Door skins...

[rockdogz]

Ok, so now that I've shaved the door handles, I sanded down the rest of the door to find.... well check out the pics. So is this a good candidate for replacement door skins? Are those hard to do? At least I have practice with shaving the handles now...

[MuscleRodz]

That door has been hammered. Looks like more welding practice to me. Door skin should be straight foward. I got faith! :icon996:

Mike

[Happyfunballs]

Holy balls! I think I'd skin it.

[toxicz28]

Weld them with a copper backer. At this point, that's what I would do. I HATE doing work twice!!!

[68protouring454]

do not even think about fixing that door, do you want to have that repair in the back of your mind while driving the car?? NO
get a skin, you will be better at welding to re- shave the handles.
jake

[rockdogz]

Hah, there was an article in Super Chevy this month about how to reskin a door... good timing. Weird, doesn't look like Classic carries the whole skins? Dang, I like to drive there to save on shipping.

[69Lowbird]

Just remember that when you are shaving the door handle on the new skin, take your time welding because the skin is thinner gauge metal than the original so it is going to warp quite a bit.

[toxicz28]

do not even think about fixing that door, do you want to have that repair in the back of your mind while driving the car?? NO
get a skin, you will be better at welding to re- shave the handles.
jake

Question: If he welds the holes shut and grids them smooth what would he have to worry about once the car is done and driving? If he fixes the doors RIGHT, he won't have any problems. I'm not talking about fixing the doors like the slap-hammer butchers did before! Cutting off factory sheetmetal because of a few (dozen,hundred??) DRILL holes to replace with flimsy light gauge crap is foolish! I do agree, that sometimes, there is no choice. But from what I saw in the pictures he posted those doors are definitely salvagable. Hell, I wish MY doors were that BAD!!

[rockdogz]

Why would they go to all the trouble to make door skins and then make them out of a lighter gauge metal?

[dennis68]

To save money!

[68protouring454]

why don't you fix it for him then.
by the time you weld the holes up, and then do body work, you are gonna have 99% of the door in mud, and you will able to do both skins in easily the amount of time it will take to repair that, period
i did not realize this place was a hardcore resto place where anything but stock sheet metal is junk
goodmark skins are pretty decent, and will have no ill affects even if it is thinner.
have you ever used a good quality skin?? or you must be one of the ones that goes for the imported skin to save money, put a goodmark skin on it and call it a day
or you can have fun warping the stock door panel, then hammering it straight and body working the entire door of the ripples waves, byt the looks the door got hit pretty good.
goodluck
jake

[trapin]

Folks, I am in the process of replacing my drivers side door skin as we speak. I will post some pics in here of my progress. I too read the Super Chevy article, seems pretty cut and dry to me.

[toxicz28]

why don't you fix it for him then.
by the time you weld the holes up, and then do body work, you are gonna have 99% of the door in mud, and you will able to do both skins in easily the amount of time it will take to repair that, period
i did not realize this place was a hardcore resto place where anything but stock sheet metal is junk
goodmark skins are pretty decent, and will have no ill affects even if it is thinner.
have you ever used a good quality skin?? or you must be one of the ones that goes for the imported skin to save money, put a goodmark skin on it and call it a day
or you can have fun warping the stock door panel, then hammering it straight and body working the entire door of the ripples waves, byt the looks the door got hit pretty good.
goodluck
jake

I would gladly fix it for him. But, I don't think he wants to pay freight to and from NY.
I do agree that Goodmark makes a nice product, I got a pair of quarters because I didn't like the skins that came with my car. But there were fitment issues when I put them on. Besides, MOST of the aftermarket sheet metal is imported, I don't care whose box it ends up in. I've seen it with Goodmark products. Right next to their label was a "MADE IN TAIWAN ROC"
Look, I'm not trying to turn this into a flame war. You have you opinion, I have mine. I don't know what Rockdogz welding and metalworking skill is, just as I don't know your skill level is 68protouring454. I know my skill level, and I know that I can fix those doors better than the hacks that did the previous repair on them. And minimal filler would be needed when I was done. If Rockdogz feels his time and money is better suited to buying, replacing, and shaving new skins, so be it. I know it would take more time to repair, but I feel the money would be better suited towards something else.

[apex69]

Myself I would end up fixing that door/s. That’s me though and it looks like the bottom of the door and the "shell is in great condition? Skins are relatively easy, don't get in a hurry be patient.

I attach a couple of cross braces to the interior door panel side of the shell before removing the old skin so it won't flex after removal. With the skin installed but not welded to the shell, I'll hang the door on the car with fresh hinges or a fresh hinge pin replacement providing that the quarters are finished and fenders are still attached.

This will allow you to tune the fitment of the skin to the shell while on the car then you can tack it in a couple of spots then remove it and finish the welding.

Did SC talk about that at all, just wondered? I am just mentally deranged about F&F. You can get it close enough off the car but there is a chance it could end up a little skewed. I need to read their article.

[rockdogz]

Nope, they didn't mention fitting the skin with the door on the car at all. Is there much movement you can really get with it on the car? Or is it more like if you need to shorten a gap, you could fold over the skin such that it leaves more material to close the gap?

I appreciate everyone's comments - I'm currently leaning towards the skins - I would like to try to order some and see what the quality is like before I remove the old ones so I can make the decision.

[apex69]

Nope, they didn't mention fitting the skin with the door on the car at all. Is there much movement you can really get with it on the car? Or is it more like if you need to shorten a gap, you could fold over the skin such that it leaves more material to close the gap?

I appreciate everyone's comments - I'm currently leaning towards the skins - I would like to try to order some and see what the quality is like before I remove the old ones so I can make the decision.

Not really, the lip on the skin is already formed perpendicular (90 degrees) to the skin with a predetermined length. You don't want to alter that or you'll end up with a wrinkle around the edge trying to manipulate a folded length yourself. It should be fairly close. Mounting the door on the car with the skin mounted to the shell (prior to any welding) allows me to square up the shell to the jamb then the skin to the shell. The tuning of this sometimes is not needed. Seems that 69's are a bit easier to fit without mounting on the car because of the sharper body lines vs. the 67-68.

[rockdogz]

[68protouring454]

glad to see you went the skin route, you will save alot of time compared to repairing that door, you do not do body work for a living and that door would need alot of dollying after welding holes up
jake

[Camaro Zach]

Just remember that when you are shaving the door handle on the new skin, take your time welding because the skin is thinner gauge metal than the original so it is going to warp quite a bit.

Not all are thinner. Goodmark has upped their thicknesses to factory specs

[Jagarang]

I didn't hink they were that bad? Then again maybe thats why I have to pay people 3 times as much to do the work for me.