[tanshi]

so after my lay overs on the weekend, my drivers door is about half of its original thickness. I am considering the options i have for strengthening, so i can keep it looking reasonable. I though about moulding the original door skins in fiberglass, removing the steel skin. adding a box section frame into the door for strength ( removing the winder mechanism) and fixing the fiberglass skin over the top. thus being able to make replacement skins when they are damaged. any one done or seen any thing similar done? will it work. is it a pointless exercise? other options?

[BlueSuzy]

Stop laying it over

Doors are cheap

What car?

[tanshi]

if only doors were cheep or easy to come by.

its an LJ50. the layovers werent intentional trust me.

[JrZook]

3mm steel outer skin? Then you got the weight to deal with also. How bout tube doors with metal skins or something. Save the 50 ones.

[LAY80N]

Our comp truck has some left over cage tube welded inside the door like a side intrusion bar. It doesnt stop the panel damage, but it deffinately helps stop the door buckling in on impacts. I can vouch for this 100% as i may have tested it


Layto....

[tanshi]

scratches and dents arent worrying me too much.

i like the ribs though. i could run flat sheet i suppose.

fiberglass skins would be nice untill i shatter them i suppose.

[ajsr]

the problem is if you put an intrusion bar type setup in the door and bend that then your really screwed.
its probably easier to push a skin back out than a skin and intrusion bar

why not a tube type door with just an outer skin pop rivited on? then you just need to pop a skin on

[tanshi]

not sure of the road legalities of a tube door.

not sure if the regualtions of the class of comp i drive in will allow tube doors

[TZAR]

tanshi wrote:

not sure of the road legalities of a tube door.

not sure if the regualtions of the class of comp i drive in will allow tube doors

they had factory canvas doors. Surely a tube door would be stronger.

fix original. remove for comps. fit super comp doors compete. change drive home

problem solved.

[tanshi]

the rules for one of the comps i drive in say that you can't have cut down doors. I havent confirmed as yet what this means for cars that had canvas or no doors as standard.

[lump_a_charcoal]

i reckon fill it with foam fill, but with a membrane in between the door skin and the foam, so it can be removed if needed.

[2stroker]

TZAR wrote:

tanshi wrote:

not sure of the road legalities of a tube door.

not sure if the regualtions of the class of comp i drive in will allow tube doors

they had factory canvas doors. Surely a tube door would be stronger.

fix original. remove for comps. fit super comp doors compete. change drive home

problem solved.

Yep this is the answer.

You could also make stronger tube frames (copies of original soft door frames in bigger diameter pipe) cover the bottom half with sheet metal and then have a vinyl cover that velcros over it to look stock.