grumman41

I'm weighing the time between repairing the current door I have and replacing with a "new" skin. I have replaced a few fenders over the years and recently a rear clip so I'm comfortable with glass repairs. I really just need an estimate, in hours, to re skin.

Thanks, Kevin

DUB

Kevin,
If you have a very good heat source to heat up the steel inner structure and the area on the outside skin that runs under the door handle over to the mirror. I would say ...just to get the skin off an hour or two. Using a heat gun could take longer ...but remember in most cases when i do this I am saving the skin so I do not want to crack it up taking it off. Which is why I use two kerosene torpedo heaters ( 185,000 BTU each) blowing on each side of the door for a while and the skin almost falls off when pried..

Then it is heating and getting off the adhesive GM used for bonding the skin on. Then applying an appropriate primer to the area where the bonding adhesive goes if it has goes down to bare steel or you ahve rust and this is depending on the manufacturer of the adhesive you use. Some companies want bare steel...and some want an epoxy primer applied. Some want the area ground and rough and other want it scuffed. SO verify what the manufacturer want when you go and bond the skin back on.

AND...for what it is worth. When you do this. YOU DO want to visually check the inside of the door shell where the skin is being bonded at the bottom And what you want is either the adhesive to come out somewhat and create a little round ridge. This is so there is NO WAY for water to stay at his area and cause the steel to rust or begin to rust. OR...if you did prep the inside of your door steel shell good at the bottom...when the skin is on...you can run your finger down this bonding area and flow out the adhesive so the water flows off the seam area and it also can not settle in and rust.

Start to finish...depending on 'issues unknown' 6-8 hours. It can be less 'hands-on' time...but as I have experienced....I need to make sure the steel door shell is GOOD before I bond and it can take a few days to get it ready for bonding.

DUB

grumman41

Thanks for the info DUB,
I usually take double what most shops qoute on labor but this is line with what I was thinking.
Kevin

DUB

I would much rather install a press-molded door skin instead of a hand laid one. I do not know if the companies even make a press molded door skins. Which is why I prefer to repair a door skin...unless it is TOTALLY ruined.

Trying to get the bonding surface of an aftermarket door skin prepped so it fits onto the steel door shell takes some time. YES it is doable....because I have had to do it. Make sure you take measurements BEFORE you remove the old skin!!!

Becasue if you get excessive adhesive in between the door shell and the skin...it pushes the skin outwards....and it can cause for the door NOW to be out further than the fender a little bit....which means that the door hinges need to be messed with and possibly a shim removed to draw the door inwards.....AND.....if you get the skin too far forward or too far to the rear of the steel shell...this also can cause you to have to deal with the hinges on the post due to they move forward and rewards.

And if that is enough...depending on the car...by removing hinge shims to draw the door inwards can Be DANGEROUS....because what this does is brings the steel shell closer to the hinge post and your door weatherstripping can now be under more compression when the door closes. Like I wrote....depends on the car and how it is currently.

The ONLY reason why I wrote that is because I have had someone come by after they did a door skin without any consideration to any of the other dynamics in play....and by them literally plastering the adhesive on all '*****-nilly' and the spacing of the skin was out too far...that when the door weatherstripping was removed the door was perfect....but when it was installed...you could tell 'something' was NOT right.

DUB