Abstract: A guard plate for use with a vehicle's lock in which a circular combination of plates are strengthened by a peripheral flange which contains a second plate bonded to the first. The first plate uses a shoulder portion and ridges to creates added durability while the second plate includes a plateau to provide further strength. A snap member is used to secure the entire assembly next to the skin of the vehicle and the snap member is preferably larger than the guard plate so that added security is provided. A seal is used between the guard plate and the automobile's door's skin to weather-proof the assembly to the vehicle's door.

Abstract: Leather accent panels for an automobile or other vehicle in which a layer of adhesive is placed onto a roughen or textured side of the leather. When this adhesive is tacky, a covering tape having an adhesive on one side thereof, is pressed onto the tacky adhesive so that a tight bond is created. In one embodiment, the adhesive component of the covering tape is a double sided adhesive tape. To assist in the placement of the panels, some embodiments of the invention utilize releasable contact points which assist in the positioning of the leather panel prior to its full adhesion to the dashboard. In another embodiment, the adhesive on the leather is heat activated and small pressure sensitive adhesives permit the leather panels to be positioned, and then the panels are heated to form the permanent bond by activating the heat-activated adhesive. In the kit form of the invention, the leather panels are packaged in their relative positions for placement onto the vehicle's dashboard.