625 replies to this topic

[rich2]

Today I skinned one door! This is the thrilling tale of how I did it.

 

Started by sticking a bolt through this hole where the handle goes because that obviously these holes are supposed to line up.

 

 

 

Then swivelled the other side to where I thought it should be and put a cleco through it. This stopped the skin moving around while I bent the lip over.

 

 

 

Then I tapped the lip over all around about 1/3 of the way with a panel hammer, and finished it off with mole grips and a block of wood. No photos of this because I must have been concentrating too hard on the work.

 

A little bit of weld in each of the bottom corners, and the tops where the skin meets the window frame. Then back on the car it looked like this.

 

 

 

The door opens and closes OK which is good but the gaps are currently quite ugly. Behold:

 

I have fitted the hinges, latch and slam thingy in the b-pillar so that I can see how the final result will work/look and go from there. Still quite a bit of bending/adjusting/fitting/refitting x 100 to try to improve the fit, but at least the skin went on without getting destroyed. :)



 

[sonikk4]

Looks ok Rich. You will more than likely need to add some metal to the rear edges to gap it nicely.

[rich2]

Yes I think you're right. I'll look into using some welding sticks as you did on erm. This is the easy side - the drivers side is a disaster. I'm going to have to take the a panel off again and reposition the a panel lip. Yikes. My fault entirely. Oh well. Live and learn!

[JewSkii]

Haha that would be nice boycie but I really doubt it. Maybe summer 2015 ;)

 

its gettting close now :) think you will make your goal

[lawrence]

Great to see this build back up and running again! It has always been one of my favourites. Good luck! Maybe fit some isofix points to the body too while it's all apart. I reckon the wife will love that as she knows you'll be thinking about the little one
L

[rich2]

Good few hours of seeming endless faff taking the door off and putting it back on again today. Slowly improving the fit. 
 
Current status:
 
Edit: OK I was going to embed a youtube video, but I can't get that to work, so heres the link: https://youtu.be/G8opg15h1W8
 

Edited by rich2, 31 May 2015 - 08:43 PM.

[Ben_O]

Looking good.

 

Have you tried it with the rubber seal on? Mine was lovely like that until i did and now i have to slam it.

 

I don't mean to be a downer but it's best to know these things at this stage because the cause for mine was the top of the windscreen pillar was slightly out making the front of the door springy against the rubber so it needed modding which wouldn't have been ideal when it came to putting the car together

 

Cheers

Ben

[rich2]

Hi Ben, yes that had crossed my mind, because I'm just guessing the thickness of the rubbers really. I'll definitely get some new rubbers and give it a try.

[skoughi]

I fitted the rubber to the lip after I'd reached a stage that I was happy with its position in the opening, I found I had to bend the lip quite a lot in places both in and out to get the right pressure of the seal onto the door. Don't be surprised that you may have to bend the window frame a little or twist the door itself to get a satisfactory fit!

[rich2]

More door fitting fun this weekend. Good job I'm a sucker for punishment! Struggled to get the driver's door to close at all due to some panel fitting 'inaccuracies' earlier in the project. Made some cuts into the A-post in an attempt to improve the situation, but to no avail. Eventually realised that many shims under the hinges was a better approach.

 

 

 

Closure not bad at the back.

 

 

 

Shocking at the front. Chopped the top corner of the A-panel out so that I could lever the panel outwards to get a better alignment with the door skin.

 

 

 

Following the example of Project Erm, I ordered in some welding rods to try to achieve some some sexier gaps.

 

 

 

Welding...

 

 

 

More welding. Much patience required...

 

 

 

This whole area linished down.

 

 

 

Close up of the top of the A-panel. Such an awkward area. I was struggling to get this looking any better with the tools I've got, but I'm looking to pick up an electric die grinder soon to help me finish of these problem areas. Either that or a dollop of filler. 

 

 

 

Door back on. Situation not perfect, but improved.

 

 

 

With some primer.

 

 

 

Here is the project as it currently stands (without the driver's door on). OMG the doors are painful, but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Boot lid next. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ben_O]

Nice one with the welding rods!

 

Perhaps run another one down the front edge of the door skin to improve further?

 

Ben

[sonikk4]

Whats the window frame gap like Rich?? Like Ben has said i would run another length of filler rod down the front edge of the door then also add some to the rear of the door.

[rich2]

Hmm yes I agree in the closed position it looks like the gap could be narrower, but as the door opens the panels only just miss each other with hardly and room to spare. I'm worried that when paint is on it will catch. Does this point to another problem? Bad hinge positioning? 

 

Yes the back of the door is not ideal either and I will revisit that area on both doors.

 

As for the window frame on the driver's side, its a bit close at the front but ok at the back. I think worst case scenario, I could cut a couple mm out (one cut, thick disc) then bend together and weld up.  

[Ben_O]

I get what you mean about how close it is at the front when opening but wouldn't adding rod to the door itself now not cause a problem because of the way the door pivots?

[sonikk4]

The top of the door skin just below the window frame looks to be to far recessed. That wont help either.