I did this to the Mustang over the past couple of weekends, but the same will apply to any brand/car. Back in 1994 when I was 14, my original tray was looking pretty haggard, so I covered it in black speaker box carpet. 27 years on, and it looked like a 14 year old covered it in speaker carpet 27 years ago.... So I finally decided to do what I've been thinking about for years and tackled the job....Package trays are available for these for about $30, but I was going to cover one of those aftermarket jobs in "leather" anyway, so I just decided to save my money and make my own, plus that whole weird "satisfaction doing it yourself" thing some of us have. First thing was to remove the old tray. Quite honestly I was just planning on recovering the original in the leather material I bought, but upon removal it was almost like it had been sitting under a nearly flat piece of glass baking in the sun for 50 years. Totally rotten and fell apart. Strange...So I was able to tape it back together and use it for a pattern. I ended up using some paneling I had set aside for my 1961 camper restoration I never seem to get to for the new package tray. Crack a beer. Next mark out the shape of your new tray with a Sharpie. It helps to use the factory 90 degree cuts on the new paneling for one side if you can, but mine has a slight taper front to back, so that wasn't possible. Cut it out a little big and test fit it, you can't add material, you can only remove it. I use a jigsaw with a guide myself. After a couple test fits and cuts I had it fitted perfectly. Have another beer if you've finished the first one as a reward for getting this far, you ain't going back now, are you? Now it was time to cut the speaker holes (if you're like me and not big into originality. If you are, you could drill the perforated holes the same way or not do anything if you're the silent type). My original package tray's speaker holes were completely disintegrated, so this took some careful measuring of the factory's holes in the metal that lays under the package tray (this is a unibody), finding the centerlines and distances front to back, side to side, and between the speakers. Use your speaker grilles as a template for how large to make the holes for your speakers, or if you're doing new ones they usually come with a template. Test fit again to make sure your speakers fit properly, as once you do the next two steps, you're basically done and won't be able to go back. Drink a beer. Next, lay the new tray over whatever material you're planning to cover it with. Mark out the tray and leave an inch or two extra around in each direction as you want to be able to fold the material around the tray, gluing it down to the bottom as well as the top. At the corners, cut multiple slits in the material, pointing them all toward the "point" of the package tray's corner (sorry, I thought I took a pic of this but apparently didn't. I've included a couple from my Riviera build when I made the custom panels for the trunk so you can see how to cut for in and out curves). You need to do this so the material will fold around the corners without bunching up on itself or making "lumps" on the material around the corners. Set your material out in the sun or somewhere warm for an hour or two and drink a beer. Sober up, drunkie, this next one requires concentration and steady hands....Next, use some aerosol spray adhesive on your material and the new package tray. I use 3m headliner adhesive. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! If you get impatient, you're going to be redoing the whole thing from the material coming unstuck from your tray, and ruin your tray trying to remove the material where it did actually manage to stick. If that happens, go back to step two. This stuff is crazy sticky, so you really only have one shot at it. It helps to have an extra set of hands to help you get it laid down without wrinkles. I, myself, lay the tray flat on the ground with the good side up and apply the material from the top, starting at one short side and slowly working the length of it to the other side applying the material by rubbing it down with one hand and holding tension on the material with my other. Once you get all the way across and it's laid down flat, flip the tray over and apply more spray adhesive to the back of the tray to wrap and stick the extra inch or two of material down, also lay some down on the material on your speaker holes and cut the material in an "X", or just cut it all around as your speakers will hold the material from coming undone. I put one long edge down, do the multiple cut corner pieces, then lay the other edge piece over them. Fold your speaker hole material under and stick it down to the underside as well. Flip it back over and rub the good side down with stout pressure over and over to get the glue to set evenly over the whole thing, and attempt to work any wrinkles out, which will probably be futile, but you can try. A hair dryer or heat gun helps loosen the glue, but be careful not to burn your material. If you get a big wrinkle you can't stand or burn it, go back to step two. If you laid it down and am happy: Drink a beer, you're damn near done. Good job. Let it dry completely. Check on it and put pressure down on all glued down surfaces periodically. Once you're happy it's dry (there's those adhesive instructions again), I put Gorilla tape or duct tape on all the edges on the bottom just to help hold them down from peeling later, and leave it there. It's underneath so you'll never see it. Clean everything up and reassemble. You did it! Drink another beer or six. Voila. And here's how I do the corners. Point your slits toward the apex of the corner and fold over in little pieces:
Thanks fellas You got this, Joe! The nice thing about this project or making any panels is that its pretty dang cheap if you mess up. I've got less than $50 in the whole thing, and most of that is in the spray adhesive, so a guy can screw up a few times and not be out too much, and sometimes there's no other options than to make things yourself. Just takes a little self confidence and patience. I'm really not that skilled
Most people make comments about what I use & some just shake their heads. Instead of using cardboard or plywood, particle board or other type of material I use Formica. It's thin enough for bending/making shapes, is somewhat flexible, holds it's shape fairly well &, to me, the biggest plus is that it's water proof. I've used Formica for repairing warped door panels especially at the bottoms. Since it's thin it really doesn't add any to the thickness. Sail panels, kick panels & MANY other uses. It's amazing what this product can be used for. The only limitations are your ideas. Tom T.
Don't mix the beer and the glue, one or the other my friend Absolutely Tom. Formica works great for this too, lots of guys use it for their panels as you suggested. I just happened to have this paneling sitting around for the last few years not getting used, and it was just a little thinner than the original package tray, so once I covered it with my "leather" it came out the perfect thickness and fit.
