Replacing/Fixing Door Panels

[MikeW]

It appears to me that the "chrome" strips are moulded onto the vinyl door panels. Is this correct?? The vinyl panels look very good, but the "chrome" is ugly in some places. I cannot explain what has happened, but the "chrome" is peeling off the blue surface underneath.

All of the suggestions I've seen involve covering the strip with some sort of chrome foil, either a metal tape or something like mylar. There have been previous discussions here about this very topic. A search should turn up plenty of results. EScanlon at one point hinted that he had a solution but I never saw it.

[Travel'n Man]

Well........no luck today. I called MSA and they took delivery of my door panels this afternoon. Now they have to come to the east coast. I did ask about the chrome piping and MSA said that was included on the restoration of the door panels. I'll post pictures sometime in approx 7 days.

A little closer every day!

[Duffman]

Mitchell, I hope you are correct on the piping info, because the pic they sent to me (see earlier reply, same thread) does not show any piping.

[BD240Z]

I just had my door panels done by a local auto upholstery shop, for $165 a piece.

They couldn't duplicate the chrome strip so I had them use silver piping instead. Also, the grain pattern in the vinyl isn't exactly as it came from the factory but I'm satisfied with the results and like the way they look.

I've got one installed and will get the other done as soon as I can find the time.

Bruce

[GunnerRob]

I just had my door panels done by a local auto upholstery shop, for $165 a piece.

They couldn't duplicate the chrome strip so I had them use silver piping instead. Also, the grain pattern in the vinyl isn't exactly as it came from the factory but I'm satisfied with the results and like the way they look.

I've got one installed and will get the other done as soon as I can find the time.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Did the upholstery shop replace the fuzzy strip that sit against the window, as well?

[BD240Z]

Hi Bruce,

Did the upholstery shop replace the fuzzy strip that sit against the window, as well?

Rob,

I bought a new set of fuzzy strips from either MSA or VB and had the upholstery shop staple them on when they re-covered the panels. The fuzzy strips that were on the panels were completely unservicable.

Bruce

[Travel'n Man]

MSA has told me another 2 weeks until they recieve my door panels....mid June.....I will post pictures once they come in. I don't need them right now anyway because I have floor pans to replace this week and then hopefully the body shop and a paint job.

[Travel'n Man]

MSA said that their vendor was unable to repair my door panels and they are shipping them back to me .............does anybody have a cores that they would like to sell (they do not have to be skinned). They would need to be undamaged cores, left and right sides (speaker cut-outs are ok.......just no water damage). Please e-mail me.

[EScanlon]

All of the suggestions I've seen involve covering the strip with some sort of chrome foil, either a metal tape or something like mylar. There have been previous discussions here about this very topic. A search should turn up plenty of results. EScanlon at one point hinted that he had a solution but I never saw it.

I did come up with a solution that on my "beta" test is still going strong after 3 years or so.

The problem is that it costs an arm and a leg to ship a pair of panels in either direction, let alone to me and back. I was hoping to offer it as a value service to the members, but the prohibitive cost of round trip shipping made it impossible for me to be able to offer it and still ask for a small sum to offset costs.

FWIW

E

[EScanlon]

I did come up with a solution, and on my "beta" it's still working well after 3 or so years.

The problem is that it is exorbitantly expensive for people to ship their panels to me as well as pay for their return, let alone for me to be able to charge for what I do, even if it was simply to cover costs.

E

[beandip]

I must say, EScanlon did my door panels and dogleg panels as well . I think mine are the ones he is referring to . After 3 years they are still looking as good as when he finished them. I think that they look so close to new it is hard to till that they have been redone. I know it was time consuming to do but did come out great. Thanks again E. Gary

[MikeW]

I'm surprised the shipping would be that much. I just ordered a piece of tempered glass from Vancouver, WA and it cost about $30 in shipping FedEx ground. The package was only slightly smaller than what a couple of door panels would require.