Repo door skin questions

[Dale99]

I am to the point of fixing my doors. While part of me wants as much stock sheet metal as possible, as little bondo as possible. I also need to consider my metal skills and I am not that good of a welder for just a lower patch and not warp or have tons of filler.

So can anyone chime in on quality of the door skins? Fitment onto the inner shell, around the window posts, locks n handles fitting properly, bodylines in reasonable location, etc.

Also, do I just crimp the sides and let it be....Or do I need to do a few tack welds to make it stay?

[bandy boys]

I know nothing on door skins of that era.

For door skins I get rid of the rust on the edge of the frame where your skin is going to make contact on both sides. Rough up your doorskin to the edge of the inner flange you will bend over and rough up past the 90 degree about quarter of an inch. I then put a thin coat of panel bond or similar product on both sides of your bare metal on the door frame. Make sure your skin is where you want it before applying. You can then put the skin on the frame. I know with panel bond there is lots of time for working. Clamp and start rolling the edge. Don't try to do one spot at a time but work the length bit by bit. Use a hard rubber block on the outside of the door with your pressure on the edge. Easy does it. Don't be surprised when you look along the bottom of your door when you are done and it is wavy. A little hammer and dollying will fix that. A tack on each top corner should be fine. Now rest your arm.

[bandy boys]

Sorry, I forgot to tack the top corners. Have fun.

[hugger6933]

I use a shark to do the skins it will leave no tracks at all on the skin and you won't need filler. Like the company says you can put on a skin in about 10 to 15 min. Jim

[Dale99]

A shark? Time to google


:edit: ok, neat tool, but for just doing 2 doors I don't see the cost being justified.

[19673ontree]

I always put door skins on with a piece of metal and a hammer just install them go around the edge with a hammer and flat piece of metal fit the door to the cab and then do just a slight bit of filler block it out and thats it , cant do it in 15 minutes though ,,,,

[hugger6933]

I had 6 doors in my shop that needed skins at the time I bought my shark. Your right it is a little pricey but I had two doors that were on a black Colorado extreme that didn't need a single filler wipe after the shark and I put on the skin. I think it has been out of its protective box only once more since the first week I got it. I do have a couple of 67-72 truck door skins in the corner in a box so maybe I will use it soon again. Jim

[Dale99]

Thanks for info on the shark, I did find a lower cost place, I guess I had found the highest cost place first, lol.


But main question, how is fitment of the repos. Do they fit worth a crap?

[snipescastle2]

I bought a driver's side door skin and it is maybe 2/3 as thick as original, way too flimsy if you ask me. I just kept looking for some better colors.hath.
En

[69chevytrucker]

Whats a shark

[hugger6933]

It is a air operated door skin installation tool. It is not a tool that a person would want to buy if they were doing just one or maybe two doors. It is very cost prohibitive. I just looked it up in one of the latest catalogs and it is made by a company called Astro[ they make a quite a few special body tools] and the last catalog price I have is $ 386.98. But if this helps it comes with a plastic case and a cd on how to use itJim

[snipescastle2]

Man, what happened to my post, that should have read " I kept looking for some better doors" sorry about that. any way's, I bought a tool called the "Skin Zipper" cost's about $35.00 and you use this with an air chisel.....
here is a link:

http://www.steckmfg.com/21890_SkinZipper.html

Hope this helps....
Ben
p.s. I have a driver's side door skin I'm not using,because I lost the dang receipt, might as well be wall art............. have a good one!
Ben

[Dale99]

snipes, what brand is the skin that you said was thinner?

hugger, :edit: n/m, different tool

[snipescastle2]

I'll have to look when I get home from work. I believe it was a "triplus" brand, but not sure. It was comparable to today's car sheet metal, very easy to bow with your fingers.....
Ben

[Dale99]

please do.

[snipescastle2]

No problem!
Ben

[rmv23887]

I did both my doors, 72 C 10, sourced mine from Summit, came on Goodmark box. Panel lines lined up, sheet about same as stock. Mounted the inner door, clamped outer with open jaw vise grips to get my gaps right, tacked at top, laid on saw horses and used body hammer to role lip over, 1st door used and dolly on outer doors skin, bad idea. Had ripples. that second door used my palm as dolly no ripples....Randy

[snipescastle2]

sorry about getting back to you, I ended up working past 11:00 pm last night and didn't get to looking at the door skin, I will tonight.
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Okay, sorry for the long delay getting back to you guy's on the door skin pictures. There wasn't any red or blue decals on this skin at all, but every other patch/panel I got from this supplier was a "Tri Plus" item. if you look close on one of the pictures, right above the handle area there is a small scratch/line, well, that is actually a ding the happened when it fell over against my deep freezer, as I said, these are (and to put it mildly) very thin and cheap. I didn't want to go to all that work just to have to do that all over again later, so I just kept looking for a good, solid set of doors (original GM) well, here are the pics....
Have a great Fourth!
Ben