does anyone know what i have to do with my door panels there kinda sun dried. is there anything i can do is the question i guess.im new on here and to restoring so any suggestions on restoring my 73 delta would really help.

 

Kinda tough to give you a useful answer without photos. Sorry. SMS does make repro door panels for cars you wouldn't think they did (like my 62 F-85).

 

If they are just faded, but otherwise in good shape, then redying / painting could be done, providing that surface is prepped very well.

 

well there shape is good only there dry rotted some so it scrapes off real easy.but even with the little scrapes that are on them i would be happy to paint or whatever as long as it comes out good.have you ever done this before? ive never painted material like this before i think its plastic.how would i prep it? the top halves im ok with just all the plastic.

 

I painted plastic B pillar covers that were made from the same material. After years and years they get flaky and show scratches and dings real well. I sanded the B pillar covers with 220 grit sand paper until they were smooth. Then I cleaned them with denatured alcohol and sprayed them with Krylon fusion paint. It worked great!

 

I heard of some of the Ford guys redoing their flaking panels that way also - came out great they said, although some of the original grain pattern will be lost.

 

thanks everyone im gonna try it.i'll let ya see how it goes..

 

Word to the wise- the white and color interior plastics tend to dryrot and flake worse than black ones do.

The upper section is vinyl and can be scrubbed clean and then dyed. It is specific to the Delta Royale convertible and 2-door hardtop.

The lower section is moulded plastic and can come from any 1971-76 GM B body 2-door hardtop or convertible. Impala/Caprice, Delta, Catalina/Bonneville, LeSabre. Possibly C-body but the doors may be a tad longer.

Seems I read these were being reproduced? It would be a good business opportunity for someone willing to take it on.

 

I had a '75 Delta 88 convertible that also had a white interior, and the doors were much like yours in spots. From those three photos you posted, I think a lot of what you're looking at is just dirt. Have you given the door panels a REAL scrubbing with soap and water, and perhaps a stiff scrub brush? You might be surprised at how much better they can look when you clean off 37 years of grime.

 

well mostly what im worried about is the dryrot of the bottom portions and corners of the rear.the top portions do clean up good.although i have some rips in the driverside.so those will have to need new material.and as far as reproductions. man i cant find anything on this car i guess cuz its not like a muscle car or whatever.if anyone knows anything about where to get repro or any parts let me know thanks. yall are great just so ya know

 

Get used to it! Nothing is reproduced, body and trim-wise, for these cars. Your sources are going to be good used parts from junkyards.

 

Fusicks reproduces some items (fender badges, plastic bumper fillers, etc.)

 

Yes, they do have very small amounts of items like this for the big cars, but nothing in the way of fenders, bumpers, door panels, floor pans, seats, moldings, 88/98/Delta/Delmont, etc. scripts, which are what would really help the restorer of the full-size cars. I'm sure these would be reproduced if there were a large-enough market for them, but the fact that they're not tells you something.

Someone who has looked only at Fusick's full-size Olds catalog would think he was on another planet if he picked up the Cutlass catalog and flipped through it. The latest Fusick catalog for the full-size cars (#20BC) is 39 pages long. The latest Cutlass catalog is 91 pages.