Tale from a first time door panel installer
August 2nd, 2017, 08:59 PM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Posts: 69
Tale from a first time door panel installer
This past weekend, my friend and I tackled replacing the front door panels on my 71 Supreme Convertible. Right off, if you have never done it I highly recommend the Pre-assembled Door Panels which in hindsight, is worth the extra money. OPGI did not have preassembled panels in Pearl for my 71 so I purchased the regular panels. Oh my.
Our Saturday started at 9:00 with the passenger side. We removed the armrests, unplugged the power window and removed the door panel clips with relative ease. Removed the chrome strips easily but then the day went poorly quickly. Getting the chrome window felt weather-strip off the metal top rail was quite the challenge as you have to pry off staples that go through the strip into the metal rail and then remove the strip without bending it. We peeled the vinyl off the metal rail and pretty much had to destroy the cardboard panel from the metal rail which is fastened by numerous metal spikey things (my term). It was then I realized that I had to go purchase some 3M spray adhesive.
Taking the new panel, considerable time was spent cutting numerous holes for the chrome armrest back plates, door handle, power window and pull handle. Have your exacto knife kit handy and extra blades. Besides the challenge of cutting through the cardboard and vinyl the real fun was cutting through the wood grain for the pull handle. Oh and the locations for the 6 clips that you have to transfer from your old panel to the new were not easily identified so I used the old panel as a guide to where they should be cut.
We put the chrome strips back on relatively easy but take your time to make sure they are straight. We ground down the metal spikey things and used the 3M adhesive to reattach the door panel and vinyl. But, reattaching the chrome weatherstrip fishing new staples through the vinyl and old staple holes in the metal rail may result in using bad language.
Attached the pull handle, cut out and attached the chrome lock ferrule and new watershield with some silicone adhesive. Put the panel back in place, screwed in my new armrests (don't forget to cut out for holes in your watershield for the screws), and door pull end caps. Time . . . over 6 hours. One panel. Sunday we did the driver side in about 5 hours. Not sure I would do it again. Still have rear panels and rear armrests to do. Patience was tested. Having a friend to help was essential.
Our Saturday started at 9:00 with the passenger side. We removed the armrests, unplugged the power window and removed the door panel clips with relative ease. Removed the chrome strips easily but then the day went poorly quickly. Getting the chrome window felt weather-strip off the metal top rail was quite the challenge as you have to pry off staples that go through the strip into the metal rail and then remove the strip without bending it. We peeled the vinyl off the metal rail and pretty much had to destroy the cardboard panel from the metal rail which is fastened by numerous metal spikey things (my term). It was then I realized that I had to go purchase some 3M spray adhesive.
Taking the new panel, considerable time was spent cutting numerous holes for the chrome armrest back plates, door handle, power window and pull handle. Have your exacto knife kit handy and extra blades. Besides the challenge of cutting through the cardboard and vinyl the real fun was cutting through the wood grain for the pull handle. Oh and the locations for the 6 clips that you have to transfer from your old panel to the new were not easily identified so I used the old panel as a guide to where they should be cut.
We put the chrome strips back on relatively easy but take your time to make sure they are straight. We ground down the metal spikey things and used the 3M adhesive to reattach the door panel and vinyl. But, reattaching the chrome weatherstrip fishing new staples through the vinyl and old staple holes in the metal rail may result in using bad language.
Attached the pull handle, cut out and attached the chrome lock ferrule and new watershield with some silicone adhesive. Put the panel back in place, screwed in my new armrests (don't forget to cut out for holes in your watershield for the screws), and door pull end caps. Time . . . over 6 hours. One panel. Sunday we did the driver side in about 5 hours. Not sure I would do it again. Still have rear panels and rear armrests to do. Patience was tested. Having a friend to help was essential.
August 5th, 2017, 04:53 PM
#3
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
This is why pre-assembled are better, even though they cost more.
The pre-assembled panels have knock outs in the back of the panel for the door rests and reflector in the door carpet. Other than that, you're on your own for things like PW, PDL and remote left mirror
The pre-assembled panels have knock outs in the back of the panel for the door rests and reflector in the door carpet. Other than that, you're on your own for things like PW, PDL and remote left mirror
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