[nasty_VW_habit]

Looking for ideas.... searched doorcards and it was long ago that there was some momentum on a Carbon Fiber offering out of an old chicken coupe looking shed?!? User now banned...

I'm interested in CF or thin aluminum that can be easily hydro dipped CF look or powder coated.
5 pieces total, doors/rears/trunk/hatch

Whats out there? I'd love to see what you've done, motorsport themed higher end.

 

[thegave]

Why not ABS/forever panels? We're talking about the difference in grams here.

 

[nasty_VW_habit]

Why not ABS/forever panels? We're talking about the difference in grams here.

Honestly never thought to check Etsy but am big Etsy fan….

Let’s see what pops up before I go that route

 

[ToddA1]

Not really any relevant input, but I’ve been running DIY ABS panels for over a decade. If you run 1/16” it’s light but can edge crack fairly easily. For the b-pillars on BB, they’re fine. I think I’m running 3/32” on the doors.

If you’re planning on hydro dipping, and not covering them the fasteners will be seen. Just something to think about if you don’t want to use 2x faced tape or something like it.

When people mention carbon fiber, is it true CF throughout, or a layer over a substrate? If you have FG experience, I’d think 2 layers of real CF would be more than adequate. If it’s just a flat panel, it could be done very easily. The trees could possibly be bedded into the layers to hide them.

-Todd

 

[53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN]

I think that an aluminum door card would be as heavy as a fully upholstered inner door panel. I don't think you could make a lighter inner door panel than the factory.

Stock inner door panels are probably the lightest component on any car.

 

[rabbitnothopper]

corrugated plastic board would be lighter

https://www.americover.com/wp-content/uploads/colored-corrugated-plastic-boards.jpg

not much is lighter than the stock ones

 

[nasty_VW_habit]

I guess I should've been clear on the desire being more aesthetic than a weight savings.

Car currently has 7 custom trimmed vinyl panels and they look good, but often pop out at random attachment points. It's starting to bug me a little and I'd like something cleaner looking. Motorsport-ish with real fasteners, not the plastic push pins that break.

The Etsy panels mentioned above look great - thanks for the heads up.

It's not super high on the list but I'd still like to see what others have done along these lines....

 

[53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN]

It sounds like you need better fasteners. I think someone here works for Fastenal.

Stock panel clips don't break if you don't take the panels off. You should replace all fasteners every time you remove trim. Maybe the clips are wrong for the custom panels. Are they thicker than stock panels? Are the holes buggered out?

The clips back in the days before plastic were just as bad also but they were metal. The ones holding the trim on the outside rusted and the holes rusted. Pop the side trim off of a '55 Chevy and you will probably discover rust.

Sheet metal screws often need to be replaced because screw guns muck up the heads and the threads. It's also easy to screw them up with a screwdriver. Sheet metal screw holes often get buggered if you aren't careful. It helps if you put them back in the same hole. I don't know why since they all look the same but putting a different sheet metal screw in the hole sometimes strips the hole or the screw goes in crooked.

I think my Scirocco has plastic nuts for the trim screws on the door which is probably as good as it gets for cars. Saabs used to have screws holding their inner door panels on. I thought it made them look homemade.

You could use Rivnuts and machine screws. You can still screw those up if you aren't careful.

 

[rabbitnothopper]

there are two types of stock clips
early clips, late clips.

neither are very good...ideally..
atleast the early clips can more easily be removed and re-used without completely breaking and damaging things!
the late ones are guaranteed to break and possibly rip out of the doorcard hole

 

[El Scotto]

If, as stated above, this is more about looks than weight, I have always been a fan of the 70's/80's era Porsche RS and 914-6 GT door cards. I have put them in every Porsche I have owned. They are extremely easy to make (just thin hardboard, 1/16" headliner foam, then simply wrapped in vinyl). They use factory clips around the outside and three screws along the bottom edge. You can use the stock internal door release, but in my opinion, they look FAR better with the leather strap release. Interior pull handles are British - either MG or Triumph - and they are cheap.

The later versions went from the leather pull strap to a shorter nylon pull.

Here is the 911 version:

Here is the 914-6 GT which uses more sheet metal screws.

Here's the later 911 version. Not really my bag, but it is factory:

They weigh next to nothing, but as stated above, neither do the stock MK1 door cards.