Recreate inner door cards with wood, metal and fabric. No plastic. Possible?

[lawnmowerhombre]

I had this idea and I wonder if anyone has thought of it or if it’s just a dumb idea. I wanted to recreate the ranger inner bronco door cards with zero plastic. So a thin wood for the top, proper houndstooth fabric for the lower, and find a nice billet trim for the surrounds. Is this possible? Seems like the hard part is that billet trim. Has anyone done this already? Thoughts?

 

[Broncobowsher]

Trying to remember exactly what they look like. I never had a nice enough Bronco to have those fancy door cards.

My thoughts. PCBway or sendcutsend. Have an aluminum door card made. But mill out the center to fit the inserts. That would leave the edge to be the trim. Not going to be cheap. This would bomb proof the trim for the surrounds.

To me this would be a project to learn the CNC mill at work. At least the programming part that I am pretty weak at.

 

[Vincen]

Stainless door panels with Marine vinyl and trim ring

 

[lawnmowerhombre]

Yep Ive seen these but I really want to get as close as p[ossible to the stock ones with metal, wood, and cloth. So Ill need a billet version of that moulding that frames everything.

 

[73azbronco]

Yeah it uses a thin sheet of presswod, forget the name of the wood, just trace an old one, then you will need the OEM door clips, both sides unless you will just screw is into the door.

 

[DirtDonk]

What? And miss out on all the peeling and fading and warping of the originals?
That’s too high-tech and highfalutin.

Just kidding. Actually it sounds like a great idea.
I always loved the Ranger interior. By the time you could find many of them in the junkyards, they were already warped from moisture.
Probably best to start from scratch as you are discussing, but you could possibly get the reproduction parchment and black versions, covering it with the houndstooth fabric, and then make the billet surround and use that to screw to the door instead of the clips which can be finicky.

Looking forward to all the examples that people might post up here in this discussion. Those look great Vincen.

 

[lawnmowerhombre]

I was hoping to use one of those CNC metal plain ones Ive seen as a base. I would probably want something that rigid and sturdy for the rear as well because they always looks flimsy and floppy especially where they end in the very back. I know Clayton machine works makes bendable aluminum interior trim but the profile doesn't match.

 

[SeaVee]

I had my upholstery guy replace the original cardboard backing in this Ranger interior. Bet you could do the door panels the same way. The original ones have some type of “texture” under the Houndstooth, don’t know how to replicate that

 

[OGKev]

well if you are handy I think you are good. Just the little cave on the door handle will be a little tough with metals. And for the handle I’ll carve a piece of wood out to it’s shape and wrap it with foam and leather it’ll be easier than the other ways I suppose

 

[ntsqd]

I want to say that I've seen production billet door handle pockets sold by someone.
If not, there's about 100 ways to create that shape. SendCutSend could do it in laminations that are then smoothed with a filler and covered with material, could have it cnc'd by them too. Or by someone else like Xometry or Protolab if you have a 3D model for them to work from.
My plan for when I get to the Wagon's door panels is to have them cut out in aluminum and then have some basic shape added with foam before covering them in material.

 

[lawnmowerhombre]

Yes. I know Nicks Trix made the door handle pockets for sure.