25 replies to this topic

[JonnyAlpha]

So my doors need repairing, one is worse than the other. The good one I can deal with but the other is a little more tricky and making a repair piece for it could be tricky as I may loose the shape of the door as it is wider in the middle than at the front and rear.

 

I don't want to re-skin the whole door but what are the door bottom repair panels like? I see MiniSpares do this door bottom and lower skin combined for £18.65?

 

The door on the right in the picture below is the bad one (obviously). I left the piece in the middle as a reference point for making the door bottom repair but was going to cut it out when I make the skin repair piece. My plan was to repair this in three stages. Deox gel the inside of the door skin that I have left in. Make and weld in the repair piece for the bottom of the door and then then make up the lower door skin and weld it in. Then apply some seam sealer and fold it into place. 

 

Would the Minispares repair piece do the job?

 

 

The back corner section of the door has also gone:

 

 

 

Any thoughts?

 

[pete l]

For me you've not cut enough of the rust out. I can still see wire brushed rusted steel that will rerust in months.

 

Cut it all back to clean, rust free metal.

[Daz1968]

for how much magnum skins are I would just replace the skin as distortion is difficult to avoid welding there. The door frame can also be properly de rusted and repaired.

I have  used magnum skins on both my mk1 and mk2 and had very few problems with fitting.

[tiger99]

Yes, unless you are far better than me with hammer and dolly, you really don't want a welded seam across an almost flat panel, where the thermal effects of welding will inevitably make it distort. A skilled panel beater will flatten it again, quite invisibly, but I for one would not even try. A new skin is so much less trouble, and if you place any reasonable value on your time it will be more economical overall.

[JonnyAlpha]

So for the LH door (the worst of the two) you are suggesting I re-skin the door using:

 

Non Gen Door Skin - MS11L - £35.82

Door Bottom Repair - MS33L - £11.26

 

£47.08

 

Rather than the cheaper option of:

 

Door Skin Repair Panel - (MiniSport 40-12-12-1) - £8.26

Door Bottom Repair - MS33L - £11.26

 

£19.52

 

I may get away with making a small DIY repair on the better door:

 

[Marco1972]

for how much magnum skins are I would just replace the skin as distortion is difficult to avoid welding there. The door frame can also be properly de rusted and repaired.
I have  used magnum skins on both my mk1 and mk2 and had very few problems with fitting.

I agree
I'd just replace the skins you'll end up with a much better finish
Bit more work with magnum skins but they will be better than odd bits welded in

[Daz1968]

For the bottom repairs you are probably best making them yourself, if the magnum mk1 door bottoms are anything to go by,

[JonnyAlpha]

For the bottom repairs you are probably best making them yourself, if the magnum mk1 door bottoms are anything to go by,

Yeh - but my only concern is that the door from front to back is not flat so the lip that the door skin folds over is bowed, this would be my only reason for buying a repair panel. I do have one door to use as a reference though so I may have a go at making a door bottom tomorrow? 

[sonikk4]

To be honest I would reskin the door. The reason behind that is I will bet serious money there is more rust hiding under the other flanges. Seen it so many times now it's just not bothering trying to do a localised repair.

[Marco1972]

Here was mine looked ok

Lots of rust lurking

[JonnyAlpha]

For the repair to the bottom of the door rather than model my own has anyone used and repair panels successfully? What about the M-Machine ones? 

[sonikk4]

To be honest you can make your own

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and yes i have used the repair sections successfully you can buy, not sure if the ones that M Machine are Magnum or there own.

[JonnyAlpha]

To be honest you can make your own

 

 

 

 

and yes i have used the repair sections successfully you can buy, not sure if the ones that M Machine are Magnum or there own.

 

Nice repair, I was wondering how to tackle the ends Looks straightforward enough.

 

Question:

Is the width of the door bottom the same along the entire length? i.e. is the inside and outside parallel? Mine appears to be slightly wider in the middle by about 5mm. Also what gauge of metal did you use for the door?

[sonikk4]

0.9mm steel sheet required here.
 
Now i cheat a bit with the repair sections as normally there would be a small curve along the length of the door, however personally i loose that when i form the repair section. Also what i tend to do providing there is enough material left of the original frame it to make sure my repair section marries up to each end. This will then give you no issues with the width. ( loosing the curve is not the end of the world and having done this on three cars now you would be hard pushed to notice.) Having just checked my first door this statement is not strictly true. I did looking back at it induce a small curve using my shrinker plus making sure the ends of the repair married up to the original side sections. I do know on Project Erm the bought repair panels were bad I had to section a large amount to remove the stupidly large curve that was in them.
 
I'm currently in the process of doing my other door so i will double check the width tomorrow and let you know.

[JonnyAlpha]

0.9mm steel sheet required here.
 
Now i cheat a bit with the repair sections as normally there would be a small curve along the length of the door, however personally i loose that when i form the repair section. Also what i tend to do providing there is enough material left of the original frame it to make sure my repair section marries up to each end. This will then give you no issues with the width. ( loosing the curve is not the end of the world and having done this on three cars now you would be hard pushed to notice.) Having just checked my first door this statement is not strictly true. I did looking back at it induce a small curve using my shrinker plus making sure the ends of the repair married up to the original side sections. I do know on Project Erm the bought repair panels were bad I had to section a large amount to remove the stupidly large curve that was in them.
 
I'm currently in the process of doing my other door so i will double check the width tomorrow and let you know.

Thanks Neil.

 

Couple more questions on the door.

 

1. I guess the seal that sits inside the window fram and down into the door needs to be removed?

2. Can you confirm where the skin is welded. Looks like a couple of seam welds at the top front and back of the door and the original looks like the Door Skin is also spot welded to the bottom of the Window Frame?

3. Best method for clamping the Skin Flange to the Door Frame - Mole Grips, Piece of Wood and cloth AKA A Panel? Or Hammer?

Edited by JonnyAlpha, 04 October 2016 - 12:38 PM.