Who has built custom door panels for their dentside? What backing material did you use? I am considering building a pair out of some 1/2" birch plywood with fiberglass details. I am a little worried that the extra weight may be a bit much for the factory hinges.

 

A buddy just brought in his roll back . He does classic car work . It had some diamond plate door panels made from aluminum . Looked good . By the way , he brought it to me for hydrolic work on the bed .

 

Can we get some pictures of these panels on your friends truck?

 

I ain't good with the pic thing . Heck look at my pics . But it is an industrial clean look . Diamond plate brite alum , well done to look similar to the oe panel . He had it laying around , fabbed it up .

 

Search for user crsweet's thread about interior redo. He has awesome door panels he made.

 

I purchased a 77 F100 Flareside a couple months ago. It had no useable interior door panels and I've been driving it without. Yesterday I purchased automotive upholstery panel board from my local upholstery shop to fabricate a temporary door panel, primarily to close up all the openings and to make the interior look (and sound) somewhat better. The panel board is a dense, stiff paper product, 3/32 in. thick, and water resistant. I don't intend to add or mold any 'shapes' to it. It will just be cut out around the interior door handle and a hole for the window crank shaft. I will attach them to the door with plastic panel push pins. I think I can probably fabricate a custom padded armrest and attach it to the finger cup brackets that are bolted to the doors. I will eventually purchase new aftermarket panels and armrests, but I don't want to spend the money on them yet. I also intend to use the upholstery panel to make a new headliner.

IMO 1/2 in plywood is way overkill. You may want to look at some 1/8 in. wood panel. I have seen it at my local big box hardware/lumberyard. I think it is very similiar to the thin wood panels used to skin residential interior doors. I would think you could build up fiberglass shapes on it just as well, without the weight of 1/2 in ply.

Just my 2 cents.

 

My brother made some panels out of Al diamond tread and made maple arm rests.

 

I used some 1/4" composite material. But if you are worried about weight, you can buy ABS plastic sheet. It's pretty cheap. You can heat it with a heat gun and mold it buy pressing different shapes to it. You can also glue pieces of it together.

 

Something like this?? Other pic are not a complete redesign, but a overhaul and here is a different paint scheme idea.

 

similar to your bottom right pic .^^^

 

I am thinking something covered in vinyl. I would want to retain full armrest.

When I have built door panels in the past, I used Masonite as the backing. I like the idea of using a thick ABS plastic.

 

I wonder how those metal panels feel when it's 115 outside...

 

Betcha they remind you that you've done something custom...all the time.

 

Probably leave a kewl burn scar...

 

There was a dude on here like 6mos ago....did custom interior work....can't remember his name but someone will mention him...

Try search....