Repairing doors skins - possible?

[Jono]

With all the talk about ill fitting replacement skins, and the love of a challenge/learning experience, is there any reason why a door skin cannot be repaired insitu?

This particular door is good for it's age and I have been able to straight cut the bottom of the skin back to fresh sound metal with slitting disc. The lower flange is pitted but not rotted through and so is there any reason why it cannot be kept and given the Jenolite treatment, zinc primer, then seam sealer before folding the skin repair section over?

My plan is to plug weld a backing strip to the reverse of the existing door skin and offer up a new section of sheet metal then scribe the lower flange profile on the reverse before carefully pre-folding it. The new section would then be carefully tacked along the meeting face and then seam welded. The obvious risk is warpage but I am assuming, with appropriate care, and cooling, I can eliminate this?

The areas around the hinges are pitted but not rusted through and the metal appears quite sound - could this be treated and lightly skimmed with filler stopper without a risk of it coming back through the new paint? It has rusted from the outside face.

Shoot me down in flames if this is a non starter but the rest of the skin is very sound and it seems a shame to replace it all when the damage is localised.

Economics are not really a factor here - this is a father son project and a new learning experience (a Mk1 at the age of 13 - lucky boy!)

Thoughts/comments/critique most welcome

Jon

[rich@minispares.com]

ive had doors that have had the bottoms done like this before, and the problem is (as you have identified) is stopping the skin warping

it doesn't help that as the pocket is in the way you cannot easily get in to hammer is all back again.

all the doors I have had have had either lead, or filler in them to disguise the join and its warping


I suppose a skilled metal worker would have a better chance than most

[dklawson]

Since you have already started and don't have anything to lose but some time and effort... I say go ahead.

You might have a bit more luck TIG welding the joint to minimize the heat input. You can also stiffen the repair a bit by making an offset jog in the filler panel using a panel flanger. Do a series of very short tacks to stitch it all together (waiting and cooling between tacks to minimize warping).

The linked picture is for a hand panel flanger and short piece of formed panel. (not mine).
http://s200.photobucket.com/user/Basics ... 6.jpg.html

[GraemeC]

I believe the Frost supplied 'Cold Front' is excellent stuff to minimise heat distortion.

[mikep]

OK this may shock some but I have done this many times and I glue the panel! Yep that's right and why not there is no structure to it. They used to make repair strips for this and I would used a flange roller to step the repair section and then line to all up to check the fit. I would then dress the lips to make 90% of the fold over the door bottom and then drill some holes for rivets along the panel joins. When satisfied it all lines up clean all back to bare metal, mix up some araldite and cover all the seams and the joint , rivet in place and finish the fold properly. When cured grind out the rivets rebate slightly and fill along with skim coat to cover join. The longest I knew of a repair lasting was 10 years and that was when the car was sold and the repair was as good as ever. I learned this from having an old 1100 which had a paper thin front panel that needed a patch I glued one on and it lasted longer than the car which being an 1100 wasn't that long but the idea was there and I still use it when necessary but obviously never on structural parts.

[Daz1968]

As a learning experience you have nothing to lose at all, I would use bilt hamber gel though rather than jenolite for any repairs, with a joggle joint it should be ok if careful, I did my rear quarter bottom section in similar fashion, only thing I will add is you need to be careful when welding and do small tacks in different places, you could even bolt a piece of copper on the inside then remove when finished and plug weld the holes up, a flattened 22mm pipe may offer enough heat removal.
It's all about learning, if it doesn't work then you will need a new skin but if you don't try will get one anyway, so only time wasted.

[Jono]

Some great suggestion here, many thanks

The gluing suggestion is a great one - why not indeed!?

I'm going to purchase a joggler and have a play. If I bond it, perhaps Tigerseal would be a good material as it has some resilience??

What about soldering the joint (to bond, not fill)?

Cheers

Jon

[java gt]

I have done this to doors as well and to minimise heat distortion I used to hold a lump of solid steel to the back of the skin wrapped in a damp cloth.Small bursts of weld and never had a bendy door skin.

[Nick W]

the door skin will warp to some degree if welded ,so bonding it a good repair ,we use 3m 08115 for bonding panel on ford transit side panels were the welds cant be done ,
once we got one back for another panel fitting ,and the bond was so strong we had to trim the panel back to remove it ,only down side is its £50 a pop

[dklawson]

Solder would be good if you are comfortable tinning large areas.

As for glue, do not experiment with different epoxies and such. There are adhesives specifically designed as panel bonders. Google for "automotive panel adhesive" and you will find several products.

EDIT: Nick and I appear to have been typing at the same time. I was specifically thinking of the 3M product shown in his picture.

[mikep]

Solder would be good if you are comfortable tinning large areas.

As for glue, do not experiment with different epoxies and such. There are adhesives specifically designed as panel bonders. Google for "automotive panel adhesive" and you will find several products.

EDIT: Nick and I appear to have been typing at the same time. I was specifically thinking of the 3M product shown in his picture.

Glad to know that the trade is keeping up with my technological advances!!!!! Not much about that way in the sixties though so araldite or evostik then.

[gs.davies]

I'm no welder but I can't see this being any different to letting in a lower quarter repair patch. Or is it?

[Nick W]

I'm no welder but I can't see this being any different to letting in a lower quarter repair patch. Or is it?

Its no different , but both those areas can catch you out with warping ,if they are welded it takes yonks letting each of the 100s of tacks cool down