Now the time came for one of the tougher portions of the project.....the doors! For numerous reasons and after much contemplation I decided it was best to build new door basically from scratch (maybe used 5% or original door in parts)
The reasons for this choice:
~The door shells were rusted and patched
~The door had been cut up quite a bit for the previous suicide hinge install
~I had to lengthen the doors on the bottom to account for not having the running boards anymore.
~The top chop hadn't done much good to the inner and outer door tops.
~The exterior skins weren't terrible, but did have some patches, shaved handles, and damage.
Besides the lower interior window opening / belt line. These are only remaining items I salvaged from the original door.
I thought I had more "in progress" pictures of the door shells, but this is all I see on my computer.
Here I've already fabricated the front, bottom and rear portion of the door shell and have the hinges installed and tacked checking for proper door operations.
View with the door open (top window opening skin is temporarily in place)
View of the interior side of the door shell.
Once I had the door shell roughed out I moved onto forming a "C" channel for the window. I created a buck (Just some MDF of the correct thickness) and made a matching set of window channels. Driver side and passenger side)
Here I've installed the "C" channel and have mounted the electric window setup as well as the door latch and solenoid "popper"
A view of the passenger side at the same point, however here the mock up window is in the up position.
I could then start shaping the upper door shell around the window channel.
I also fit a flat inner door panel for now....waiting to trim any openings or ribs, etc. until I knew exactly where I would need access eventually
The exterior door top pieces were reshaped, and added to where needed. I did add new material around the top perimeter and tipped it over 90 deg. so I could hem it to the door shell when ready.
In the process of folding the hem over onto the door shell flange
Finished hem
Door top basically finished inside and out.
NOTE: I do not have the upper cab door jamb installed in this picture, thus the gaps around the door top (that's a story for another post later)
During the process I had my mock up window (correct thickness) so I could fit all the window run rubber and also made and fit the inner and outer door sweep "fuzz" so I could shape and locate the inner and outer door skins properly.