I am installing new door panels, fully assembled for a 71 El Camino. With the top of the door panel sitting correctly, the very bottom has an extra 1/2 inch. With the bottom pushed up only 1/8 inch, it wants to push the top off, but if I try to bend the top rail in, leaving a gap on the sides. Is this common with reproduction door panels? Thanks,Joe, AzChevs.com

I am installing new door panels, fully assembled for a 71 El Camino. With the top of the door panel sitting correctly, the very bottom has an extra 1/2 inch. With the bottom pushed up only 1/8 inch, it wants to push the top off, but if I try to bend the top rail in, leaving a gap on the sides. Is this common with reproduction door panels? Thanks,Joe, AzChevs.com

I got my preassembled door panels from opg for a 72 and they fit perfect. Do they fit that way on both doors?

Here we go again with repro parts...and preassembled door panels is just the latest thing that is really screwed up...let me try and explain what has happened to you my friend...

In the past when you ordered door panels you got just the covered board itself and you had to remove the metal from the old panels and reattach it to your new panels...Here's the deal everycar is just a little different believe it or not...so you built the new panels using your old ones as a guide and they fit on your car like they're supposed to...nowadays the manufacturer's are trying to take the upholstery man's share of the pie in the name of making it more easy and convenient for the shade tree car restorer by preassembling door panels...and they are running into problems like the one you have in the droves...you are one of the many unlucky customers. You might try to see if they can be exchanged for another pair.

Let me tell you a quick story about a 68 Camaro I did an interior kit in recently...the customer switched from standard to deluxe. Deluxe door panels for this car are molded affairs and cost something like $350 a set. The extremely difficult part with 68 Camaro panels is that the lock ferrules go through the panels towards the end of the door unlike a 69 which has them more towards the middle of the door...well they send you a panel that would easily go on a 69 everything is cut out in the back. The 68 you have to position the hole for the ferrules with no help from the backside thus making it extremely hard and you must get it right the first time or you just screwed up $350...well that was no sweat for me cause I've done tons of them...here is what sucked deluxe so to speak...he had a very similar problem as you do with one slight difference...because of the way the panel was molded there was no way in hell that the thing would 'hang' on the door correctly causing the panel to 'sit' to high on the door and consequently along the bottom edge as well...I am pretty good so I made it work and it is hardly noticeable.

Another thing I encountered on this job...now they are beginning to send you window felts that have predrilled staple holes and a pack of staples. You are supposed to bend the staples yourself thereby attaching the window felts to the panels...this can be done however because of where they locate the holes the staples are exposed and look like crap...that is not the way they were originally made...on this car I had to take the staples back out and use black rivets to get the job done...the convertible with the top down and rows of gleaming new staples just wasn't gonna cut it...

I used PUI panels and they fit very nice.

LK

I have bought several pre-assembled door panels for a 69 & 70 elcamino, and a set for 69 Camaro. These all had the top rail already installed.

Except for a little wrangling the metal by the elcamino vent windows, they all fit & looked great.

BTW: they were all PUI brand bought from different sources.

I know this doesn't help your problem any, but just giving my experiences.

Thanks for the information, I appreciate the help. I did put the other side on and it was off by 1/8 of an inch once it was put in place. The package has TWE on it, maybe it was just an off set. I am going to carefully lift the material on the bottom, cut the cardboard straight accross to match each door and glue the material from the backside. Thanks again, Joe.

If that thing is bound on the bottom...which if I remember correctly it is...don't cut through the back stitches or you'll need an upholstery sewing machine to fix it...hope you get done and it looks good...seems like a man has to 'adjust' aftermarket stuff to no end...