Cab Door Repairs - so many questions

Hi all,

I have recently acquired a couple of pretty poorly '72 cab doors. My plan is to get them ship-shape, obviously, but as a complete novice without so much as a welding mask to my name, what would be the best way of going about it? Has anyone had just the doors restored by a professional before, and if so, what would be a reasonable price for this?

Should I take my first steps into the welding abyss with these doors?

Should I get them shot-blasted to see the true horror? Or should I just get rid and find some more solid ones? I hesitate as they're so expensive these days.

P.s I don't have the glass - I'll worry about that later!

P.p.s or the mirrors or cards or anything

P.p.p.s they're basically the rusty shells of doors.

P.p.p.p.s sorry about all the p.s nonsense above.


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Put up some pppppics pppplease

 

I repaired some doors, some of the shapes were tricky to make but it was way cheaper then buying new ones.

But then I got a great deal on some imports and someone wanted to buy mine so I got the imports for barely anything

Got some pics somewhere in my thread. Link below

 

As a first step, I'd attack them with a wire brush in a grinder. Then at least you'll know what the damage is.

 

I they are that bad, and you cant do the work your self, by the time you have paid someone to weld them up & shot blast them your probably half way to buying a good set of doors ....plus after all that work can you be sure they will still fit on your van?

 

I'll probably do that. Might just be left with a handle!

 

Doors are something that has to be right .i bought imports ...

 

I can't be sure of anything! You make a good point though. Maybe I should get rid and find some good ones.

 

If you let someone else repair, they may end up the wrong shape (twisted). They have to be mm perfect. Another vote for unrepaired unless it's dents.

 

Always a depressing experience, but has to be done

 

take your time make sure you run a few beads of tiger bond or seam sealer up the inner supports to stick the skins

 

If you do go for repairing, keep fitting them several times to check the fit against the van
- don't wait till they're shinny sprayed up before they have their first fitting.

 

there are some re-skinned ones for sale for £125 the pair in classifieds

http://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/cab-doors.65945/

 

Thanks to all of you for your help, still not sure what I'm going to do, but at least I can make an informed decision now!

 

Alan Schofields do a door skin for £65
and part of the bottom edge for £18...
that may repair most of it..

 

Have a read around pages 10/11 of this thread for a great idea of what's involved in reskining a door
http://www.thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/womballs-74-project-daisy.19502/

 

Have a look at the book "How to restore Volkswagen Bus" by Mark Paxton ISBN 978-1-845840-93-8
He does doors and other parts of a seriously manky bus.
Not a cheap book £37.50 for 264 colour page A4 paper back but good info.
Peanuts in the big scheme of restoring a bus. Cheaper han the inner sill panel for example or about 120 miles of driving it...

 

I'd probably pay that in oil per mile in mine if past evidence is anything to go by! I might check that book out, sounds useful. Thanks.

 

Check your library, I had that book on permanent loan for about a year

 

I repaired my driver's door. It took ages, but it came out okay in the end. Looking back, I wish that I had taken more measurements etc. before cutting out the rot. Now I'm onto the passenger door. The replacement skin and bottom edge repair were a Godsend.