Need help constructing fiberglass door panels

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

ok so i have a 1988 gmc jimmy that im trying to bring back to life, i spent the last 3 days rewiring the 21 year old mess. i looked at the door panels and they were just trashed! awful and non repairable, so i ripped them off

now i need to know how to make some panels for them. its just the bare metal on the door and have no idea where to start.

ANY help would be awesome, and pics with ideas would help as well. either way post up and help me out.

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[dappa5 10+ year member]

do you still have the old panels?

 

[tc3k101 5,000+ posts]

make a mock up from old panels and go frmo there or glass over the old panels....

 

[dappa5 10+ year member]

^^^yup you'll need old panels or junk yard replacements

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

well the other ones were crusty and falling apart so i thought it would be bad to do that and them crust away lol. i got some other advise from a fellow competitor i roll with to use cardboard and make the mock panel from that then use mdf, like 3/8 or somthing for the panel. what is the pros and cons of that way?

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

pro- you can make it pretty much what ever your little heart desires.

con- it takes an arse ton more time to get the fitment and everything just right.

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[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

well i decided to go with mdf door panels and custom mdf speaker pod at the bottom. got the cardboard mock cutout and gonna go today to home depot and get the wood. another question is how thick should the mdf be? is 3/8 thick enough?

 

[tylork92 10+ year member]

3/8 should be fine...however it might be better for you to go to the junk yard to and get a set of panels and customize them unless its just a flat piece neways....post pics of the doors.

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

3/8 should be fine...however it might be better for you to go to the junk yard to and get a set of panels and customize them unless its just a flat piece neways....post pics of the doors.

yea i looked and apparently not even 8 (yes 8) of the local junkyards have anything close to a nice door panel worth reviving for my 21 year old jimmy lol. yea the mdf will be flat peice. then FG in the speaker pods, then cover with vynil. i have been taking pics of this project so far, i have the pics but will probly do a build log in a couple days or so.

 

[tylork92 10+ year member]

yea i looked and apparently not even 8 (yes 8) of the local junkyards have anything close to a nice door panel worth reviving for my 21 year old jimmy lol. yea the mdf will be flat peice. then FG in the speaker pods, then cover with vynil. i have been taking pics of this project so far, i have the pics but will probly do a build log in a couple days or so.

yea sounds good...you gonna make a armrest somehow?

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

yea i will make one for both sides. probly just 2 little triangles that hold up a 3 inch by 12 inch peice wrapped with some pollyfill forcomfort or somthing

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

got the door panel cut out today. put it on the door and it fits its just kinda a weird fit. it wobbles on the door and doesnt go flat. any suggestions? also where do i go from here? do i make little trim peices for the whole panel? kinda stuck for right now.

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

maybe i could clamp the top and bottom of the 3/8 plywood to make it bend a little and then resin it a couple times before releasing the clamps, thus holding a curved peice of resined plywood???

let me know if this is epic failure waiting to happen. i really need some suggestions

 

[Nut Hair Trick 10+ year member]

maybe i could clamp the top and bottom of the 3/8 plywood to make it bend a little and then resin it a couple times before releasing the clamps, thus holding a curved peice of resined plywood???
let me know if this is epic failure waiting to happen. i really need some suggestions

Let me just say that I'm still new to glassing and working with wood. But, an image popped into my head when you mentioned clamping the wood and then resining. Have you ever seen people make like kerf cuts for ports? You might could do something similar, clamp, then resin so it takes the shape of the door. Just a thought I figured I would throw out there. May work, might not. Good Luck.

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

pics?