I know there is all kinds of material to use when covering doors, there is ABS, plywood, chip board & upholstery panel board, but what do you cover the door with to keep the water from causing damage to the interior when running down inside the door? HRP
I asked that question very recently of an upholstery guy and his recommendation was door skins from the lumber yard for the panels sealed with varnish or clear urethane before covering.
When I was replacing the window regulator on my daughters car, I noticed it had a piece of clear plastic similar to a cheap plastic drop cloth. It had some type of adhesive holding it in place seems like a good idea when doing the interior on Hot Rods & Customs. HRP
Old cars all had a thick sheet of plastic stuck to the door with calking. You are always going to have rain water running down the window, be sure the drain holes are open at the bottom of the door, the inside of the door is painted and the door panel sealed off with plastic. New cars with plastic door panels are not so critical.
I just painted both the door an the 1/8 in. plywood panel <before upholstery. But yes a lot of cars came with Vizqueen* type plastic ,as a water seal.
I use automotive strip caulk to hold it in place, it stays where it belongs but comes off easily if you need to work on the window. The plastic usually runs into a slot at the bottom of the door to drain the water out through the door drains. Lou
Just google collision wrap. Lots of different manufacturers. https://shop.wurth.ca/vehicle-repai...ZAuk37b6rJL95d5Jfam7yQddZ8gQ_pRRoCtJ8QAvD_BwE
https://www.sofasco.biz/collision-a...MI0eab963b7wIVkolbCh36HQgcEAQYDCABEgIwIvD_BwE I get it at my local paint supply. It's used to seal up a car when they come here with a broken door glass or similar situations. Out in the sun it's not stable for more than a couple of months, but behind a door panel it'll last forever. Much better than masking plastic and tape.
In both airplane and cars, started using abs plastic sheets for door panels. Never have had to replace one due to warpage. Even if door is not flat, a little heat will make it confirm well. all you fit guys go for it
I used ABS on the doors and quarters of the Stude, now...the kick panels had curves in them, so with a heat gun I heated and bent it so it matches the curvature of the kick panel and covered it with upholstery material also.
I always thought the plastic was more for to keep the dust out. Or in the door. Why would the newer cars with plastic panels need plastic between the door and the panel itself. Car companies cut costs any way they can. To keep the dust down out.
I talked to Dave last night and he said he uses the heavy duty contractor black plastic trash bags when he seals the the door before installing the upholstered panels. Since he uses the bags when cleaning up the upholstery scraps he has a supply all the time, he can cut the bag and it makes enough to do 2 doors, he said that's what he used on the Ranch wagon and my old beater. HRP
Early Fords and other makes used an asphalt like material for door panels...It was almost like thick roofing felt...It wasn't prone to water damage but that kind of stuff is long gone...
I like the idea of plastic garbage bags, the plastic will shed water and won't wick water like cardboard.
I would rather have the panels without plastic between them so they can breath. The plastic would just trap the water if it ever did get between them. In high humidity climates, condensation will form on plastic much quicker than other surfaces.
I did the very same thing with heavy plastic bags . It’s been together for 28 years this way . I live where low humidity is 60 % , it has not given up the chase yet . You just watch tomorrow I will close the door and the whole panel will fall off like the autumn leaves !
If your door has a slot on the bottom ,tuck the plastic into it as that will redirect the water to the inside of the door and out of the weep holes not out of the bottom of your door panel or trapped between the plastic and the tape/ caulk at the bottom .
My car in my avatar, door panels are made of waterproof panel board. I made them about 25 years ago. No plastic between them. Still in great shape. I have about 60 thousand miles on the car since then. And it has been in more than a few rain storms. A couple of times, more than 5 inches in one day. Flooding conditions happened both times. Just do what you feel is right. No right or wrong answer.
Depends on what you call "old cars". Cars that are HAMB era didn't use plastic with the sticky caulk, that was later late 60's or 70's cars. Earlier cars used paper with an coating on one side that was towards the door to repel water and moisture. It eventually deteriorated, and left the door panels warped as they got damp. I use fiberglass sheet, or vinyl sheet I buy at the local Lowes store in 4'x8' white sheets. Make up patterns from a roll of brown masking paper, and then tape it to the sheets to trace and cut out. It's only 1/8" thick, and easy to glue fabric to. I use Permatex upholstery spray adhesive as I've found the 3M 90 spray can adhesive lets go after a short time. The Permatex seems to be a better product to me.
I learned the hard way to drill holes in the bottom of the door when you have a glass body, in a hard rain the inside of the door was like a swimming pool.
That's funny, I have heard water sloshing around in doors in the past, that's probably why a lot of steel cars have the bottom of the doors rust out, crud gets built up and seals the weep holes in the bottom, then it turns into a dam to hold water,especially after the car sit's for years. HRP