Door vapor barrier

[RoyW]

I've been looking for a good vapor barrier solution for the doors of my 2002tii restoration project and finally found a product that works well for anyone looking to replace their disintegrating vapor barrier in any vintage BMW. I wanted a clear, peel & stick product that was easy to work with (apply), and not to flimsy.

The product I found is made by a Canadian company called VViVid Vinyles and comes in a roll that is 12 inches in width. I think the length of the roll was 5 or 6 feet, but there was plenty to do the two doors of an '02, and probably enough for 4 doors of an e28. You can find it on Amazon Prime for around $8.

I cut two 12”pieces the width of the door and that was enough to cover the complete inside of the door top to bottom (see pics). The backing paper peels of nicely and it was easy to lay it on, and it has a grid on the backing sheet which makes cutting a straight line easy. The only issue is that it is so clear that it is hard to see. I used an Exacto knife and small scissors to cut holes where access is needed for mounting the door panel and door hardware.

Not sure how it will hold up over time, but it feels pretty durable.

-RoyW

20240113_123423 by Roy Wicklund, on Flickr
20240113_123456 by Roy Wicklund, on Flickr
20240113_123617 by Roy Wicklund, on Flickr

[Shawn D.]

Good stuff! I hope it weathers well.

[jdb]

Nice Roy, This is a great find and since it is basically vinyl wrap at a good price, I am sure it will be tough.
I will, I am sure, use it for road trip protection also on the leading edges of hood-spoiler-etc.

Jeff

[vinceg101]

Curious to see how it stacks up against the Con-Tact stuff I used; it certainly appears to be less expensive:





During the interior remodel, I ended up installing this stuff to mitigate some of the noise and thermal gain:
Heatshield Products db Defender Door Panel Sound Insulation
https://www.heatshieldproducts.com/soun ... b-defender
It's 0.045” vinyl dampening sheet with a self-adhesive backing that has some substance. It has a self-adhesive on the back and is supposed to heat-shrink to mold to the door, but it didn't really do that. I installed it over the vapor barrier although that was a bit of over kill since this stuff is supposed to replace standard VB's. Was it worth it? Inconclusive but in the end I was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at reducing heat and noise.

[tn535i]

Last time I needed to do this sort of thing I found some clear shelf liner, like what you might use in a kitchen cabinet. Not very expensive and worked quite nicely.

[Mike W.]

I've thought about using some foam as is on E36/39 era cars. (and probably more) But it's definitely not self adhesive and not even flat. But I like the idea, which is ~1/8" foam for vapor barrier but mostly sound on earlier cars. Lots more work though unless you can find it flat and self adhesive.

[Mark40]

I have been using this stuff for years. Works great, plenty sticky. Using some right now stretched underneath my 64 bug engine and trans that is on the lift so oil does not drip on my E25 that is parked under it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/SURFACE-SHI ... /205187255

[Mike W.]

I have been using this stuff for years. Works great, plenty sticky. Using some right now stretched underneath my 64 bug engine and trans that is on the lift so oil does not drip on my E25 that is parked under it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/SURFACE-SHI ... /205187255

I've used that stuff before (although not necessarily that brand) on carpeting of all things, where it works really well, but it is awfully thin. So I would expect it to do well as a vapor barrier, but not so well on soundproofing.

But now you've got me thinking about E39s and their propensity to leak into the interior if the foam vapor barrier isn't sealing and using it underneath the foam. Hmmm...