DOOR:
Like several other members of the list I take a auto body restoration class
at the local community college. It's nice to have access to their shop and
expertise. My current project is a door. Like many of our trucks of this
vintage to inner door bottom was being held intact by the rust scale
captured by the gasket. Clearly a repair was in order. I purchased the inner
door bottom patch panels from Chevy Duty (great service as others have
noted). An aside to anyone contemplating this repair, the patch panels are
18 gauge steel and are bent on a brake. The door panel is formed on a
radius. Two notes. First the patch panel must be "finessed" on the ends to
conform with the radius. Second, make your own panels on a brake. I realized
just how easy it would have been after I purchased mine.
Removal of the bad metal is a bear. Lots of spot welds where the door skin
folds over the bottom. After everything was cleaned up I decided to go
modern on the repair and use a combination of gluing (top and bottom) and
welding (both ends). The top glue joint was prepared by offsetting the door
panel so I could recess the patch. The door skin, which was very ragged, was
prepared by bead blasting.
The assembly process consisted of dry fitting and drilling holes for 7 pop
rivets to hold the patch in place while the glue set (45 minute working
time, 6 hour set), spreading glue on the two joints, installing the pop
rivets and dollying the door skin over the capture the patch panel. The glue
on the door skin served to both hold the joint and to fill in between the
ragged metal.
After the glue set up the patch panel edges were welded and finished.
The process was not without it's lessons learned. The patch was heated with
and oxy-acet torch to hammer into a radius. Both ends should be tacked first
to firm up the joint. It makes the metal forming go easier. The rivets
should not be ground off until the welding is finished. They provide a
little extra strength should there be a screw up like I did. When I was
forming the first end I wasn't paying attention to where the flame was and I
burned the adhesive. Since I had already removed the rivets the end of the
patch popped up. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. I clamped it
into place and completed the welding. Should still be plenty strong. The
other end went without a hitch.
Finished it up with a skim coat of filler. Looks great and I didn't have 30
inches of weld seam to straighten.
WINDOW REVEAL:
This is more of a question. Although I am no where near ready for
interior work I am giving it some thought. I got a great price on some white
naugahyde and I was going to take a crack at covering the inner window
reveal. I'm looking for insight from anyone who may have done this.
Specifically, in regard to the window "whiskers". Will there be sufficient
clearance for the window with the "whiskers" installed on the reveal over
naugahyde?
Tks in advance.
John Jenicek
51 5-Window
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