How do you remove S3 door panels (door cards)?

[mrpeugeot]

My recently acquired Elan S3 has original door panels in reasonably good condition. The vinyl has no tears, the carpeted pieces are intact, and there appears to be no warping. However, the foam backing behind the center, recessed part of the panel has disintegrated, therefore allowing the vinyl cover in that area to loosen as well. Worse yet, when I drive, tiny pieces of foam commence to fly around the interior, inevitably finding both my eyes to blind me as I drive. Not good!

I'd like to take these panels off, scrape off the remainder of the offending foam, replace it with a thin closed-cell foam and reattach the panel. But before I do that...how exactly does one remove the door panels on an Elan S3? I searched the forums and came up empty.

Thanks!

Adam
SF, CA
'67 Elan S3 45/7287
'70 Triumph Spitfire Mk3
'80 Rover 3500
'03 Land Rover Discovery

[badback]

Hello Adam
Door cards have 8 spring steel clips push fitted into plastic plugs in the doors. These should easily pull apart. If needed use 2 steel rulers one ether side of the clip to easy them apart.

Regards Brian

[mrpeugeot]

Thank you for the quick reply, Brian. That was exactly what I needed to know.

[adigra]

Don't be surprised to pull put the plastic plugs out of the door rather than the clips alone. I find the clips often hold much stronger than the plugs.

[jimj]

But first you have to remove the handle. Rotate the plastic bezel until the hole lines up with the pin in the shaft. Push the pin out and the handle wiggles off.
Jim

[mrpeugeot]

Thanks again for all the replies - the door panel has been successfully removed without damage.