Help Fixing an Indentation on an interior panel

[sylcurt]

So...I've had my interior apart since October, while I have been puttering away on weekends doing my stereo system upgrade...anyway, so now getting it all back together and realize that my rear upper panel, that goes just under the back window across the width of the car, was set down all winter on an extension cord...so it has an indentation in it....like the foam backing and vinyl is indented quite a bit....(from the weight of some other panels on top of it all the while)

So, I at first wanted to heat it up, but thought that would stretch the vinyl and it would be bubbled up....then I thought trying some compressed air (from the can to clean computers) and holding it upside down cools it down very quickly and it would pop out....but then thought it could maybe crack the vinyl....

Any ideas? its in a very obvious spot...do you think it will come back over time?

(its like when you move a piece of furniture that has been there for years, the carpet has those dents in them....)

Any help would be appreciated....

 

[condumbwerkz]

I wonder if you can use a iron or as such to flatten it out from the backside, which will require separating the vinyl from the board? Just an idea...

 

[shawn110975]

bad news it will recover a little but it will be there for ever.

trust me. I had same thing happen to me, just purchased a new one.

now I make sure nothing touches anything if its not on the car.

good news what helps is sunlight and leather cleaner.

shine it up real good and wet put it in the sun it will recover enough to where you can live with it. but you will always see it. other people might not. now it will pop up a little but dont press on it to see if it fixed.

but it sitting all winter on a cord. yikes. u might have asked for it

 

[vf2ss]

You asked for ideas, well, as requested this is just an idea. Since you mentioned carpet, a method my wife told me about after moving furniture to get rid of the leg impressions that are left is to simply line the impressions with ice cubes and sure enough...20 or so minutes later they are gone! So maybe consider laying the panel down on the ground and lining the area where the extension cord imprint is with ice cubes and see what happens. It would seem like you wouldn't burn it or super freeze dry it this way, but rather a slow cold method...again just an idea.

 

[sylcurt]

Thanks for the suggestions....I asked an upholsterer here also what he thinks and said the ice cube trick might help a bit....he said the problem is the foam is now compressed and it has glue in it, so the glue has maybe permanently bonded itself together in the foam in the indented position. :frown:

He said the vinyl is not the problem, its the foam...if the foam would come back, so would the vinyl....also suggested letting the entire interior get good and hot in the sunlight....the key is the even heat of the entire interior, not heating in one spot....but he also was just kind of guessing...
Could also try and remove, then re-attach, but getting it that even might be a challenge...yikes!

I may be hooped...what a bonehead thing to do....piled up all the pieces on top of each other on top of my cupboards out of the way "so they wouldn't" get damaged....lol.....this piece was the first one removed, and piled all the others on it, back to back, front to front...just didn't realize that part of my router cord was sticking out a bit under the entire pile....

Thanks again guys!

PS- Shawn, might be a piece I would request if/when you take stock of your incoming parts
(its the long horizontal piece behind the headrests, just under the back little window that goes the entire width of the back window, put me down for it, if no one else has already....if it doesn't pop out by the time you get the parts, I'll take it)


Curtis

( I never use smileys, thought I would give it a try - overkill I know )

 

[sylcurt]

Its the long top piece across the back as noted on the attachment part #13