Here are the problem areas, I have two extra door tops to cut the pieces from. I am debating on un-skinning them to clean the rust from within the door and under the seams as well. Thought it would make the patch work easier and cleaner as well.


Those pics show how rusty the inners are and the rot areas.

 

In a word ...... No

 

Nope. Clean the areas, use a rust treatment product (converter, encapsulator, or similar), paint and use. Your grand-kids can worry about a more involved fix in 40 or 50 years.

 

Unless you are into self inflicted pain, I would agree with the last two posts. that stuff looks like a walk in the park compared to what others are dealing with.

 

Those are just a few spots......... There are places there aren't even flaps left on the back of the skins.

 

If you do not open it up, reach inside to feel the surface and size of pits and rust after cleaning it all out completely. Pay close attention to the corners.

 

I know there are perfect rust free doors, cabs, fenders, you name it but for some of us it's just cheaper to repair if time is not an issue. I've had to lift the wrap over and replace rusted metal on my doors. Took a bit of time but satisfying when done. I also replaced the roof section in the drip rails on the cab I'm working on now and should be putting it in primer next week.

 

This is some of the work I did to the passenger door of my 56 pickup, also did down the front of the door under the weatherstripping and lower inner and outer patch panels.

 

I wouldn't remove the entire door skin, if that's what you are asking. It would be nearly impossible without ruining it. Cut away rusted areas of the flange if needed, repair the inner, then repair the flange. At least that's how I do it....like John's pics above.

 

John,

What does the final product look like?

I guess I am trying to decide where to draw the line. These doors look like the one in the post above, bottoms were gone, and have the exact cancer you replaced. The were blasted previously, and as with blasting there are several places it ate up the rot on the skin flaps. They look like swiss cheese on the back of my door.

Do you leave them alone, paint over? Filler to clean them up? Or cut it out and replace it.

I haven't been to enough "shows" to see what other guys do. Of the shows I have been to it is all or nothing. Seems like they are either show trucks, or amateur work that look like crap........

 

 

If the roll over is really rotted away I'd cut that section out and weld a strip of metal in it's place but if it's only slightly pitted the primer should fill those up. Those doors you show look pretty good to me.