Getting started
Sunvisors have been on my development list for ages. So when an American customer desperately wanted a pair to match his new interior I decided to buckle down and do some prototyping.
I already had a pair of original sunvisors to strip down. The cover was a thin PVC that was welded around the edge so there was no way in without cutting the cover off. Once inside I was surprised to find there was no solid foam or panel, just a wire frame and some floppy 8mm foam. The hinge was simply two metal arms pushed into a folded metal strip at the top. The arms were easy to remove and put back.
Socks
I worked out that it would be easier to fit if the new foam and cover were separate items. I could sew a new 10mm foam 'sock' that could be slipped over the grippy frame, then the cover would slide over the scrim on the back of the foam.
Hidden closure
The sock and cover took a few goes to get right but the main challenge was to get a neat finish on the closure. The customer preferred the idea of hidden poppers rather than velcro so that's the way I made it.
Later versions now use velcro to give a flatter finish.
Still to do
They're very easy to fit and look great in the car. Once I've got the price and fitting instructions finished I can add it to my collection.
Cheers, Owen.
September 2022
March 2024 update
Here's a short video showing how easy the covers are to fit.
This shows me fitting the same left hand visor shown in the earlier photos.
(The file may be large so probably best to watch over WiFi rather than mobile data.)