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Interior door material

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tahoe healey

tahoe healey

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The "board" under the vinyl is warped and I am not sure what was suppose to be the there. It is currently a thin plywood or wall siding (PO's restoration). I think it is too thick for the door opening lever to function properly (BJ8). What have any of you used and how thick should it be?
The car is still at the painter so I have time to cut new stuff and cover it with the old stuff (Vinyl is in good shape) in the next two weeks.
Thanks.
 
tahoe healey said:
The "board" under the vinyl is warped and I am not sure what was suppose to be the there. It is currently a thin plywood or wall siding (PO's restoration). I think it is too thick for the door opening lever to function properly (BJ8). What have any of you used and how thick should it be?
The car is still at the painter so I have time to cut new stuff and cover it with the old stuff (Vinyl is in good shape) in the next two weeks.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
The panels I've seen done were done with 1/8" tempored hardboard and 1/8" birch ply. The birch was easier to work with and was easier to shoot staples into. Both types of materials need to be "sealed" to last. The original materials were not sealed.
Patrick
 
I used rec room panelling - the thinnest I could find. It works well. It is like a thin plywood, and doesn't absorb moisture like hardboard or masonite (which should be sealed with a spray urethane, as others have pointed out). But the panelling has to be thin, because it tends to be less flexible than hardboard, which makes putting the door handles back on a bit of a chore.

As Patrick points out, the plywood is easier to staple, and the staples seem to hold better(at least in my experience).

I also cut a piece of clear vinyl vapour barrier and installed it with caulking between the door and the door panels to keep moisture away from the door panels.

Incidentally since you have the panels out you might want to glue a chunk of sound deadener on the inside of each door, to give a nice solid thunk when you close them. I used a piece of that sticky roof membrane left over from doing the cottage roof. I works well, and won't absorb moisture.

And that's my two cents...

Cheers
Dave
 
TAHOE, I JUST FINISHED A DOOR AND GOT WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE ORG STUFF AT HOME DEPOT, 1/4 IN , SAME COLOR, EVERYTHING. ITS IN THE 1/2 SHEETS AREA,(4'X4')I TOO THINK IT SHOULD BE SEALED,THOUGH I DIDNT MINE, GOOD LUCK, MIKKUS
 
Where do you find these materials (I think I like birch idea)? The vapor barrier is something I was thinking as I had it on my 70 MGB.
 
Home Depot lists 1/8" lauan ply. Not birch but no one will ever know. :wink: Home Depot If you have your heart set on birch, check any hardwood stores. There's a place called Logsplitters.com not too far from you.
 
1/4" is way too thick.

I'm thinking that 1/8" is borderline thick, but anything less probably wouldn't have enough strength to hold together.

I have an old set of Amco panels, and they're 1/8" plywood (unknown species).
 
When I redid my rear seat, I replaced the board with aluminum. A door panel would probably need the mounting hardware reworked though.
 

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Whatever you use, don't go 1/4 inch. You'll have a terrible time getting the door handles back on. (go thinner)
 
Thanks for all the help. I will use a heavy grade vinyl as used under hard wood floors and add the foam circles as shown above. Now to find the 1/8 material.
 
If you have an aluminium rear panel on a BJ8, how will you achieve the large dimple on either side? The cardboard bends for it.
 
The material is called "Door Board" you'll have to google it for a local supplier as most of the big box stores won't have it. Don't settle for the thicker boards, there's much thinnner available. It's not expensive, it's what's used to replace the "skin" on interior doors, shop around. I usually buy plenty and cut two at a time for spares etc.
 
Hangtown Healey said:
If you have an aluminium rear panel on a BJ8, how will you achieve the large dimple on either side? The cardboard bends for it.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what dimple you mean. My rear seat was pretty much vinyl stretched over sawdust when I got it.
 
GregW said:
Hangtown Healey said:
If you have an aluminium rear panel on a BJ8, how will you achieve the large dimple on either side? The cardboard bends for it.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what dimple you mean. My rear seat was pretty much vinyl stretched over sawdust when I got it.
Click to expand...

Or you can make a new one pretty easy;
 

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The metal reinforcing plate at each side is curved. The fiberboard takes the shape of the curve so there is a slight bulge visible if you look through the back window. I have some pictures I took upon dissasembly of my rear panel that I put into a pdf binder. Send me your email and I will send the binder.
ken.freese@aerojet.com
 
Hi Ken,
Do you mean this piece? My originals were flat. I remade them in aluminum as well as the recess piece for the latch head. My addy is ahbj8@roadrunner.com or you could post them here.
 

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Yes, that is the part. On my 65, both are bulged a bit. Perhaps the bulge was removed when the quantity of big screws from the wheel well to the vertical wood sticks was reduced.
 
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