Making Door Panels and tail lenses

[grezm0nkey]

I took the time last week to tear apart my passenger door panel last week. Water had got in from the window seals, which are shot, and pretty much distroyed the cardboard like material in the panel. So I took it apart to see if I could at least salvage the core and use it as a template, also to see if any damage was made in the doors itself. The core fell apart regardless.

I took a sheet of clear plexi and made my own template. All the cut outs for the levels and knobs are made. Its ready for transfer, but......I am not an interior guy and have no idea what that core material is. I dont feel like using the same stuff, or should I say a paper product like a compressed board or something similar. I had an idea to make it from aluminum, but the staples that hold the covering wont staple thru. Not sure if contact cement alone will hold for the long run. Aluminum would last long enough. I think I will try it just to see.

Any one have suggestions or ideas. Is there an interior guy in this forum?

Tail light lenses, mine are pretty much cracked. Im sure there a few of us out there looking for these damn things and have a hard time or not enough hard cash for these things. The cracks havent made a hole or opening in the plastic yet, but Im sure it will break thru one of these days. I dont have replacements yet, but I am researching to make reproductions of them.

A couple of problems arise before I even start. One, I havent taken apart the tail light yet. I have a cracked spare I bought on ebay to make a cast from, but I am not sure if the lens and the chrome frame comes apart. I mean its put together, so it must come apart. Unless the plastic was cast in the frame when made, anyone know for a fact?

Second, I dont know if anyone has experience with casting and molding. Once I make my mold and cast. It needs to cure in a 150 degree oven. Not sure if I can find an oven that size for 2 baking lenses, and adjustable for temp at 150.

I have this weekend coming up to experiment with the panel material. I guess I'll let You all know. Thanks in advance for any ideas and info on either. Cheers.

grez

[cth350]

The raw door panel material should be available. Even if you stoop to using masonite; available in 4x8 sheets at Home Depot.

What chassis car are you talking about BTW? The tail lights for a W100 (the 600 limo) are a few hundred each. All the other cars I've seen are in the "under 100$" catagory. Though the 111 coupe is pretty close to that followed by the 111 sedan. They are available. -CTH

[Strife]

I think that the replacement material _is_ actually "Masonite" or "beaverboard".

[grezm0nkey]

i had the template transfered to a sheet of 2024 alum, works great. i havent put the covering on it yet, but the panel fits nice. i have a foam padding on the back side so it doesnt rattle against the metal door. all the knobs and handles are on for a trial fit. looks good. next weekend i will pull it off again and cover it. i did find that compressed board at home depot, but decided against it just because i really dont want to redo it all over again. one shot one kill.

the car is a w111.021 67 250se coupe. the lens i have on the car are all red with a clear back up lens in top center. i tried to pull out the lens from my spare lens assembly, but it doesnt seem to want to come out. it seems to be glued around the edges. looks like it was placed in the chrome bezel from the back side and glued. i want to scrap under the plastic and work the lens loose, but i wont try that till i get the door panel done. i hate to start more than one project and not finish any.

thanks

grez

[300SDog]

On the lights - have you tried gently heating the chrome with propane torch to loosen the glue? Or maybe soaking the entire lense unit in hot water would help.

[grezm0nkey]

i will try the torch, but hot water....i not sure about that. maybe some solvent of some kind for glue removal.

grez

[leenart]

The tail light lens's are actually a one piece unit. I have been wondering how you are going to do this. There is no glue used. I am not sure how the unit was manufactured and I don't know of anyone who has been successful in taking one off. Using a propane torch to heat up the glue will only melt the plastic and burn the foam insulation.
This has been one of the few manufactured parts that I have not been able to reverse engineer. Its assembly has stumped me, but I will be waiting to see if you can solve this
Leonard

[patmccusker]

Here is a link to an artical on DIY-Net when Mark Lambert made new tail lenses for a 38 packard. http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ab_auto_restoration/article/0,2021,DIY_13680_3494404,00.html

[grezm0nkey]

can i sell u one if i do make one?....lol

grez

[Kevin Johnson]

Hi Grez,

Back when I had an Opel GT I sent my door panels out to be redone. The owner of the shop had some problems with the net result being that my panels were lost.

In resolving this I talked to Gil at Opel GT parts and he mentioned that he was going to use some sort of stiff circuit board material as a backing for some repro items. Just a thought.

I have used Masonite in the rear engine compartment of a 1960 Renault Floride. There are a number of panels there that guide air from side scoops to the mid-ship radiator. Pretty tough environment and the Masonite held up well. Door panel use would be a walk in the park for it.

Per the oven, I am thinking that if you used a good cooking thermometer sitting with the dial facing the window of a home oven you could probably find an area in the travel of the temperature rheostat that would yield 150 degrees F. It might take a while of fiddling around and flying under the radar lest your spouse finds out your intentions. Different rack levels in the oven might yield useful incremental variations as well.

Originally Posted by grezm0nkey

I took the time last week to tear apart my passenger door panel last week. Water had got in from the window seals, which are shot, and pretty much distroyed the cardboard like material in the panel. So I took it apart to see if I could at least salvage the core and use it as a template, also to see if any damage was made in the doors itself. The core fell apart regardless.

I took a sheet of clear plexi and made my own template. All the cut outs for the levels and knobs are made. Its ready for transfer, but......I am not an interior guy and have no idea what that core material is. I dont feel like using the same stuff, or should I say a paper product like a compressed board or something similar. I had an idea to make it from aluminum, but the staples that hold the covering wont staple thru. Not sure if contact cement alone will hold for the long run. Aluminum would last long enough. I think I will try it just to see.

Any one have suggestions or ideas. Is there an interior guy in this forum?

Tail light lenses, mine are pretty much cracked. Im sure there a few of us out there looking for these damn things and have a hard time or not enough hard cash for these things. The cracks havent made a hole or opening in the plastic yet, but Im sure it will break thru one of these days. I dont have replacements yet, but I am researching to make reproductions of them.

A couple of problems arise before I even start. One, I havent taken apart the tail light yet. I have a cracked spare I bought on ebay to make a cast from, but I am not sure if the lens and the chrome frame comes apart. I mean its put together, so it must come apart. Unless the plastic was cast in the frame when made, anyone know for a fact?

Second, I dont know if anyone has experience with casting and molding. Once I make my mold and cast. It needs to cure in a 150 degree oven. Not sure if I can find an oven that size for 2 baking lenses, and adjustable for temp at 150.

I have this weekend coming up to experiment with the panel material. I guess I'll let You all know. Thanks in advance for any ideas and info on either. Cheers.

grez