Making your own door panels?

[Orange '71 GMC]

Was looking at this this weekend, and stumbled across a little discovery.
I know/knew that the original door panels (talking about a '71 here) had a little bit of a raise in it around the edges, then also a little more in the center on the metal style. (I have '69 GMC panels).

I cut a template out of some 1/4" plywood to start working with, and noticed that I would have to have this lip around the edge, or have a gap. It seems that the arm rest mount or something hold the center of the panel from fitting flush against the door around the edges.

My only dillemma is, I am going to make my panels out of polished stainless hopefully, so I don't have the luxury of covering up any mistakes, or ANYTHING with fabric. I may (if the budget withstands) skin them with some etched HIGH polished stainless, but we shall see.

So, what have those that have made their own panels done to get the edge to fit flush? How big of a gap do I need to expect to fill?

Thanks all!

[Orange '71 GMC]

Anyone?

[TugOwar]

ttt for ya

[BrettAP69C10]

Not sure I understand the issue, but if it is how I read it to be:

Just make the panels a 1/4 inch larger than needed and roll the edges back to fit/fill the gap.

[jimmydean]

I haven't mocked up my doors yet, but hope to this weekend. I am using 1/8" masonite as the base and building it out to have a molded arm rest and speaker pod to fit the factory position in my '69.

It looks like the panel is flat, so I don't see an issue. Not sure what gap your talking about here.

[68C15]

I think I understand what you are talking about. what if you used 3/8 plywood and used a router to make a recess for the arm rest mounts? or possible getting crafty with a cut-off tool and reducing the "hills" to a near flush fit. if ya follow me.

[muddpile]

Originally Posted by 68C15

I think I understand what you are talking about. what if you used 3/8 plywood and used a router to make a recess for the arm rest mounts? or possible getting crafty with a cut-off tool and reducing the "hills" to a near flush fit. if ya follow me.

I'm doing something similar to this. I'm using 3/16" Multi-Ply wood (like plywood, but 8 or so plys instead of 2 or 3). I will be taking an electric planer to the area that the arm rest bolts to so it will sit flush.

[Orange '71 GMC]

TugOWar - thank you very much for the bump!

Originally Posted by 68C15

I think I understand what you are talking about. what if you used 3/8 plywood and used a router to make a recess for the arm rest mounts? or possible getting crafty with a cut-off tool and reducing the "hills" to a near flush fit. if ya follow me.

I follow...and this would be an ideal solution. (finished reply below).

Originally Posted by muddpile

I'm doing something similar to this. I'm using 3/16" Multi-Ply wood (like plywood, but 8 or so plys instead of 2 or 3). I will be taking an electric planer to the area that the arm rest bolts to so it will sit flush.

That would probably be my approach if I were using a wood for the panel. My only problem is, I was using the wood for a template for stainless. I will have liberty to really mill out the back efficiently. The only way I could do it would be to die grind it possibly, and that isn't a speedy or effective process on stainless.

Originally Posted by BrettAP69C10

Not sure I understand the issue, but if it is how I read it to be:

Just make the panels a 1/4 inch larger than needed and roll the edges back to fit/fill the gap.

This sounds like the most effective solution. What I was hoping for is someone who knew exactly what that "edge roll" needed to be. I think 1/4" may be excessive. If I use the lip that is on the metal panels that is stock, I want it to be enough, because I know they hump back out in the middle.

The '69 panels seem to be flat, and just have the lip around the edges, so I think I could get away with that. I just want to make sure that 1/4" is right though. Too expensive to mess up.

I may even have to but a little bit of a bend of the top of it to sit under the chrome lip at the top of the door. Not sure. That would be easy enough as an afterthought though.

Thanks for the posts guys. Relieves my thoughts that that was the case on the bump out for the armrest. Maybe BrettAP69C10 is for sure on that 1/4" or someone else is...