81 ford doors
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From: south GA
81 ford doors
i have a 81 f150 and was wanting to put in power windows and locks.but i found that it would be cheaper just to go to the jy and find a ford truck with pw and pl what all model ford doors would fit on my 81. thanks
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: charlotte, nc
any door from 1980 to 1996 oughta fit, the sheet metal is the same, its just that the mounting hinge MIGHT be a different pattern. But thats a really good idea if you want power winders and locks, but i like my roll down windows for simplicity.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Northern California
As said above, any door from 1980 to 1996 should fit fine.
You will need the harnesses and circut breakers for a 1980 to 1996 truck, to make wiring more simplistic etc.. Just get the wiring and the doors off the same year model truck, that way you wont have to mix and match the wires etc. Even though the doors and power motors are the same between 1980 and 1996, the control switches are quite different between years. Better to have a harness that matches than one that has to be modified, and they should all hook to the fuse panel the same way.
just my two cents.
You will need the harnesses and circut breakers for a 1980 to 1996 truck, to make wiring more simplistic etc.. Just get the wiring and the doors off the same year model truck, that way you wont have to mix and match the wires etc. Even though the doors and power motors are the same between 1980 and 1996, the control switches are quite different between years. Better to have a harness that matches than one that has to be modified, and they should all hook to the fuse panel the same way.
just my two cents.
Last edited by 81-F-150-Explorer; Nov 25, 2005 at 05:18 PM.
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From: ballston lake
"any door from 1980 to 1996 oughta fit, the sheet metal is the same"
is it not true that the line the runs down the side of the truck is in a different place for all the different runs of this sytle. every ford technition i have talked to has said this and many different sources.
-pat
is it not true that the line the runs down the side of the truck is in a different place for all the different runs of this sytle. every ford technition i have talked to has said this and many different sources.
-pat
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Dryden, ON, Canada
That's pure hokey.
Look at any aftermerket door, application listed is 80-96.
94 or so they did add a crease to the bottom of the door, just off the bottom of it.
80-86 trucks have a narrower devider between the vent window and the main glass, with a wider main glass, and 92-96/7 have a different vent glass to clear the dash, but, the basic door shell itself is the same.
Elsewise, we couldn't have lined up everything nicely on my buddy's 88 F350... Has the stock 88 front clip, 94 front doors, 92 rears, and a 96 bed....
Look at any aftermerket door, application listed is 80-96.
94 or so they did add a crease to the bottom of the door, just off the bottom of it.
80-86 trucks have a narrower devider between the vent window and the main glass, with a wider main glass, and 92-96/7 have a different vent glass to clear the dash, but, the basic door shell itself is the same.
Elsewise, we couldn't have lined up everything nicely on my buddy's 88 F350... Has the stock 88 front clip, 94 front doors, 92 rears, and a 96 bed....
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Northern California
Well, to be 100% accurate the sheetmetal is not 100% the same. There are minor differences. The crease to the bottom of the door, as (82f100swb said) and some of them have vent slits on the inside at the bottom. None of which would prevent any cross application between any 1980 and 1996 F-series, and certain 1997 to 1999 F-trucks.
The differences in the sheetmetal are so minor infact that they hardly need mentioning IMO.
And the only significant hardware difference (beyond door panels) is the vent window on the 1992 to 96, 97 etc... and that only affects putting a 1980 to 1991 door on a 92 or newer truck. The wider vent window won't clear the dash, etc. And that can be corrected easily too by swapping vent windows.
The differences in the sheetmetal are so minor infact that they hardly need mentioning IMO.
And the only significant hardware difference (beyond door panels) is the vent window on the 1992 to 96, 97 etc... and that only affects putting a 1980 to 1991 door on a 92 or newer truck. The wider vent window won't clear the dash, etc. And that can be corrected easily too by swapping vent windows.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Dryden, ON, Canada
There is one other change that I forgot to mention, 92-up doors use a cable setup on the interior door handle instead of the older linkage setup... Don't ask me why, I guess they juat had to engineer in another bunch of plastic parts to break...
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