Projects Has anyone built their own interior door panels ?

Looking for recommendations for building my own interior side and door panels. I have been considering making a template or pattern and then tracing on Masonite. Has anyone used (1/8") Masonite or something like that??
I guess I could then cover panel with nalgahyde or something similar. I am obviously a Po-Boy and cannot run my rod down to the upholstery shop.
Rod is '51 Ford Coupe, and working it as I can A - Ford !



"Did you hear that little noise? It's really running crappy all of a sudden !"

 

There are styrene plastic panels available from home improvement stores. That make good panels.

I use a Masonite type board that was made to use as door panels. It is weather proofed, waxy feel on one side. Have used it for many years. But the manufacturer went belly up long ago. Masonite will work but paint it with an exterior latex paint to weather proof it.

 

I tried using 1/8 inch Masonite on my 49 Chevy but I couldn't get it to fit under the window garnish moldings, and that was with just the Masonite and no material, I ended up using cardboard with a Mexican blanket wrapped and used spray adhesive. Is is just a temporary fix for now but it looks better than the rotten original door panels.

 

I plan on doing mine this winter...with a little creativity and a home depot or lowes and a fabric store plus you tube anything is possible...my biggest adventure will be i plan on trying to create my own door arm rests...

 

They used styrene for my vicky and masonite on my roadster Both worked good.

 

masonite here first i made cardboard templates then traced them onto masonitee and i had a local upholstery shop stitch up covers and glue and staple to my pattern
it worked great , i have around 700.00 in all of the interior including labor and material so you can do it pretty cheap .

here are a couple pics











good luck and post pics when you are done !!

 

Here's a tech I did on making trim panels on the Suedes forum. 1/8" Luan can be used instead of the uph panel board. Good luck!

http://www.suedescarclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=1403.0

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115914&highlight=no+sew+door+panel

 

lowes has a white tile board that is used around a bathtub it is 1/8 thick and4'x8' for about $12. they also carry a plastic sheeting that is about 1/16 thick and 4'x8' it is about $30

 

Great tech Jake. I use 1/8" PVC board. I get it from a sign shop. It cuts very easily with a razor knife or any saw with a fine tooth blade. You can drill it, router it and it can easily be shaped with a heat gun and holds its shape. best of all its 100% waterproof. It costs about $30 a 4x8 sheet.
Heres a panel I made for a 37 Dodge.

 

Lots of cars used masonite as a door panel material, if the thickness will fit, it should work good. I would grab some thin foam and sew pleats or lines or whatever into the panel, that'd help break it up and make it look more expensive and less expansive haha.

 

Just finished mine a few weeks ago. I am on a very tight budget and ended up using 1/8" paneling I got for nothing. I had to cut the uppers short and extend the material to tuck under the window trims due to the thickness of the panel.

I know its not the most professional build material but I guess it depends on how tight the budget actually is.

 

Nice job jimstro.

 

ABS works great for interior panels. It can be contoured with a heat gun to match interior curves. It will not fall apart if it gets wet either.

 

You can buy 4' x 8' upholstery board from automotive upholstery suppliers. HRP

 

Please be aware that although wood paneling, luan plywood, and "masosonite" ("masosonite" being a pressed hardboard paper product manufactured by the "Masonite Corporation), are all inexpensive and easy to work with, are all affected by moisture and will warp, swell, and distort if exposed to it. Hint: most newer car will have a sheet of plastic sealed to the inner door structure to prevent moisture from getting to the door panel.

One of the best products to use for panels is 1/8" "Lexan" polycarbonate sheeting. Very flexible, easy to cut. It's also clear, so if you have existing fastener holes, simply hold the panel in place and mark with a sharpie. Last year , I think I paid roughly $60.00, for a 4' x 8' sheet. You can find it at Home Depot, although it will be a lot cheaper at a plywood & plastic distributor.

 

On my budget build i used masonite on my 50 Ford coupe Painted the one side like mentioned previous. Worked out pretty good.

 

Nice

 

Nice work
This is my terry Murphy's door panel it's awesome


Our only recourse on this road to hell is we're driving a firetruck!

 

hey hey , ive been hankering to buy a fire truck,,,son of a bitch will jam up the fucking driveway....

 

I used 1/8in Masonite for my door panels and secured with snap fasteners(buttons)


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

My wife bought me a truck with " custom" door panels made from steel plate. Look great, until my window track fell out. Then i found out the door panels are made from road signs.



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WOW! What a great response!

Thank all you guys for the great pics and tips!
Now I have alternatives and I'm motivated to get going. My car sat out in a storage yard for about 8 years with the windows down, so all the floor, upholstery and side panels just crumbled to the touch.
I'll post some pics on my progress....

 

here's a thread with a complete how-to and what materials to use

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115914

 

I use ABS plastic, but it is not as cheap as masonite. Trim shops use a treated cardbord that works well.

 

Thanks again 2racer. Great thread! (SkipStitch)
Wish I would have found it before I started this one, but always good to get latest stuff!


"I wonder how tight I can wind this baby ?"

 

I am thinking about the same thing, I couldn't find any trim for the edge, so I'm planning on using 18 ga metal or something close, cover it with naughahide, and put door edge trim around the edge.

 

Did mine in Masonite also, and covered simple, with black naugahyde.

 

Hey, making door panels out of Masonite is relatively easy . Shoot, I used to do it ALL the time when I was still manufacturing Van Parts in the 70's . Aside from Masonite , ther is mahogany 1/4 inch plywood , Birch plywood too. I'd cover the panel with carpet foam , then Vinyl or Va lour . scrubba

 

1/8" sintra, but it is a little thick for most cars, On my model t, i'm stretching over sheet alum(street signs)