Custom 72 Door Panels

[muddpile]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried to tackle the task of building custom door panels for a 72. The earlier style appear fairly simple, as they don't have any real contour, and can be made out of any piece of flat material. For the 72 molded plastic style, it appears as if you have to build out the area for the window cranks and the door handles. Has anyone got the measurement of how much you have to build it out, or if you do at all (maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me)? Any help would be great. Thanks!

[purple gas]

well mud. My plan is to make door panels for my 67 that will be somewhat like the '72 style but still work with the 67 handles. To build out the arm rest and raised portion I was planning on using either rigid insulation or that expanding foam insulation stuff, both are light, fairly tuff and easy to shape with a grater or sander. then gluing it on to a hardboard backing and covering the lot with a faux leather material. This is still way down on my " to do" list so don't expect and pics of my work anytime soon.

[FormerMember]

I guess if you didn't want to build out the door and window handle areas, you could use earlier regulators and handle mechanisms.

[TEXAS 68]

These were on some doors I bought with power windows,I'm going to recover them for me needs but I can dig them out of stroage to get pics of how they were done if you want.

[QKENUF4U]

those look great TEXAS and would be great in my truck since they would match my seat. i would like some pics if its not to big a deal for ya. smelan656@cs.com
thanks
lance

[tnblazerk5]

texas 68

are the top part of thoses custom made or can they be store bought
how do the tops of those door panels stay hooked to the door and also hows the inside window felt thingy sealing the door and window ?

[modifiedGMC]

Here's mine. You may not see it but I have flames embroidered out toward the back edge. No window cranks, power windows. Removed the door opening handles and went with the ones from the caddy I got the door arm rests out of.

[muddpile]

Looks like a few people have done this then. Nice to see! I am going to go with something simple, yet totally bizarre. I was in the garage last night with a few scraps of wood, styrofoam, cardboard etc. planning out how I am going to do it. The doors don't have a lot of high spots to worry about, so a flat piece of wood works for the base (or plastic). After that it's just a matter of building it out around the window crank, door handle and arm rest (which are all on the same flat line). Looks like I've got my work cut out for me, but I think it will be totally worth it in the end when I have a truly unique set of door panels. Thanks for the help!

Also, since I am going with custom panels, I might as well go with custom hardware. Anyone know who has the best price on billet cranks, handles, lock pins and door pulls? Thanks!

[muddpile]

I was thinking with starting out with some original panels, but I really don't like the design that much. The window crank is too close to the bottom piece that sticks out and I've cracked and scraped my knuckles on it several times when rolling down the windows. There are too many grooves and ledges that dirt can hide on also. Basically, I will start with a flat piece of material and go from there.

One thing I need to know before beginning, is about the armrest. Will any 67-72 chevy truck arm rest bolt to any door. Like, is the spacing of the bolt holes and the hole size and location the same? I want to run the bigger, earlier arm rest and wonder if it will bolt to a 72 door with a custom panel?

[modifiedGMC]

Originally Posted by rick980

Sweet job here too, all up to the imagination. You started with some original panels?

yes I used the original door panels and just covered them with the blue material and mounted the caddy arm rests. The arm rests covered the original window crank holes since I converted to power windows and locks.

[TEXAS 68]

Originally Posted by tnblazerk5

texas 68

are the top part of thoses custom made or can they be store bought
how do the tops of those door panels stay hooked to the door and also hows the inside window felt thingy sealing the door and window ?

The top material was just glued to the door so the felt was no problem, the bottom panel had velco holding it on. The door panel itself had the little white things holding it on.

[55chevy]

I saw a truck today with an ABS panel that was featured in a good series on Webrodder.com, they have a lot of good tech articles.
http://www.webrodder.com/index.php?p...&CID=7&search=

[muddpile]

That is a good tech article. Thanks!

[TEXAS 68]

Here's the pics,looks like they cut out for power window motors and filled with wood and covered

[purple gas]

The arm rest I'd like to incorporate into mine are in Astro vans, drivers side middle row of seats. The top of the arm rest flips up and the inside is hollow. There's quite a bit of room inside to store stuff, I've measured them & they'd fit in our trucks Problem is, there's no cut-out on the top pad to grab when you want to close the door. But that's something a person could work around.

[modifiedGMC]

That's the same problem I have with the caddy arm rests. I'm thinking of getting some of the strap style pulls like in the lates 70's montecarlo or something similar. I was going to use the ones out of the caddy but the way they mount in my doors they wouldn't clear the windows going up & down.