Make your own door panels?

I have a 72 lark.... Due to my limited budget and not liking the poor selection of repros I was think of just carefully removing all material, tracing a new panel onto ?? and building it back up.

Anyone have experience with this or a good resource on how to tips?

Thanks, AL

 

Did you check Legendary? They have most colors for 72. A bit pricey but if you have never tried to make your own may be excercise in frustration. Buy the time you buy material would be more expensive than buying already made.

 

The forums on www.hotrodders.com cover door panel fabrication pretty well.

Do you want to reuse the vinyl portion of your present door panel, and glue them to new boards?
If yes, what is wrong with your old backing boards?
If they're warped, they can be moistened, and dried between sheets of plywood to keep them flat.
If edges of the backer boards are damaged, they can be strengthened with fiberglass resin.

 

You can buy new door panels for $180/pr. PUI makes them for OPG. If you want to keep the car stock and have the car sell when/if you go to sell it, don't make custom door panels...you will only devalue the car.

 

Good ideas Wkill, thank you.

 

No, wasnt going custom, just refurb and adhere existing materials.

Thanks!

 

can you post a direct link to the topic?

 

Nope. sorry!
I've seen the info there in the past several years, but did not bookmark it.
There are14,000 posts in the 'Interior' section of the board.....lots of good tips there, but you'll have to search for it.

 

Everything you wanted to know about door panels!:
Hotrodders.com FAQ's on door panels:
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/read-me-interior-door-panel-more-faq-read-me-43025.html
:TU:

 

thanks alot!

 

Thank you for the link! Good stuff and appreciated. :beer

 

Hey the search worked!!!:beer Just contenplating this myself.Mine are warped badly & the vinyl is frayed at the bottom.So i wanted to find new boards,transfer the good vinyl section & carpet the lower.
Or buy Olds panels since nobody makes them for Buick post cars.:af:
Great links!!! :beer

 

From my experiences the cardboard door panels are mostly deformed/warped at the bottoms from getting wet with water. What I do/have done is go to Home depot & purchase some Formica laminate. It is/& comes in very thin sections/pieces, then glue it with contact adhesive (also available at the "Depot") to the cardboard. I also use this method for the kick panels & rear sail panels. It is flexible within reason & if it does get wet it won't deform as it was meant to be on top of the kitchen counter top. For the water deflector paper on the door panels I use the "Tar Paper" that is used for roofing. It's also water proof to an extent & provides more sound dampening than paper.

Tom T.

 

:gp:

Thanks Walt!
Thanks Tom T!