Door panel repair advice

[Furiokid]

Just asking a bit of advice as I’m looking to replace the inner and outer lower door panels on my classic beetle.

Lower Inner Door Skin Repair Section, Heavy Duty, Left

Cost-effective alternative to full door skin replacementDesigned for rust-prone areas where water accumulatesDurable construction for long-lasting repairsRestore your vehicle’s door with our heavy-duty lower inner door skin repair section for the left side. This panel provides a cost-effective...

www.heritagepartscentre.com

Door Skin Repair Lower Outer Left

<P>Red heavy duty lower outer door skin repair section for the left side<br><br>This lower outer door skin repair panel is a cost effective solution for repairing a damaged or rusty door instead of the more costly option of a complete door skin or door. I

www.heritagepartscentre.com

How would anyone say is the best way to attach/repair these without warping the panel and keeping them strong?

Thanks for any advice

 

[mike 109444]

This might help

 

[keithski122]

My advice is to check sizing and fitting. I did the same using repair sections and ended up with a door that was bigger than hole it needed to fit.I found it was better buying a californian import door with no rust.

 

[mr haynes]

Always offer up repair panels, to see how close they are to original, before cutting anything.

Welding wise is the many small tacks/stitchs method

 

[piman]

Furiokid,

personally, having repaired quite a few doors by letting in a strip at the bottom, it's very difficult to get an invisible repair when it comes to paint stage. That is you end up with a lot of paint preparation work and, for me anyway, rarely, if ever, a completely perfect job. If new skins are not too expensive I would fit a new skin, that's what I'm going to do on my current project.

Alec

 

[eddie49]

I believe that one way to avoid distortion is that the edges of the repair panel should be folded over and crimped around the door frame, and the "long" seam should be joggled and then fixed with 3M Panel Bond adhesive ( or similar ), rather than welding.

 

[steveo3002]

is it your first welding job ? id say its fairly advanced job to get that right

watch plenty of youtube and make up your own mind ...some will swear a joggle edge is best others wont

 

[frank horton]

like eddie49......
just a couple of tack welds (mig) never use oxy, it distorts to much....at the edges where the new meets the old.....
fold over the bottom n side edges...
Sikkaflex the meeting place in the center of the door panel...and dont forget to spray some kinda wax product to stop it all rotting quite so quick...
have paid a load of money for new panels from specialist suppliers...
partiq a new front panel for a VW t2,5......they must have copied a crashed repaired van......
almost had to send it back it was so bad....
they gave us a lot of money back....
think I'd find a forum for ur vehicle and ask there who makes the best repair panels....
there's a lot of c*rp out there......

 

[bert]

I'd recommend fitting a whole new skin, welding along it will just cause massive warpage no matter how careful you are.

 

[Burdekin]

Tig or oxy with perfect fit up, no filler and planish the weld.

 

[ranchero]

Tig or oxy with perfect fit up, no filler and planish the weld.

best way IF you can do it. i can't, did it once on a training course but just can't get on with my own tig

 

[Furiokid]

Appreciate all the feedback guys.
I’d seen someone posted on another forum about just taking the edges and then bonding the middle where they meet, but I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure that would really be strong enough.

I’d just thought of spot welding along taking my time with a piece of copper behind it as some have already mentioned.

Thanks again guys

 

[li150ss]

back in early 80s our panel beater used to sometimes braze door skins/ 3/4 rear panels, spot i think. but he always leaded the body work afterwards

 

[tom2207]

look into a joggler if your not happy edge welding , will make your life a lot easier.
just a hand held joggler and punch will work wonders , be prepared to do some fetteling on pattern panels , all they are is a good starting point rather than a finished job.