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Author
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Topic: Door Skin Installation Poll
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-01-2004 07:48 PM
   
I've got a 67 drivers door that has several dents and an oil can in the lower corner. It is difficult if not impossible to get to the backside of the dents to attempt to knock them back out and I haven't been very successful. I was considering the possibility of re-skinning the door and wondered what the general concensus was on this procedure. Has everyone who's done this been happy with the results and what would you do differently if you were doing it over ?
I know that at least one person said they would use the door skin installation tool sold by Eastwood but they sell two different types. Does anyone have experience with either one ?------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 2951
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 04-01-2004 08:24 PM
My metal man has now done four 67/8 doors and they're great. Two 71/3 doors were more difficult to get straight when reassembling them because of their extra length.
He opens them up with a tool which is basically a bent screwdriver. Let me rephrase that: it IS a bent screwdriver!
I'm curious - you have an oil can in your door??? Is this some slang term I don't know?
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-01-2004 10:18 PM
"Oil-can" is a term used to describe metal that has been stretched so that you can push it in and it pops back out like the bottom of an oil-can. In the world of sheet-metal, it's generally an unwanted feature.------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp
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Tom G
Gearhead Posts: 552
From: Bethlehem, Pa USA
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 04-02-2004 07:48 AM
67/68 doors are now available in Ford Tooling 350 each I happened to find a clean set of coupe doors to replace mine with body man said not to skin them unless bottoms are rust free. ------------------
67 Mustang F/B 302 GT-40X FMS Crate engine T5, cable clutch conversion Flowmasters X Pipe 4.11 9". Clear water Aqua GT Clone 13.39 on 205/70/14 BFG @104 mph 03 Focus ZX3 BORLA exhaust Wings West spoiler (Arrest ME RED)
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whiteknight289
Gearhead Posts: 1000
From: Wheaton, IL, USA
Registered: Mar 2004
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posted 04-02-2004 07:58 AM
From start to finish, which includes clean-up time and any additional filler work, you could easily pay a body man 5 hours to skin a door. In the Chicago area labor rates are around $42/hour. So you've got $210 in labor plus about $100 for the skin itself (which, by the way, is a Taiwan skin). So,$320 invested in an old door that you will still have a little work to do to make the passenger compartment side of the door look nice also. Seems to me that a brand new door on original Ford tooling would be the way to go. Just make sure you're not confusing it with the new Taiwan repro doors that came out this year! ------------------
MCA Certified Judge, 1965-1966
66 GT coupe A code, Silver Frost
65 coupe modified - the White Knight
66 convert being restored
95 GT convertible/Cobra clone - black with white leather
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-02-2004 08:15 AM
I would be doing the re-skinning of the door. I've already done the passenger side inner frame rail, both floor pans and just finished installing both cowl panel patches and re-attaching the cowl so I think I'm ready to tackle the door provided that is the best economical approach. Let me backup a bit. It got this door thinking was a good rustfree door. It is virtually rust free except for a little surface rust inside the door but it does have the dents in the lower corner that are more difficult to get out than I had thought. I guess right now I'm just looking at all my options. 1. Either throw bondo at it and move on. 2. Re-skin the door. 3. Buy a new repro door. If I could get an original Ford tooling door for $350, I'd probably go that route but I think that's the price for the import door.
Right now, I'm still kind of leaning toward re-skinning. Does anyone know for sure if the Ford doors are available new ?------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp
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dhearn
Gearhead Posts: 240
From: Owenton Ky,USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 04-02-2004 03:38 PM
just adding my .02My dad has been a body man for about 45 years and growing up I helped him skin many doors. the way he removes the skin is with a grinder.... he grinds the outer edge of skin where it is folded untill it cuts through being careful not to grind into the lip of the inner structure. after grinding all the way around the skin will lift right off. by using this method you reduce the risk of bending or warping the inner structure. After the skin is removed you will still need to remove the part of the skin that was folded around the inner structure. this fold usually is spotwelded every so often use the grinder flat on this surface to lightly remove the paint and you should be able to identify the spotwelds, they should be slightyly indented thus leaving paint in them after the light grinding. Next use a spotweld cutter (looks like a mini holesaw sold by most tool companies) to cut through the the lip layer ONLY not the inner structure. After all spotwelds are cut gently pry the lip off now whith some careful grinding you will have an undamaged shell
I have done this many times takes a couple of hours but relatively simple. the re-assembly is the tricky part not my cup of tea.....I have watched dad hammer and dolly the fold on the new skin many times and it come out flawless every time but I think if I took a hammer to it it would look like I beat on it with a sledge LOL
I have also watched him use an attachment for an air chisle made for folding the seam and then finishing it with the hammer and dolly. this method is much quicker hope this helps ------------------
1969 MACH 1
THE FEEL AND SOUND OF A FORD V-8 IS ALL THE DRUGS A MAN NEEDS
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lreeder
Gearhead Posts: 112
From: Houston, TX 77090
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 04-02-2004 03:46 PM
I skinned both doors on my 67. I bought the two tools that Eastwood sells. One for removal and one for installation. Don't waste your money on the removal tool. The installation tool works pretty good though.
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-02-2004 05:02 PM
Thank you for all the advice so far. It is greatly appreciated. I think what I'm going to try first is use a slide hammer to bring out the dents. If I'm not happy with it after that, then I'll re-skin it. I don't have all the paint off the door yet but what paint I have removed has revealed other small dents and dings so I'll have to see what I have after the paint is completely removed and the dents pulled out as far as a slide hammer will take them.Thanks again for all the help. ------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp
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Pierre
Gearhead Posts: 541
From: Near Paris, France
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 04-05-2004 09:54 AM
There is a reinforcement bar behind the skin, is that thing glued or welded on the inside of the door skin ?
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-12-2004 03:55 PM
I decided to re-skin the door. I've already got the new skin courtesy of NPD and have removed the old skin which was I was surprised was very easy using the approach outlined above by dhearn. I would also like to second the question Pierre had about how to re-attach the reinforcement bar to the new skin. It looks like it's stapled to sometype of insulator pad/strip which is mostly deteriorated. Has anyone replaced this and what did you use ?Thanks again for all the help. ------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp [This message has been edited by Robert K (edited 04-12-2004).]
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Robert K
Gearhead Posts: 622
From: Nashville, TN
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 05-26-2004 04:54 PM
I finally got around to installing the door skin and it actually came out very good except for the area across the bottom of the door where I let the dolly leave a few very small marks on the skin. I think I'd use a piece of hardwood in the future for a dolly. I used 3M strip caulk for the area between the door support and the doorskin.
Tnanks again for everyone's help.------------------
67convertible 289/auto
65fastback 302/4sp
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