door panels on '96 leather wrinkled

hollywood953 · Post by **hollywood953** » 28 Dec 2009, 13:42

the leather on the door's looks like it was pinched by the glass. Is there a way to stretch it or tighten it? Also, is there a good power add on that's not too expensive? Maybe a cold air kit?

Post by **billofdurham** » 28 Dec 2009, 15:24

The only way I can think of would be to heat it with a hair dryer and try to pull it into shape.

Also, is there a good power add on that's not too expensive? Maybe a cold air kit?

Maybe I am being a bit slow here but I don't know what you are wanting. Is this in relation to the door panel?

Bill.

hollywood953 · Post by **hollywood953** » 29 Dec 2009, 11:23

Sorry Bill, I jumped from one subject to another. the second question was regarding horsepower adders. We bought this 960 in May with 127,000 miles and it's peppy but i was looking for any power add on's. I built a 383 stroker for my truck but I am a little under educated with Volvo so I was wondering if there is a way to add some power without a turbo or a major overhaul. Is there a chip or will a cold air kit or exhaust help? Sorry to ramble

Post by **billofdurham** » 29 Dec 2009, 15:36

Sorry to ramble

My grand-daughter says I do that all the time.

Sorry, I don't 'do' power add ons. I am quite happy with the product Volvo supplied. If I should get a car that doesn't come up to my expectations I sell it and buy something that does. That's why I now stick to Volvo.

You may fare better by putting a question in the performance forum at the top.

Bill.

bright · Post by **bright** » 29 Dec 2009, 21:56

I agree with Bill (hope the snow isn't too bad!)

You can only go so fast in stop and crawl traffic. Volvo's are about comfort and safety. Spend the cash on something that'll make the car more comfortable. I always advocate for reupholstered seats. You would not believe the difference reworked seats make. It's like owning a new car. It's the best upgrade you can make, hands down.

hollywood953 · Post by **hollywood953** » 30 Dec 2009, 12:45

good point guys. It is a smooth car. New upholstery would make a world of difference. Have either of you experienced the "bunching' or "pinching" of the leather on the top of the doors? All four are that way and I know the previous owner and there is no way he would have tried to add new leather himself.

Post by **billofdurham** » 30 Dec 2009, 12:52

That is a fairly common problem when the car is exposed to a lot of heat from the sun.

It doesn't happen too much over here as we are only allowed two really hot days per annum, by government decree. Some years we are allowed an extra two or three days of slightly warmer than average temperatures but that is it.

Bill.

hollywood953 · Post by **hollywood953** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:03

I'll send you a few of our summer days if you'll pay the import tax and take some of our snow! I did find a console lid and door panels on your sponsor's site but they don't say what color they are. I believe the 960 in 1996 came in black, grey, and tan leather. Is there another source?

Post by **billofdurham** » 30 Dec 2009, 15:55

Sorry, can't take any snow as we have enough of our own at the moment.

Apparently it is better to phone Erie so you can talk to one of their very helpful staff. Perhaps wait until all of this revelry is over and everybody has cleared the hangovers.

The only other source I have seen mentioned on the forum is Car-part.com. I know nothing about them so can't really recommend.

Bill.

bright · Post by **bright** » 01 Jan 2010, 02:49

hollywood953 wrote:good point guys. It is a smooth car. New upholstery would make a world of difference.

It really does. Just don't go too wild and get alligator or ostrich.

Have either of you experienced the "bunching' or "pinching" of the leather on the top of the doors? All four are that way and I know the previous owner and there is no way he would have tried to add new leather himself.

Yes, I unfortunately have the same problem on all four doors. I'm not sure what the best way is to fix it though. Bill's advice certainly sounds good. I'm not quite sure how leather would react with too much heat. Proceed with caution.

On vinyl convertible tops (old mustangs, older vw cabriolets) the final step would be to gently apply heat with a heat gun to shrink up any wrinkles. But that was done only after everything you could do to tighten the top up had been done. I never had to do it.

My convertible Saab had a cloth top. I loved that car. But it broke my heart, and wallet.