Well I got my new door skin yesterday UPS, $119 which I thought was a good deal for a factory skin! Through APD, I just descovered them. But anyways... I was looking at the setup and I thought I would need alot of welding to get it in... but it looks like the edges where the skin folds onto the door would need very little to no welding? Maybe a couple little weld tags for safety? Maybe I shouldnt even call my welding buddy for this... what ya think? And oh! Im welding out my door handles and lock hole on the new skin... should I have that done before throwing on the new skin? Ohh... Thanks in Advance :D

APD? did you mean NPD?

Pnut (If I can be so bold as to call you that smile.gif ), below you will find my "Basics of Basics" (newly updated) on Door skin insulation.
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“Basics of Basics” Door skins

First off, to remove the old skin, take a grinder and grind the edge door where the skin folds around onto the door shell. Grind until you see the three layers of metal. Don’t worry if you grind a little too much, if the shell gets ground a little it is no big deal. On the spot welds you can drill them or grind them, sometimes both. By grind I mean a die grinder with a cut off wheel, just set the spinning wheel on the weld moving it back and forth till you have cut though eliminating the weld.

To prepare the new skin, take a DA or similar tool and sand the OUTER edge of fold in the new skin a little. I am talking about the edge as it will be folded onto your door shell. If you LIGHTLY sand this edge the lip will fold MUCH easier when you install the skin.

If you don’t plan on bonding the skin on, I highly recommend it. It is a corrosion fighter like none other. With the door sitting on it's back (the interior side down) clean the edge where the panel will bond with an abrasive disc to bare metal. Don't use a grinder, it removes metal. Then you will put a small ribbon of panel adhesive, NOT door skin adhesive but the Panel adhesive, it has a higher strength and longer working time. Spread out the adhesive with a plastic spreader so ALL the bare metal is covered. Then apply another thin ribbon on the inside edge of shell where it folds down towards the interior.
I don't know what primer you will find on the new skin, if you can be assured it is good quality and has bonded well, leave it. If it is questionable, then sand it out and apply a good epoxy primer.
After you have a good primer (or left alone) you need to simply scuff it with a red scuff pad down in the area that will be bonding. And believe me DON'T over do it with the bonding! It WILL go around the other side of the fold without even trying and get on your dolly and hammer!
Lay the skin down on the door and position it. Clamp it down at the top where you won't mess up the outer skin. I used a rubber dolly, if you don't have one take a flat dolly and tape a rag or something on it to provide a little cush. A neat home made dolly for this can be fashioned from a 5" long piece of 2x4 hard wood and a 3M rubber squeege glued to it. Hold the dolly on the top surface right over where you are going to fold the lip, strike up on the fold with your hammer while pushing down on the dolly, strike it at an angle so the metal "wants" to hold and NOT lift the skin off the door.
THE TRICK!...... Don't fold it very much at a time, I mean VERY LITTLE, about an 1/8" MAX, maybe even 1/16". Go around the WHOLE door before folding more. Go around and around until you have it folded down almost flat, about 1/16" from touching.
Turn the door over, being particularly careful not to rest the door in a way that will bend your new skin! Now strike down with the hammer while you are still supporting with the dolly to close up the fold a bit more.
ANOTHER TIP!....DON'T smash it down!!!! Two reasons, one you will distort the outside and two you need to leave the bonding in there for it to work.
STILL ANOTHER TIP!.... Use a number of hammers that closely match the shape of the door, if you are in the rounded area at the top of the door, use a domed hammer.

After all folding is done, fine tune the edge so that there are no high or low spots. You can run a vexin file over these areas to spot highs and lows and cut a LITTLE if you need off of high spots. Then using a DA on grinder mode with a 120 disc you "block" the panel around the edge to perfection.

You can spray a weld thru primer on a couple of inches or so at the corners so you can then weld there and not burn the adhesive. But be ready to trial fit the door and twist it if need be for your weld it. You should always trial fit the door before the adhesive cures and “massage” the door to fit well then weld the corners on the back side so the door can’t twist while the adhesive cures.


If you have any fears of not being able to get the door skin on and folded in the working time of the adhesive, don’t use it! All you need is a little tack weld at each corner on the inside at the folded lip. Just go ahead and prime all the hidden areas and after the skin is on, put a seam sealer on the folded seam and spray a cavity wax or underseal around the seam from the inside.


Read the recommendations on the adhesive you are using, some want the metal bare while other want it to be primed, read the tech sheets.

YEah National parts depot. I was close! Thanks for the long list of tips, I'll go to work on this sucker tomorrow ,I dont think I will encounter too many problems. Any ideas on welding away my door handles? Would it be not as easy once the door is on? I'll read your post a couple more times and let all the info sink into my brain smile.gif thanks tongue.gif

These tips worked GREAT for me when installing my new tailskin. smile.gif Follow his directions and make sure to use a good adhesive for the panel.

Good luck! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

adhesive for the part where it folds in right? Ive got this sucker half way off right now, The folds and the seam where the hinges are I cant reach so I am trying to take the door off, I think I may need a new top hinge or bushings anyways, How do I get in to those damn bolts! Raaaaah! :eek:

Hmmmm, must get more inforamation on this adhesive! :D I am killing myself trying to get the section by the hinges.....

Hey supersport396_2000 (since youve heard of NPD), or whoever may kNow... do you think that the primed sheet metal they have is durable enough to put right in? For my door panel I was debating if I should put another primer on the inner side of the panel, or just tacking the sucker in. :cool:

The door should definately be removed from the car for a doorskin installation. Another thing to consider-remove all of the corrosion from the door frame and apply a good primer before installation of the new skin. If welding the skin on I usually weld only the ends not the bottom. The bottom of the door is more suseptable to corrosion. A nice application of seamsealer to the inside of the door will extend its lifespan. Corrosion is a constant battle here in Michigan's salt striken Upper Peninsula.

Ahhh, new door. No paint yet but its installed and back on the hinges, thanks so much for all your helping tips it went on using part of a 2x4 and shammy cloth to brace the top, I thought Id dent it all to hell! Ill try to post some pics... tongue.gif