Has anyone purchased a new set of PUI door panels and had lots of trimming and gluing to do to fit them properly on a 64 Buick Skylark? I thought they would be ready to install out of the box but instead have to get the steel frames for around the panel installed and glue all the edges down. Now I find the cardboard back panel isn't the right size and has to be trimmed down. My measurement from the bottom of the door to the chrome trim it slips into is 21" and the backboard is almost 22". Anyone have experence with these PUI panels?
Sorry, no experience with these door panels, but I did take a measurement on my 64 Special, and I get 21" from the bottom of the door where a panel would be to the TOP of that chrome retainer strip. I'd say the backerboard would need to be slightly less than 21" in order to fit inside that chrome piece. 22" sounds way wrong to me.
Thanks Kevin for checking your door measurements. That verifies my doors are right. I'll be calling PUI today to rattle their chain and find out whats the deal with their product.
PUI stuff is typically cut sloppy. many times you have to cut, remove foam, trim, enlarge, reinforce or move door clip holes, etc. Trimming an inch off should be pretty easy, if the panel slides into chrome trim. My door panels or rear panels from Legendary ( I forget which) had to be re-punched for the stainless trim. The holes were off by about an inch each. That's why people often pay pros to do interiors, they have the experience to know what to do to make these pieces fit.
What happened to the new door panels that you can take out of the box and install them, just the way they are? Is this right the way they are built now, you pay PUI $259.99 for a full set of door panels, hope they are built close enough, and then have to take them to a shop to get fitted and ready to install after you pay a pro shop a few hundred skins? Update: I just got off the phone with PUI and they are of no help. I spoke to a Todd Bidwell in customer service at PUI and he finds it hard to believe that they don't fit out of the box without cutting the backing board. Again he says, take them to a professional for final cutting and fitting. Not what I wanted to hear. Hopefully someone knows about these panels on here to share their knowledge.
Hopefully...yes! I bought PUI "assembled" panels for my 69 442 years ago, they were crap! They had plastic rails where they hook on the door at the top and never really fit right. I ended up redoing them and using my metal rails with new "unassembled' panels. Legendary stuff is still a superior product to PUI. Maybe you will hear from somebody who used that and can tell you more.
I bought PUI panels for many 70-2 Skylark restos...have the article on the site....they fit perfect....maybe you have an alignment issue???
I actually referenced the thread to a 64 Buick Skylark door panel, being that the 68-70 version is all together different sir. Alignment? Really? please read the posting as its a size difference from the size of the door to the panel PUI made for it. But thanks for your input.
Tim, If your buying 64 Skylark panels of course they won't fit on your special with the upper chrome trim retainer pieces. They are 2 different style panels. If you notice there is alot of vinyl on the top of the panel that would be for the Skylark that has the metal plate that wraps around the door top. Normally on the Skylark you have to use yours from the original panel. I don't think anybody offers the "Buick Special " door panels. You would need to order the Chevy version for the 2 door post sedan to get the right sized panels for a special whethere a convert or not.
I found that out Brian, afterwards though.... After all the research I did comparing them, and knowing that Buick Special door panels are not being reproduced, I thought getting reproduction Skylark panels was the best solution as the pictures in the Legendary and PUI books looked like what I needed, as I didn't have any correct door panels at all on the car when I purchased it. The past owner made some panels from red vinyl and cardboard, and were the first thing to go on the car. The top rail on the Skylark was indeed a surprise as no one told me that. Even the pictures in the catolog didn't show the top rail. So....Hence the extra material, and the added height of the backboard panels on the Skylark panels I ordered. I just found that out yesterday... They are really nice and I will have to modify them to fit as a Special Panel does under that chrome trim on the door. A bit of cutting and fitting but I'm sure it will look pretty good. Any chance you have the big chrome "V" medalions for the panels Brian? Or do you have a set of old Special panels that you can give me a backboard height from the bottom to the top edge? Otherwise I would have to replace the doors for Skylark doors and thats not going to happen. I can just hear the Buick purests kringing as I speak but its a driver and fun car, not a #'s match garage queen. I wish I would have found a Skylark at the time but this was a great car for the price out of Tenn. Almost done and then I'll post some pictures.
I had experience with one set of PUI panels about 10 years ago.. for a 72 GS.. They were decent, just too short on the bottom.. you could see body color under the panel. Some folks may thing that's ok, but me.. well, not so much.. I bought a set of legendary panels and they fit perfectly, and then promptly became a legendary dealer. Have used nothing else since.. they aren't always perfect, but are about as close as you can get. I had those PUI panels kicking around forever, finally threw them away when I moved the shop. I couldn't get my head around the idea of selling something to someone, that I would not put on the car. JW
