Door Skins

[rfh11]

Just purchased drivers side door skin from Dennis Carpenter. Appears to be very good at this point. Any tricks to installing? Did a search on previous threads but wasn't what I was looking for. Any help would be appreciated. I can have it installed for $75.00. Seems fair? But thought I might give it a try.


Thanks,
Randy

Also, thanks for all the response on engine compartment photos. A lot of help.

 

[broncow72]

Have it installed. I am working on doing 2 skins right now and am thinking it would have been worth it to have it done (if my guy wasn't busy working on coachbarnes' rig). It isn't as easy as it looks.

Look at it this way... what is your time worth? It will take you all day to do it (assuming you have never done one before) and it still won't be done right.

 

[NicksTrix]

to get the skin off, you use a grinder on the side edges and thin them off.
this will allow you to disect the panel off. there is an actual tool to use that helps fold the flange lipover. you start it over with hammer and dolly, being careful to not dent the outside.
i'd treat the inside of the door with a rust product like Ospho and seam seal everything inside and out when done. might want to think about blasting the inside of the door while it's open. i like to coat the inside of the doors after seam sealed with a undercoat. this helps protect it and deaden sound. if you are going all out, you could use some sound mat in there.
not an easy job if not handy in those types of skills or equipted to do so. i'm sure you could find another body shop to handle it easy enough if you look around. be sure to have the doors stripped and off. making it easy for them and it's easier to find someone to deal with it. 75 sounds like a very fair price per.
hth
nick

 

[rfh11]

door skins

Thanks for the reply. You have to admit your limitations. I will have the skin installed by a body shop.


Thanks,
Rfh11

 

[NicksTrix]

as Dirty Harry said: "a man's got to know his limitations".
randy, glad you found a combination that will work best for you with your doors. nice meeting you the other week.
take care
nick

 

[2badrotties]

Ooooo, I love doorskins ;D . Man, just because a body shop does it doesn't mean shit. I work with guys who have been bodymen for twenty years and still can't do a door skin right. Old cars are not as easy as new cars / trucks either. In the old days parts were not really close from one to the next. You can put that skin on in EXACTLY the samer place as the old one and you may never be able to close the door again. New cars are pretty exact from one to the next. A door skin doesn't fit the door shell exact, it will move around. UP , DOWN, SIDE TO SIDE, etc. you would be very surprised to see just how shitty a door fits if the skin is put on 1/16 of an inch one way or the other. Most guys would test fit a door on a older vehicle before they finish hammering the skin down tight and welding it. The bodyline just below the doorhandle and the bolt hole for the handle help quite a bit on a Bronco skin.

$75 is a very fair price considering it is about an hours work. Do yourself a favor , know first hand the type of work your bodyshop does before you pay someone else to do it over. Not trying to scare you just giving some advice.

Good luck with your project

 

[NicksTrix]

andy, good advice from a pro, glad you chimed in.

 

[michael welch]

I think that before you start a door skin job, you should first be sure your hinges are new or rebuild and the body mounts are new and shimed so your door gaps are correct or after all your door skin work is done,you start replacing these parts and you will find that you installed the new skin out of square to the opening. I think that if you have a grinder and a welder and a few basic body tools it should be a easy job. And as said earlier sand blast all parts when a part,use a weldable primer and seal all stuff.

 

[rfh11]

door skins

I have to agree with all of what Andy stated. The only advantage I have is the body shop that is doing the work is where my son in law works. I know that doesn't mean much as far as the quality of work they perform. I am counting on the living hell my son in law would have to go through by recommending someone and the job being botched. I was kinda looking for the experience of putting on the skin. No great loss, I have plenty of other things to do. I will try and get some pictures up on the progress.

Nick,
It was nice to meet you. Good luck with your projects.


Randy

 

[DBrown]

if someone would want to do a write up on this it would probably be a good eye opener as to what is involved. I would think as long are you measured everything and took your time you could get it straight. I am going to have to do this here in the next few months because my passenger side door is shot at the bottom.