Gorilla tape where? Just like all over on the back side? Huh, never thought of that...

 

I have used https://www.plastex.net/ on my door panels for cracks.
At the time I did not have any of the clip holders bad when I first installed the panels.
I had to pull them to adjust something and broke a few but they were old panels I wanted to install for now till I get the new ones so I did not try to fix them

I have also used Plastex to repair a dash bezel on a car you can not get them for.
I had to make the lip the screw go thru to hold it to the dash. I just made a forum like they do for cement and filled it up to make the lip.
Sanded it smooth as needed and drilled the needed holes and it is like new.
Dave ----.

 

I have been experimenting with the fiberglass. Here are some before pics showing heavy damage to one panel, some differences between panels, and some mid-progress pictures...





There are several door panels that I am working with at the same time. All green, so it may be hard to tell which is which.

I noticed there were some differences between the castings of these panels too. Two green passenger side panels with the same date code years had these differences...

Below, one door pull tab is molded into the panel 'bump', the other is not (the feeler gauge shows the space). Also, if you look close you can see that one has a kind of 'ghost' square associated with it, and the other does not. These squares I believe are pre-cast pieces that are placed into the mould before the final plastic pour, then they become one.





Below you can see 2 different mounting 'posts' on the exact same spot on both panels (and remember, both are passenger panels with the same year date codes)...





Below pics are all the same repair. The entire post was snapped off, only leaving a tiny circle where the post used to be. I was looking for something to attach with the fiberglass rather than try to build one from scratch to save time, and I found that plastic garden hose 'caps' fit into the circle perfectly. They were pretty thick too, looks comparable to the factory post towers. I had 3 of them on hand, and the other 2 are in the pic for reference only. I used the bench grinder to grind them to the approximate height I needed. The plan is to glass them in and then dremel them out to the shape I need.







This last one (below) is another post that was missing about 1/3 of itself, so I just starting going over it with glass to build it up for trimming.




By the way, I started scuffing the panels with a small die grinder bit, but tried some 80 grit sand paper and it seemed like it produced a much better gripping surface.

Below I tried something different. Since the flat plastic 'tongues' below the arm rests break so often, I thought I might try beefing them up in a different way. I started to build a fiberglass bridge, connecting it to the panel above the arm rest. I don't know if this will work, or if there will be some interference, but I wanted to try it. The tongue I added it too was in good shape, just trying out a preventive action idea that I had. I will build it thicker too.




Well, back to the lab for more experiments!

 

Nice job repairing these panels! These things are so breakable - maybe they should be stamped from metal
I guess "plastics" were the new thing back in days of The Graduate, right? Tempting to simply leave them off

 

I have brainstormed that. The darn handle just comes out at such an awkward angle...The foam and vinyl elbow rest needs to be replaced on mine. I have seen wood, plywood and aluminum tubing all used to create a shelf for the elbow but nothing has really looked good to me yet.

 

Thanks JDT, The job is turning into more fun than stress at this point. Like everything else, the further into a job you get, the better you get at it. When I started, I was doing a layer at a time and drying them overnight, but that takes too long. Now I am doing stacks of layers at a time and manipulating the 'sheets' easier. I also started corrugating certain areas like cardboard looks when you look into the 'end grain'. I think I understand the stress of a panel better too after staring at it for this long. The panels feel heavier and much more solid and stable now.

Tonight, I tried something new (again), I had a small piece missing from a panel, so I glassed the backside (yesterday) and took green panel filings (dust) and mixed it up with some resin. I placed it into the spot where the missing piece was and I am going to see what it looks like to shave it down to the surface level once it is good and dry. It cant look worse than a missing chunk!

 

As far as when the finger cup plastic tab breaks I use thin sheet metal to build a reinforcement (or if the broken piece is missing all together) and JB weld it in place. I score up the back side plastic so the JB weld has more to adhere to. In the lower pics see the 2 clearance notches I cut? The lets the door panel clear the 2 bolt heads that hole the metal bracket for the handle to attach to. No worries the finger cup coves them, and now your door panel fits tighter. You can also add a piece of 2" wide velcro the length of the door panel to help hold it in place. New seals causing you to slam it, you are cracking your window a bit right?

 

Hello Rich, I wondered when you might chime in! Yes, I have read many a post that contains your panel work in them and I must say, I am impressed with what you have done. I really like your sheet metal idea, and just looking at it gives you a reassuring feeling that it would work. I am going to use your idea on at least 2 of my panels, and I am still trying to think if it can be improved upon, but so far yours is best. By the way, which jb weld did you use, the one for plastics I assume?

I did notice the one of the tabs I was working on showed the signs of stress at the 2 screw holes...




You can see where the screws have been oblonging the holes where the threads have dug into the plastic. If this keeps up, it will fail like all the others, with a crack across the 2 screw holes. The problem as you know, is when the door finally becomes closed, (but your hand has not stopped pulling yet) all that pull from your hand gets multiplied and yanks those weak plastics over and over. I have trained myself to open my doors wide and build momentum gradually, then let go before the door has actually closed. Training my family to do it is the problem!
So I think your idea is the best at preventing the dreaded crack. I do lower a window before shutting a door also.

 

I close the door rolling down the window and using the outer door part...when I remember. lol Also see where I rolled the metal overlay over the fwd tab edges? I changed my design by rolling it over BOTH fwd and rear tab edges. And you can resin fill the little 2 rectangle block areas where the screws go thru to reinforce that area. Just have it to the top of the middle line divider. Make sense? Also the 2 notch trick lets the door panel to fit to the door edge alot tighter.

 

Following up with those fiberglass repairs, referring to the door panels, nothing has re-cracked and panels held nice and tight up to this point.

 

Glad to hear hanging in there so far. Can you fix this these for me? Lol Before I junk a panel I get every good piece off of it to include the stainless trim. And the green ones we all trashed on the bottom. So I cut off the bad stuff to make them smaller to ship (for just the stainless trim) to a fellow FTE member. Guys with green door panels are freaking out about now. Last statement: ALWASY USE METAL FINGER CUPS. LMC carries them cheap enough.