DIY door panels?
 

Has anybody here made door panels from ABS, carbon fiber, or any other material? While mine are nice Katzkin leather panels, the fiber board is falling apart, the clips are missing or falling off, and the leather is losing it's bond with the board. I'd much rather have a nice, simple piece of plastic screwed to the door shell and be done with it. Can any of you share pictures if you do have something like this done? Trying to get ideas. I'm thinking for cost sake, just some simple ABS plastic. I'm just not sure where to find it local, so it will probably have to be ordered and shipped. Or, give me some creative ideas for materials to use, other than ABS sheets, something I could maybe find in a local hardware store, that is evading my mind.

I have no pics but have seen a good bit of people on here make some. Search in the "build threads" for some inspiration.

Yeah, I have seen it done, and my fiber boards are falling apart as well. In for win. You could be a baller and use diamond plate to match the floor pans that blow out from having too much nos...

(Posting from my phone.)

Diamond plate and miatas do not mix

People said that about RX7s once, Brainy, then the Truckasaurus Rex came into being.

I've seen them made from sheet aluminum. Looks surprisingly good.

By that logic, the only door-cards we should have access to would be crushed velvet with pink tiger-stripes.

Just had an idea... plexiglass? It's cheap and local, easy to source. Of course it's clear, but not after a good coat of paint or a covering of some type of fabric with some spray adhesive. Spray the back of the glass to keep a smooth and shiny surface. Anybody see any problem with using plexi? Or could that be a possible danger in an accident? Since it tends to break into sharp edges?

I'm very interested in this... since I will not be using speakers, will have power windows, only need to make a cut for the door pull + handle.

My biggest motivation for this is that aside from the actual fiber board falling apart, the damn upper section is completely separate from the lower section now, after I removed the panel the other day to inspect my window regulator assembly. The last of the 5 or 6 tabs that the screws go into on the upper part broke off, so now I just snap the lower section in, and slide the upper part over it. I could make a false move with the top down and lose that whole upper part going down the road.

I made mine with aluminum. Mostly to delete the door handle and speaker and make it look presentable.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315234180

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315234180

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315234180

pics after it hits another wall?

yeah...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315234501

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315234501

not in the least. I'd say if you have a mullet, you can use diamond plate door cards and floormats.

I think I ruled out acrylic glass, just too easy to crack. I did find some .080 for a good price, but I would still be left having to paint it, and avoid cracking it while drilling holes and shaping it. Might just buy the ABS online and be done with it. Only question now is thickness. Not sure if I should do 1/8'' or 3/16''. I want it to be rigid enough that it won't wrinkle and wave between screws, in the large open areas of the door panel. Not sure how thick it would need to be to be stiff enough. I think 1/8'' would do it, but I might feel better about 3/16'', even though it costs a good bit more. $60 for 48x48 at 1/8'' vs $92 for same dimension but 3/16'' thick. Getting it from Grainger, so I can pick it up local and save on shipping. I'll keep you guys up to date with my handy work, when I get it. I'm thinking leather loop strap for the pulls, and I will have to come up with something for the speaker grills. Also not sure how I will attach the upper piece of the panel to the ABS, as it has no tabs to screw into. Maybe velcro will work as a easy to remove fastener.

Why not get some aluminum from home depot and paint/glue some carpet/other similar material to it?

There is at least one guy (maybe from Oz or UK) that did the plexiglass and left it clear.

There was another guy that made some really nice ones out of sheet aluminum and then shared a template file for CAD. His had some pretty trick speaker holes.


Another option might be the alumilite style materials people use for front splitters.

As far as Plexiglas goes, Ive attempted to use Opetx and Duraplex (sp?) in the past to replace a rear window with no luck. One of the two (Duraplex I think but not sure at all) was freaking imposable to cut without it cracking, I tired one of those cutting tools, a fine tooth saw ect and nothing worked. The other one could be cut with a fine tooth saw as long as the blade was kept lubed with WD-40 or a rotory tool. Also, Plexiglas would probably shatter/crack in cold weather or an accident and rattle like crazy all the damn time. Aluminum seems like a nice choice.

Dont cut it...melt it. Use a good soldering gun and melt away.

I'm pretty sure I don't want aluminum. No dent resistance, and it would have to either be painted, or brushed to look decent. Plus it scratches easy and they show up easily. ABS is the route I am taking. Already black, the color I want, won't dent or crack with abuse, not easily scratched, and if it does, can easily be painted.

Tried that, but I didn't want to be breathing in whatever toxic crap the fumes contained.

Yeah thats a problem, definitely gotta cut it in a ventilated area with a fan blowing at your face to keep the fresh air going.

Lexan, used thin rubberized foam sealer around the edge to minimize vibration and used a dremmel to melt the holes.

[IMG]https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1315277181[/IMG]

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LOL



We don't?

Stop stalking me. It isn't my fault that we can't wear mullets within regs. Plus, you live in VA, you see plenty-a good mullets.

I like that. I got to thinking, what is wrong with shitty plywood, covered with shitty vinyl from hancock fabrics or the such?

Meh. That's after he started trying to hard, and after it went from epic to fail.

its a drift car. it was expected to look like shithole.

That's pretty awesome Seraph. Probably more work that I would want to put into it, to make it look right. My paint is kind of ugly under the panel, lots of scratches, and the black glue for the plastic moisture barrier is everywhere.

Thanks, I took my time to do it right. The black stuff took forever to get off and in the end I resorted to my drill and wire wheel. I just repainted it to make it look nice. I'm planning on removing the arm rests and putting in door pulls, eventually.

I have ALU-panels in my race car. On the picture, it still has a protective film on it.

I bought a set of ABS plastic ones on ebay for $70. They are exact replicas of the stock cardboard door card so you can wrap them or just stick the clips in and call it a day. They came with the speaker holes not cut out so you can decide if you want a radio or not.

I will see if I can get a picture and post it. I am planing on putting a layer of carbonfiber sheet over it for looks but nothing special.

looks like ABS plastic is the way to go.

https://www.miataturbo.net/showpost....&postcount=108
http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/sho...10&postcount=1

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311810084
http://s95367906.onlinehome.us/photo...c02004_258.jpg

So where do you guys get cheap abs now?

Holy shit, $70? Where exactly did you get these. I don't see anything on ebay, so they may not be offered anymore. I was going to pay $90 and still have to do all of the cutting and trimming.

The cost of ABS is what would steer me towards some sort of Plexiglas despite what I said about it earlier. Maybe I'd try some sort of thin MDF board and cover it with something.

To me the clean look and ease of use of ABS is well worth the $60 to $90 that it will cost, depending on thickness.

So... I'm about to begin. But I think I have changed my mind. While I want ABS, it's costly and I can't find any local. Does anyone see a problem with using 1/4" plywood? Seal both sides from moisture to keep it from rotting, and cover the outside with fabric or vinyl. I din't think the 1/4" thickness would hurt anything. Should be enough clearance everywhere. I'm so far beyond tired of these ratty stock panels. The Katzkin leather covers are peeling off all of the corners and looks like ----, and rip loose every time I open or close the door.

Plywood would be heavy, and more difficult to work with. Use masonite. Thinner (available in 1/8"), cheap, available at any box store, easy to cut and shape. You could use a coping saw or a utility knife and a file. It's what door panels always used to be made of anyway.

Vinyl to cover it is also available cheap. A yard is about 12-15 bucks last I checked.

------- brilliant! Why didn't I think of that. Good looking out. Now to locate some. Hope I can find it in 24x48 size.

i would use dibond from a sign shop. it is a sandwich of aluminum and abs

That doesn't sound expensive at all...

So Roger, what exactly do you mean by box store? I've been checking like crazy online and see barely any online retailers. Hopefully I can find some local without too much hassle. This is the ideal stuff for my panels.

Lowes, Home Despot and the like. Places like that rarely carry stuff like that online, because you can't order online, you have to go to the store. I'd be very surprised if it wasn't in stock in nearly every location.

Another alternative might be that sign stuff. Coroplast is one brand, but there are others. You'd probably have to go to a sign making place to find it. Dibond isn't all that expensive, maybe 90 bucks a sheet. The problem is finding it, so you don't have to try to ship a single sheet.

Another name or item to look for at the big box stores is "hardboard." They will have it.

I didn't see any masonite like that at Lowe's earlier today, though it may have been located somewhere i didn't think to look. I actually bought some coroplast today and was going to use it, but when I got out to the car I realized it was about 6" too short in length. 24"x36" is as large as they had, and the door panel is about 42" long if I recall my measurements from a few months ago.

Aren't hardboard and masonite one in the same? Where do you think it would be located in one of the big stores? I checked everywhere logical for it to be, but a lot of times ---- like that isn't placed logically in the store.

I've always seen it in the building materials section, by the pre-cut sheets of plywood, MDF and OSB.

Yes, hardboard and masonite are the same. Masonite is a trade name.

I find it really hard to believe that ABS isn't available someplace in Birmingham. When I was searching for the stuff, I just basically called places in the phone book under plastics or something until I got a lead on some. I can almost garauntee there is a place somewhere in that town that carries ABS sheets. I got a whole sheet for $55 when I bought it a while back.

I bought a sheet of 1/4" abs 4x8 at a local supplier for $60 They also had 4x8 sheets of 1/8" for $45. I did the same thing as baron340 just looked in the phone book and started calling places. The place I bought mine will sell it if asked but they are not a supply ware house they specialize in building plastic anything. Like fish tanks, acrylic podiums, display cases, ect.

You know who would know exactly where the item would be in that specific store?



An employee of that store. :inout:

I've made my door card with this plastic panels
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1339445596
and these are the results
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1339445596
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1339445596

I hate you. Just bought ABS to do this...

I like my arm rest so I can floss to and from the track.

I'm a lardo now and any bit of room helps

Please. Those asshats couldn't point me towards the bathroom if I asked, let alone a specific item.

Either:

• your superiority complex makes you think that and dismiss them without asking
• your Lowe's and Home Depot are staffed way worse than any I have ever been in (definitely possible if you are in Birmingham)
• you are very shy in person and prefer to ask for help over the internet

I can understand the argument that finding someone to help in those places is like finding Waldo in a barber pole factory, but once you track someone down they are almost always knowledgable enough to be useful.

You forgot the correct answer. I'm stubborn and no one is competent but me. Which I guess is sort of covered in the first bullet.

If someone makes a setup like the one with the red pulls, you should sell some sets...

They'd have to be 5 dollars shipped or no one would buy them.

I'd buy them, and definitely over 5$. :|

Those are my door cards over on cr.net. I still have the templates. I thought about selling them for a minute but just don't have time right now.

Maybe you should think about selling a DIY kit with the template. Purchaser sources the ABS. Or just the template.

Huzzah! As I said, I asked, and I did not receive. "I dunno where that would be, never seen any before..." It's ------- hardboard, you know, like the ---- that is in probably 1 in 3 garages across the world with holes in it to hang ---- from. I ended up stumbling upon it on the isle with doors and blinds... They didn't have anything exactly like I wanted, but I paid $4 more per sheet for the marker board with a white gloss finish. 36"x48"x1/8" for $9. Still hard to beat when compared to ABS. A bit heavier, but if anything that is a plus. Less chance for vibration from my door speakers. After vinyl or fabric to cover them, and my decorative polished stainless screws and vinyl webbing and cover for a pull, the total should be around $50 for both doors. Still need to think up a creative and tasteful speaker cover/grill. Flush mount won't work since the tweeter sticks out about 1/2" past the speaker bezel.

PS. I love driving the Miata carrying weird ----, or fitting objects that should never be carried in cars, into cars that are the smallest of cars to not carry thing in... hardboard in a miata, no problem. Engine block, no problem. 55" DLP projection TV in a 1st gen RX7... no problem.