacta-knife or other sharp blade, tape measure, light-grit sandpaper, electrical connection/light bulb grease, cleaning solution, rubbing alcohol, and spray paint (optional).

Unscrew the manual door lock cap in the near center of the armrest.  Remove three screws holding the armrest and pull the armrest away.  Remember which screws fit which holes for armrest.  Remove the one screw holding the door release handle trim and pull the trim piece away

Clean armrest and handle trim with cleaning solution to remove dirt and body oils.  After drying, wipe armrest and handle trim lightly with rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining body oil or vinyl protectorants.  Handle these items carefully, or the paint won’t apply evenly.

Depending on the original color of these items and the new color, you may want to use paint priming to ensure good paint adhesion and even coats.  When spray painting, apply several light coats with 10-15 minutes drying time between each coat.  Refer to the instruction on the paint can.  You can work on the rest of the door panel project between spray coatings.

To remove the old door panel, remove three screws indicated.  One screw is located behind the map pouch flap.      

Holding the panel securely, lift it slowly so it clears the window edge.

NOTE: The power lock button is still connected to the panel, so do not pull panel away from the door very far.

Disconnect the lock wiring by jiggling the plastic connector or prying carefully.  If prying with any flat metallic object (screwdriver, knife, etc), be careful not to make contact with the pins on the back of the door lock switch.  You could blow a fuse or, worse, short out your lock switch.

The power lock switch is held in place on the inside of the old panel by four metal prongs.  Gently pry each prong straight and lift the switch out of its cavity.  (sorry, no picture)

Here’s what the inside of my driver’s door looks like with a third-party sound/heat insulator bought on EBay.   It’s much better than the old, dry vinyl that came out of the GM factory.   Now is a good time to replace this liner.  That project is not covered by this article, but it is very simple now that you know how to remove the door panel and hardware.

The five pins on the door lock switch may have some rust or corrosion.  Use a small piece of sandpaper to scrap off that crud and get a shiny connection before re-installation.  Apply a small dab of electrical grease to each pin before re-installation.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the inside of the original panel (top) and replacement pane. (bottom).  I bought my panels from Willcox Corvette and am very pleased with the fit and quality.

Now for the nerve-wracking stage of this project: cutting the vinyl and insulation lining for screw holes, armrest door lock, and power lock switch.  Your C3 may have side mirror controls on the door (mine does not), so the panel has a cut-out for that also (see arrow).  Lining up the old and new panels is a good start.  Also use your tape measure to double-check your hole placement before each new cut.  If you cut the vinyl in the wrong place, you’ll have to patch it up and your supplier will not exchange a panel because of your mistake.

Remember to continue spraying several light coats of paint on your armrest and door handle trim during this project.

Once you have marked (using a pencil or other marker) the fabric inside the shell for your cuts, cut away the fabric liner in a circle (for screw holes) or rectangle (for power lock switch and armrest door lock).  Then, cut your opening into the vinyl but START SMALL.  It’s easy to enlarge your opening on the vinyl, but you can’t reduce the opening.  Make your cuts in an “X” shape.

You can verify your cut placements by holding the new panel on the door and see if you can reach/see the screw hole, the manual door lock pin aligns, the power lock switch fits, and the door handle trim fits.  If your cuts are not quite in the right place, you can enlarge/shift your cuts to match.  Only after rechecking the fit/alignment, you can cut away the excess vinyl for the power lock switch, door lock pin, and door handle trim.  (This segment is really hard to describe on paper.)

Some people might prefer to cut into the vinyl for the three panel mounting screw hole and first and third (not middle) screw hole for the armrest after placing the new panel on the door.  I did my passenger panel and driver panel differently, and both approaches worked with a lot of measurement and eyeballing before cutting the vinyl.

Insert the power lock switch from the outside of the panel into the square hole you’ve created.  Make sure you have the switch right side up (unlocking action is upward) in the panel before securing it.  Secure the power lock switch by carefully bending the four metal prongs on to the inside surface of the new door panel.  The metal on those prongs is fairly sturdy, but remember you’re dealing with a car part that is at least 26 years old!

Lift the new door panel close to the door and reconnect the power lock switch to the electrical connector.  Did you remember to lightly sand the contacts and put electrical grease on the five pins?

Hold the panel so the door lock pin and door handle fit through their respective holes in the panel (see arrows above).  Then, line up the panel’s top edge at the top of the door frame’s window slot.  You have to place it over some metal tabs in the door and then straighten/pull down (LIGHTLY) on the panel to snug it into place.  You will have less than an inch of wriggle room front to back to help you seat the panel.  Be aware of the locations for the mounting screws while securing the panel.  (You want the screws to go straight in if at all possible.  An angled mounting screw might shift and snap off during driving.)

Screw the three mounting screws into place, mounting the new panel on the door (see arrows above).

 

At this point, my two helpers (Michael and Ken) and I took a break to enjoy our work so far.  This also gave the final coat on the armrest and door handle trim plenty of time to dry.

After our break, we reattached the door handle trim by slipping the trim over the handle and reinstalling one short screw.  The armrest was next.  Slip the door lock pin into the center slot of the armrest, screw on the cap about 2/3, and align the armrest level to the ground.  Holding the armrest in place manually (no screws), flip the power door lock switch (lock and unlock) a couple of times to make sure the lock pin will travel back and forward freely.

Once the armrest in lined up on the panel, placement of the back and center screw holes is fairly easy.  Lining up your screw holes in the vinyl to the screw holes inside the door frame was much harder.  Luckily, most minor mistakes in placement of back and center armrest screw holes will be covered up by the armrest.  Placement of the front armrest screw hole (nearest the map pouch) has less room for error (and cover-up).  A lot of patience is called for at this point.

Once all three armrest screws are snugged down, tighten the door lock cap.  Do not over tighten; this cap is hard plastic and will crack.  Recheck the door lock pin movement again by flipping the power lock switch a couple more times.  Better to find a problem with armrest placement at home than when you’re out and about.

Here’s the finished project.  If you look real close (just above the arrow tip), you might see my mistake in placing the front screw hole of the armrest.  I measured wrong and did not double check.  It’s just a small hole in the vinyl and I patched it as best I could, but I’ll always notice it.

Overall, I’m pleased with the outcome.  The two-tone silver-charcoal gray interior matches my exterior color scheme.

Good luck with your project.

Greg Tilley

C3 articles archive