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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Topic started by: CA Big Red on February 06, 2016, 10:21:02 pm

Title: Restoring door panels?
Post by: CA Big Red on February 06, 2016, 10:21:02 pm
I've used the equivalent of bondo to touch up the top of the faded and dried out door panel on the passenger side and then painted the whole thing. That worked okay, but the bondo stuff kind of cracked and it wasn't the best. So, I'm looking for better ideas on how we bring these panels back. Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: LTZ C20 on February 07, 2016, 12:29:19 am
Buy quality new ones lol
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: CA Big Red on February 07, 2016, 10:49:56 am
That would be great. Can you get these same door panels and install this trim back on? I thought the aftermarkets couldn't take the stock trim pieces back on?
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: LTZ C20 on February 07, 2016, 01:34:44 pm
Sí señor. New ones with provisions for the trim are available as well as all new trim pieces. Everything on that door panel is available new.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: CA Big Red on February 07, 2016, 03:05:44 pm
Yep. I just looked them up. Set of red panels $199. I tackled this in 2011ish. Seen here and there wasn't the OEM panels at the time. From what I remember. This looked okay until the paint was scratched.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: LTZ C20 on February 07, 2016, 05:01:53 pm
I think the pieces that come in the color you want are made of the correct color plastic. They aren't painted like if you just bought black pieces and painted to the desired color.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: OldGray on February 17, 2016, 11:50:46 am
You can repair broken ABS plastic by using a mixture of ABS shavings and Acetone.  I will post pics of the panels I am currently repairing in a separate thread soon.

Use an old piece of ABS plastic and bust it up or grind it into the smallest pieces you can.  Put them in a glass jar and add about an equal amount of Acetone.  Allow it to melt into a slurry - it may take a few hours - stir occasionally.  Use it as a glue or filler, in layers.  I occasionally use mesh fiberglass tape in between layers to add strength.  The ABS slurry will melt into the old ABS and the bond will be as good (or better) than new.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: OldGray on February 17, 2016, 03:12:35 pm
I ran out and took a few pics of the door panels I recently repaired using the melted ABS trick. 

(FYI - here is a thread I started about ABS repair - http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32666.0)

The entire top strip of the panel (next to the window glass) had snapped off.  I glued it back and reinforced it.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3o05EZKCmNhCtuHg4X83uCan4nasqCAu5-K1tUa7xZ9FjT3JgV2E_cxYCxmaehYhI9_TK_ypB9RmkuK4zZkFeVTMuy-VPCBpfY3mS8tOtHHf0P-oZwZffZkFcWEnWT_c0TiLP-gNn36tINU7Lg79W-uoJcMSrVVE8YoH1FtVzscfOZZjtu0qiQtL8jLzKsWR6a5rWeVO3oSkZIq2MYXam1dF1BaywkZuznIj23E61DzyOzGVEH0hCwCc7b0T1SMU0Z3iox3R5vkjn0vkCtENenDostaDKXOMZ_ZaHKnmQiVincLb_rQLGcPBF_CHiSvEnVRgmnEqMgqkKnu-An7QhSxZrvwWmFBbRPq_6FP5Fo-PFq5enb49fziX5_tdCIe75jcPumCgKh9lFjr52f635XeskA0tf3E6YiQazJEY_b9HFLZmEYR49acXiSrTKn3OI1UzoPqzx9TSYgt7BL-zpScPqJhqvJlExA31jOFQbFLeq8d4e4icfA63eRnoLuTDSZmmBXKsUsbfIkJMSSUneAiQs-qUuadskNcnZo73n-OKSorC-z560vZBIdyDU4cqpP71=w1030-h783-no)

The screw holes in the door had broken out in a few places.  This one has been repaired.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vySc5ARJ2jni_wKB0X6j7POUoXj8JAa7H1CgK8ZNY0q3M5Q34qXvu_IapvklRhF52eJmyaXA5QqZdkprSvTETgimGz_Mh51XyjPAg7vMXzfpaYaIZUzCflesvMPTtXS2sPKTgPp5V3M9fj9On20aChGd59ptziTFDDWzJmktfWsviYHzBw9uQdx9iUlUrrTbnQX1U5n6MR1HB35W2lp5ca8RjtJhdKIw3jEdJA8q-sbIOrzv07em7qgW_p0-7cBA0LgC4pxPKKzV-yki4DJYsimESctQSRDS3OGYNoGuBCuPUf1oTbNQ2XjWPyGsEJgMhLTBJo1zYYbp66U5eASXpdidboS8iJ9iSeXJdV09WPI6snt9-wwP6LMEAyvOP59ucMbXhpzAEuwnGpi8HE98f2q4uICcDcM1pQoC1-5qakbKas6CHe4O1TPtWdMnI2GlTG3j_phKuPznNNYViulH4kUMX9XpGS7zh6WyEHAal5j7111QHcIfsoh8N6gpGdniJpe2brSh8ncNicK8sSb_ttPeupzn_KupunUZreJ579ZvICer9XPh0e2FjuJI8Xuos6U_=w1044-h783-no)

In the process of being painted a brighter red.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FTCAEiil0AzXDwXLjzJoHLwXgnJvx4n4dXg7Ge3nBwdc8KdQsIXf-uMieQcnhwjrb-CK08H9WlKnFLR1oUYm2SyXoLK2MnsZxdeETfjZ4GgKKUsWHar1OJTpIxqfMkOBVuc0TnOEO8URHsJdfMx9nlERGVgLXepDMeOioT7fF06IXObRV5FWf36JyN6W1qQx64DkzN4JQB5hndc_ntYxe0euQ7GgqmewkU1ZTJdyO03l0nELESBcvUELEGZlDdvAwtRtgRza3uD_pUi2THzHYdQL4FxHHWFBO6KwzCZj-mXvwQfQJU0zXxTUH85G7zyB3xzKMzzmxKUnTzn8bPL1v5HQs8AkO30awNhTeiEDRXENWMjx6ZuyegpLs4goR-kQYRo5vg7bvFAwddp2e3EdEl1jAuRcxWbSHYraEqYd7Pd0m_WUMyxEaIOo8g9ecfIMb9bGV1k62ZUxCJh9jkWMFO-XpJwNZdtrJzdaSuJm_4QnPtVLQqsQ3N4yjMgo143PUXjfggTe2RpYN_f00MHSt-gjAM-QQ9vgvd6WwIgex5xY_cf5GOmkDSDabHtgapqcZt07=w1044-h783-no)
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: CA Big Red on March 29, 2016, 10:30:32 pm
LTZ I went with the new panels. Turned out great. Wish I had ordered the trim and new mirrors. Have since ordered both and will have to tear the passenger panel off when they arrive and then finish accordingly. Now I want to just paint the truck.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: LTZ C20 on March 29, 2016, 11:49:01 pm
That looks great! Where did you end up getting them from? A few of the main more common restore companies have them.
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: Captkaos on March 30, 2016, 08:19:56 am
If you are wanting to restore them and paint them I would follow the above for repair and I would do the following for painting them.

http://73-87.com/7387garage/interior/vinyl_dye.htm (http://73-87.com/7387garage/interior/vinyl_dye.htm)

If the texture is gone, I "fix" them with bedliner like we did for the pillar pods.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=30672 (http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=30672)
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: CA Big Red on April 03, 2016, 05:50:36 pm
LTZ I bought them from the place of which we do not speak...
Title: Re: Restoring door panels?
Post by: LTZ C20 on April 03, 2016, 11:55:05 pm
I figured lol. I'll get new panels one day eventually.