Help needed - guide to disassemble doors
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 241
Likes: 42
From: Skaelskoer, Denmark
Help needed - guide to disassemble doors
I´ve tried to search - both at CF and google - but I cant find any guide to disassemble the doors on my 01z (maybe I´m using the wrong words as English not being my first language).
I need to completely disassemble the doors before a paint job. There is plenty of guides to remove the door panel, but I need info and advices of the next step.
Is there any guide for that?
Should the glass be up or down when disassembling?
I realize some of the questions can sound ordinary - but living in Europe it would cost half a Toyota if I break a lot of the parts, so I really need to do it right.
I need to completely disassemble the doors before a paint job. There is plenty of guides to remove the door panel, but I need info and advices of the next step.
Is there any guide for that?
Should the glass be up or down when disassembling?
I realize some of the questions can sound ordinary - but living in Europe it would cost half a Toyota if I break a lot of the parts, so I really need to do it right.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 355
From: Little Rock Arkansas
Try searching for "door shell". The doors are a sheet molded composite (SMC) "shell" with an outer skin that is bonded to the shell.
Few years back a truck hit my door and fender in a parking lot (car was parked) and I had to have my passenger side door shell replaced and most of the insurance labor that was paid was for the door. As my body shop was having a fairly difficult time sourcing a "good" shell (many C5 doors, especially on higher mileage cars, have stress cracks. This is detailed on some threads here on CF) never mind one in Nassau Blue they had to perform a full color change.
I didn't actually watch the entirety of the process unfold, but when a suitable door was finally sourced (OEM shells new are no longer available, and it took four used doors before they got one that was suitable) the general items were removed from the door and the outer "skin" removed from the shell. Removal of the skin allows most of the interior portion of the shell to be properly painted for the color change.
My painter did not paint the handle or the mirror frame. Those were used as "guides" for the paint blend. The painter did an extraordinary job on the paint and blend; couldn't have been more pleased and it never looks like the car had any issue.
You will see some vendors offer just the outer skin of C5's doors. This can be a good alternative if you have a fairly common color like Torch Red or Black and may even help with shipping costs since it can be shipped relatively flat (but would still be a fairly large box).
Few years back a truck hit my door and fender in a parking lot (car was parked) and I had to have my passenger side door shell replaced and most of the insurance labor that was paid was for the door. As my body shop was having a fairly difficult time sourcing a "good" shell (many C5 doors, especially on higher mileage cars, have stress cracks. This is detailed on some threads here on CF) never mind one in Nassau Blue they had to perform a full color change.
I didn't actually watch the entirety of the process unfold, but when a suitable door was finally sourced (OEM shells new are no longer available, and it took four used doors before they got one that was suitable) the general items were removed from the door and the outer "skin" removed from the shell. Removal of the skin allows most of the interior portion of the shell to be properly painted for the color change.
My painter did not paint the handle or the mirror frame. Those were used as "guides" for the paint blend. The painter did an extraordinary job on the paint and blend; couldn't have been more pleased and it never looks like the car had any issue.
You will see some vendors offer just the outer skin of C5's doors. This can be a good alternative if you have a fairly common color like Torch Red or Black and may even help with shipping costs since it can be shipped relatively flat (but would still be a fairly large box).
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,754
Likes: 167
From: Youngsville North Carolina
