HondaCivicForum.com - Lower cover panel DIY...

O.K. so I did this one last week and sent it in. It is still not up, so I am just gonna post it here so maybe someone will use it.

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Lower Center Console Cover Panel DIY

O.K. so I got sick of having the wiring from my lights hanging out and made some covers. I didn’t do a very good job so I just redid them and did them right this time. Hope it helps you if you use it.

This is what we are going to be making today:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...er/colored.jpg

Supplies List:

1 yard of vinyl fabric in the color of your choice.
1 can of high strength spray adhesive
1 piece of Lexan about two square feet should do.
Construction paper
Velcro, and not the cheap stuff. Get some of the High Strength stuff.
Band Saw or Jig Saw ((For cutting the Lexan))
Masking tape
Razor blades
Scissors
A Sharpie marker
Sewing machine ((If you want the detail around the edge.))
A bunch of old newspaper ((for spraying the adhesive))
I think that’s it. LOL

To start:

Make a template for the area you want to cover. Just use the scissors and the marker. Cut a little at the time until the template fits into place with almost no gaps around the edge. ((I cannot stress enough: TAKE YOUR TIME!!!))

Once you have your templates done. (they will be different for each side) Trace them with the Sharpie onto the Lexan. Then Use the jig saw or the band saw to cut out the Lexan pieces. Now take your two lexan pieces and pull the covering off both sides. Sand each side just to rough it up. Now go and test fit them in your car to make sure that they are the right size. Then figure out which side needs to be covered and write “This Side” on that side. ((Just so you know later which side should have fabric on it. LOL)) So lay the fabric out on a flat surface. Then lay the Lexan pieces down with the “this side” against the fabric. Now trace around the lexan pieces. Then cut out the fabric leaving at least ¾ of an inch all the way around. At this point you should have this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0832a.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0833a.jpg

Now, if you want to sew around it to get this effect:
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0837a.jpg

All you need to do is sew a line stitch all the way around the using the traced line as a reference. Just sew it about ½ of an inch to the inside of the line. ((if you don’t know how to sew, then this might be a good time to spend some time with your grandmother or mother and learn. LOL))

O.K. back to the rest of the DIY. Are you pumped yet? If not don’t worry. We are about to get a bit light headed from the spray adhesive. LOL ((You should NEVER try to get high from this stuff.))

Now lay out some newspaper. Open a window too. This stuff packs one hell of a punch if you don’t ventilate the room you are working in. Then lay your fabric backing side up and the Lexan pieces with the “this side” up on the newspaper. Try to leave a good three to four inches between each piece. ((makes it much easier to pick them up.)) So now you are gonna want to spray them. Follow the directions on the back of the spray adhesive TO THE LETTER!!! I cannot stress that enough. Use this kind:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0840a.jpg

Then after the glue has tacked up carefully put them together like this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0835a.jpg

Let them set up for a few minutes before you go any further.

Now break out the masking tape and the newspaper. Mask off the inside of the Lexan like this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0844a.jpg

Make sure that you leave at least a ½ inch uncovered. We do this step so that when we pull the fabric around to the back side and glue it there is not a big sticky mess on the uncovered part of the back. Get it? Once you have that done that part then you are gonna want to spray them both again. Just go back over the fabric part and let it tack up just like last time.

All tacked up??? Good. Now take off all the masking and you should end up with something like this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0847a.jpg

Now you can see why we masked the back off can’t you? I thought so.

So you are going to want to cut the fabric that is sticking out in a certain pattern so that you get it to look right when you are done. The red stars are the parts that should be cut off and thrown away. Just cut from each of the red lines so that you end up with a bunch of flaps around the edge. By doing this it allows the edge to be pulled around with out bunching up.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMG_0845as.jpg

Lets start. I always start at the points. Its just how I do it. But for the DIY we are going to do it my way.

Start with the two flaps to each side of the point. Fold them and press down hard on them to set the glue. Like this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMG_0848as.jpg

Then cut away the excess fabric to leave a nice edge. Then just continue around the edge folding each flap up and pressing it down. When you are done you should have something like this:

DRIVERS SIDE
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0852a.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0850a.jpg

PASSENGER SIDE
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0854a.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0853a.jpg

At this point you should go and test fit them in the car again. If they fit then we can get on to how to keep them in place.

You will need to figure out where to put the Velcro. On my car ((98 EX)) These were the spots:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMG_0860as.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMG_0864as.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMG_0863as.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0858a.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_0859a.jpg

Now for your car it might be different. Just figure out where the cover plate is gonna hit against something and put the Velcro there. I found that putting both sides of the Velcro on the car then pressing the cover plate into place worked well and aligned it all with no hassles.

So for about an hour of our time we have gone from this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...mer/before.jpg

To this:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...lmer/after.jpg