CharlieG

This is a project I intended to do a few years back with my old Boxster, when the armrests started peeling, but I never got around to it. Lately, a couple of posts on PPBB got me thinking, and this time, doing. A few hours later and I am absolutely thrilled with this hack! I've taken those hard plastic covers which are pathetic as armrests, and turned them into something actually comfortable, 100% OEM-looking and matching the interior, and add a touch of class. I highly encourage you to try this hack! Time required: 2 hours Cost: About $20 Materials: Piece of leather to match your interior (I got one off eBay for $10 shipped) 2mm (about 1/8”) thick closed-cell foam sheet (They have at Michaels’ craft stores) Spray Adhesive (Mine is 3M “Super 77”, also from Michaels—we’ll see if it can handle the summer heat) Masking tape Tools: Brand new razor blades Scissors 120 Sandpaper Needle-nosed pliers Narrow brad or something to push a pin through a hole Step 1: Remove armrests Swing an armrest open and note the two hinges. Remove the pins, starting the front one, by using a brad or other object to press through. If it gets stuck halfway, simply use pliers to pull the pin through. Be careful after you pull the second pin—there is a spring still holding on to the armrest. To remove it, simply keep the armrest in the “up” position and locate the spring. You’ll see how to slide the armrest out. You should have a set of 6 hardware pieces for each armrest: 2 pins, and 4 bushings. Don’t lose them! Step 2: Prep armrests with foam Clean the armrests thoroughly to promote good adhesion. Take the foam and cut a reasonably loose shape around an armrest. Spray the armrest moderately with adhesive. I found that a little bit of adhesive to the foam helped as well. Not too much as you really don’t want the complete “contact cement” experience! The adhesive I used gave me an instant but slightly reworkable bond. Aim for having no actual tension in the foam by starting in the most concave section and working outward. Don’t worry about the wrapping the foam around the edges; that is not desired. Trim the edges with a bevel using a razor blade. Remember, we are only adding foam to the top part and we don’t want it to roll over the edges at all. Here is a tip I got out of “Custom Auto Interiors” by Don Taylor and Ron Magus—sand the foam! Sand it using 120 grit sandpaper, and don’t be shy! Sand nice transitions around the edges, and sand the “skin” off all the foam to promote better adhesion. (Ignore those little slits you see in the picture; they were not necessary) Clean the armrest thoroughly. Step 3. Cover armrests with leather Basically, repeat what you did with the foam. But leave a GENEROUS amount of leather around the edges. Spray the adhesive and apply the leather with some gentle stretching. Don’t worry about the wrapping yet, worry more about not having air trapped between the leather and the foam (bad when it gets hot). With the basic adhesion done, trim the leather a little closer and make a series of cuts to create tabs which will allow the curves to come together on the back side. Some of the cuts should actually be v-shaped to prevent too much layering. Also, make precise cuts near the pads and hinge areas so these can be cleared. Do a second round of adhesive spraying on the back. But start with loosely masking the back side to avoid having too much goop on your finished product. Press all the leather “tabs” firmly in place, and trim as needed with a razor blade. Step 4. Reinstall armrests First re-insert the bushings. Make sure they are inserted completely. Begin the reinstall by inserting the spring at the rear. The best (perhaps the only) way to do this is by holding the armrest as if it was in the “up” position and guiding the spring into the small hole at the edge. I used pliers to help with this. It will take a few tries! Next, reinsert the pins. Start with the easier front one; that way the one at back, where you will be fighting the spring tension, will be more stable. Make sure you have the pins in all the way. That’s it! On mine, the armrest doesn’t quite swing ALL the way up, or at least not with a clean motion, but that doesn’t’ bother me. It is probably due to some clearance issues with the leather.