There has to be a way to make them more solid....
Custom door panels... from scratch!!!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,382
Likes: 2
From: Kathleen FL
Custom door panels... from scratch!!!
I'm really considering fabbing up some custom door panels from scratch. I'm tired of these crappy flappy door panels that have been on the car before I was born. I'm gonna be straight up, but these things are wore out, stained and ugly as sin. I don't want to spend $600 on replacement oem style door panels only for them to become ratty again in like 5 years. Has anyone done this before? If so, can you give me some suggestions on where I should start, materials I should use, etc.?
Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 639
Likes: 0
From: 1985 L98, Auto. O'FALLON, IL
I have given the same thing some thought. I had planned on either using some thin plywood as the base or seeing if the sheet metal shop at work could "donate" some material and help, but I have not gotten around to it. Good luck I would like to see what you come up with.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 3
From: Maine
Geez no wonder why the C4s are selling for so low! Plywood door panels??!! The riveted in door panel would work great for about 6 months until you have to remove it to fix a power window motor, lock cylinder, etc.
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 3
From: Maine
That's exactly what I did, over a year later and still holding strong, works like a charm. Very easy to install if you take off the door panel, you just put one or two angle brackets on top of the door holding them in place with the existing bolts on top of the door. They help grab the top of the door panel.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 3
From: Maine
I fabricated some small metal brackets to reinforce the ribs and drilled small holes in the ribs and inserted small bolts to hold the brackets to the ribs and glued everything together. The ties would serve the same purpose. If the outside of your door panels are not ratty this would be a far easier approach than fabricating panels from scratch.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Indianapolis IN
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: eville in
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
back in the day, we raced a 67 vette coupe ( ex-sun-ray DX car) that had abt 12'' long strips of velcro(abt 2'' wide IIRC) for side window operation...velcro ran between the glass and inner felt (felt removed in velcro path) and the ''mating'' velcro was affixed to the inner door...worked great.