Car Craft Magazine Homepage Car Craft
Get Adobe Flash player

Firebird Door Skin - Reskin Your Door

With A Welder, A Couple Of Handtools, And A Fresh New Panel, You Too Can Reskin Your Door.
By Josh Anderson
Photography by Josh Anderson
Firebird Door Skin
We began by removing the interior... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
We began by removing the interior parts from the door, including the handle, window crank, armrest, and the door panel itself. This allows access to the inside of the door where you can remove the window glass, lock, and handle.
Firebird Door Skin
A track assembly retains the... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
A track assembly retains the window glass. Remove the two window stops, then unscrew the flange from the track at the bottom. The glass (with the flange still attached) can now be removed.
Firebird Door Skin
Pulling door-hinge bolts can... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
Pulling door-hinge bolts can be impossible with conventional box-end wrenches and ratchets. You can purchase a set of S-shaped wrenches from your local auto parts store for $10-$20. Now's a great time to rebuild or replace bad hinges. Both Goodmark and Rick's First Generation offer replacement and rebuild components.
Firebird Door Skin
The doorskin comes off next.... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
The doorskin comes off next. Remove the flanges on the sides and bottom of the door using an electric angle grinder or an air-powered rotary sander/die grinder.
Firebird Door Skin
Grind with a back and forth... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
Grind with a back and forth motion until you see a separation between the skin and the door flange. Eventually some areas will start to pop up and the skin will separate from the frame.
Firebird Door Skin
Now remove the concealed spot-weld... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
Now remove the concealed spot-weld on the inside of the door near the latch assembly with a metal chisel or a drill. You might have to also remove the spot-welded braces at the top of the door using a flat cutoff wheel or the edge of your grinder. Cut the outermost skin side of the braces to allow the most material to work with when you attach the new skin.
Firebird Door Skin
With the old doorskin shed,... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
With the old doorskin shed, inspect the frame for rust. A wire wheel and a good rust-adhering coating like POR-15 and some paint works well for repairs. Now remove the remaining flange strips. You can break the spot welds with a metal chisel. If you run into a stubborn weld, you can drill it out. Be careful not to distort the perimeter of the doorframe, which will make finishing the doorskin tough.
Firebird Door Skin
Place the new doorskin on... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
Place the new doorskin on a clean shop blanket and inspect it for damage. Most mail-order companies will not take something back once you've signed for it.
Firebird Door Skin
Center the skin over the doorframe... 
   
  read full caption
Firebird Door Skin
Center the skin over the doorframe and begin folding the new flange around it by using a hammer and dolly. It helps to pad the dolly or to use one made of rubber. Start in the center of each side and work toward the outside in each direction. Don't hammer the flange flat in one pass. Instead, gradually flatten the flange with three or four passes.

1  | 2  | Next

Discuss in Our Forums
Chevy Corvette Research
Chevy Corvette Explore the world with a new Chevy Corvette. Compare the Corvette with other submodels and find all you need for your car buying needs. It has had 0 vehicle recalls, which can give you an idea about its reliability.

Related Photos

Related Articles
 
Turbo Pontiac 400 Build - Ludicrous Pontiac Power
We build a 489ci turbocharged Pontiac 400 that still breathes through a Quadrajet... more
 
1962 Pontiac Tempest LeMans - Junkyard Crawl
Magneto's got the 411 on the Corvair-derived '62 Tempest LeMans... more
 
1965 Pontiac GTO - Twisted Thinking?
Don't underestimate Ed Allen's sedate looking '65 GTO. It packs a 660hp punch.... more
 
1964 Pontiac GTO Project - Horsepower!
Check out one suspension guy's take on Poncho power.... more