PUI DOOR PANELS

You are gonna love this process. After sandblasting and coating the frames with POR15, I hung the metal panels on the door, positioned the new door panels where I wanted them and marked where they matched up to the metal panels. Then take them off the door and secure(temporary) the metal strips to the new panel with a small C visegrip at each end. The metal should overlap the cardboard backer by about one inch. You want the metal over the cardboard. Then I took a larger C visegrip and clamped it on each of the "holes" in the metal to force the metal tabs into the cardboard. Once those are all "seated" into place, I used contact cement and a whole bunch of binder clips to hold the glued areas in place as you wrap the material around the metal strip and tuck underneath. Leave them for a good day to set up and they should be fine.

I did my own PUI door panels.

Step 1 - Remove old door panel from door

2 - Place old door panel face down, and remove all chrome



3 - Measure the distance from the bottom of the top metal plate (curved) to the bottom of the door panel.

4 - remove vinyl from spiked metal band that surrounds the side and bottom edges of the cardboard



5 - carefully remove the spiked metal band shown here



6 - Remove the top curved metal strip

7 - mark the back of the new door panel with the measurement taken in step 3. This mark will be the bottom of the curved top metal strip.

8 - I tried clamping the curved metal strip tabs as noted by gary, but I found the new cardboard to be much harder than the original, and it would not puncture the new cardboard too well. Perhaps it depends on how sharp the tabs are on your curved metal strips. In addition, since the new door panels are shorter in height than the originals, the tabs would need to be real close to the edge. Instead, I flattened all the tabs so the surface of the curved metal strip was nice and smooth. I placed the curved metal strip on the new door panel where my measured marks were, and marked the metal strip. I sprayed the area of the door panel and metal strip that were to be mated together with 3M contact cement.

8 - When the adhesive is ready, place the curved metal strip on the panel and secure.The bond is stronger than the cardboard itself.

9 - Take the spiked metal band and slowly crimp it around the sides and bottom edges of the cardboard.

10 - stretch the new vinyl around the sides and bottom (spiked metal band). Since the spiked metal band has spikes all around it, no glue is needed. Simply stretch the vinyl over the metal band and the vinyl will be punctured. At this point the two sides and bottom are complete.



11 - The trickiest part is stretching the vinyl over corners of the top curved metal strip. For this step use the 3M contact cement. Stretch and secure the top edge, then move to the corners. A few cuts may be needed to get the corners to lay flat.

12 - Reinstall all chrome.



The fasteners they give you to secure the door panel to the door are incorrect. The spiked metal band has nail like spikes that press into plastic grommets in the door panels. As far as I know, only two places have these (took me days fo googeling to find them).

Here is the link from the place I purchased them from. In case the link does not work, it is GM part # (NO3617), and is sold at NorthlandFasteners.com. I also saw them at Autodiscountfasteners.com. Northland sells a box of 25 for "cheap"! (.25 cents ea.), and the gentleman was very helpful.

northlandfasteners.biz/Store/product_info.php?cPath=36_123&products_id=1018

Two of my nail spikes were broken off the spike band. Here is a new nail that was welded on. Not great but worked perfect.




And here is what looks to be an original chalk mark for those who are into this.

good job with the pics, i have one panel to restore, that lower metal strip needs some attention. thanx