UZinator

iTrader: (1)

I have used the search function and have been unable to find anyone who has made fiberglass door panels. Since door panels seem to be one of the low quality items on the SC and are mostly crap from what I have found -I have been unable to find a good set of panels for my rebuild.

I don't have much faith in buying some from someone saying that they are in good condition. To me -good condition would mean no broken screw securing holes in the pressed board backing, no cracked/broken screw holes in the plastic pieces and no water damage. So far -to this date -every panel that I have found is near crap or definitely crap.

I got a set included in the parts car that I bought and the panels looked good -and when I pulled the driver's side door -it disintegrated on me. And when I pulled the passenger side out -there was a live fuzzy white growth on the back side that was consuming most of the panel from the inside out. I almost started to call the haz-mat team out.

Well anyway -I was hoping that someone has built complete door panels from fiberglass and wrapped with leather to look like original -but far better because of being waterproof. I would like to undertake the idea and I am looking for pointers.

I am thinking along the lines of applying a thin layer of fiberglass to the inside of a decent pressed board backing and then mounting it to the door. Then the idea is to carefully remove all of the pressed board with a Dremel to leave behind the thin fiberglass shell. Then the next step would be to build it back up again to nearly the original thickness. A thick fiberglass backing would not necessary because the glass would be stronger than the pressed board.

Or I could use some two part adhesive to reinforce the existing pressed board to make a mold from it and then just lay the glass or CF in the mold to make the panel.

I tried to look at an old thread about panel repair from O.L.T. but all of the photos are gone. And I also found a thread where the guy made fiberglass lowers. But I am looking for the complete door panel in composite. Any help?

718murdoc

Don't quote me, but I don't think anyone built a complete fiberglass inner-door panel. I am sold on the idea to be honest. I believe the inner-door panels are one of the interiors week points next to the leather seats. The stock inner-door panels come in 4 separate sections including the removable arm rest; so if you were to make a mold, this would make life easier to lay the fiberglass down. I saw a guy make a mold a while ago and what he did was lay down the automotive manila adhesive tape on the panel then lay the fiberglass matting down and saturated it with the resin mix, let it set and you have the shell of your mold. There are a few more steps involved , but you get the idea. I hope this helps and please make this happen soon, I'm sure there will be a market on this forum for strong Inner-door panels.

Here is an old thread with a diagram of the inner-door panel:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...el-repair.html

AlphaMotor

iTrader: (5)

Here u go! Not just the door panels, but a whole lot more Im almost done, Just have to get the carpet done on the doors. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ior-build.html

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

I already had a good look at your thread. But -you glassed over the existing panels didn't you? I am wanting to make a completely new shell and then re-do the leather like stock so that it looks like a stock door but about 100 percent better.

P.S. The work you have done to your SC is sweet. But my goal is to keep mine nearly stock looking to the average eye -but underneath will be what makes it a complete sleeper. It will look stock and feel stock -but the weight scales will know differently.

On a slightly different note -does anyone know where to get the stock outer door window squeegee seals? I realize that just making a waterproof door panel doesn't fix the problem. But it is part of my fix. I also plan to treat the lower inside of the door with a good drain hole and a thin coating of Rhino Liner so that whatever gets past the seal will have no way of doing any damage.

The third thing I plan to attack with the water problem is some better vapor seals to go behind the door panels. I am removing the black nassy sticky stuff and the torn plastic drop sheet crap and replacing it with a thin flexible piece of plastic that will mount to the door panel side of the sheet metal of the door at the top and tuck inside the door access hole lip at the bottom. This will keep any water from coming inside the car through the doors.

When I get done -the idea is to have a waterproof SC -the way it should have been from the factory. So doors are being corrected, moon roof drains being checked and secured, and the rear antenna replaced with a new one with a good drain tube.

When I got the car -the carpet was wet and it would get wet every time it rained. So after a great deal of searching threads to find the culprit and finding one where a guy was suggesting the door vapor seals and people were scoffing at him -I decided to check it out.

Since I have no interiors installed yet -I got into the car and closed both doors. I had my son spray the car with the garden hose. Waterfalls came in through each door. The guy with the vapor seal cause -was 100% correct. WIth my Probe GT -I can run without vapor seals completely because the water doesn't run off the window through the access hole. But with the Lexus -the window and the arch of the inner door sheet metal have the water aimed perfectly for the access hole. It is a straight drop from the window through the hole. It is like the engineers wanted to create a bio dome for bio life like the white creepy stuff I found growing inside the passenger side door panel. I should post a pic because it is a jaw dropper.

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

Here are a couple of really nice shots of the bio-terrarium growth that was behind a nice looking door panel:

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

Bump

1) isn't there anyone who has built an entire door panel from fiberglass and upholstered with vinyl or leather to match original?

2) Anyone know where I can get new window squeegee seals for the doors?