Front door repair, possible or foolish

[waltraud]

doorbottomrhs hole.jpg

doorscab.jpg

Dear all,

pls see pic of my front o/s door, i'd like to try and save it even though i can get another decent door for £50- Thing is, i;d have to strip my door, put all the parts on a new one, paint itetc and etc and can't help thinking that saving mine with a fw local repairs could be more rewarding and cheaper...... have paint stripped lower area that has a fairly small 2"x3" rusted patch and one pin prick that i have pushed aboput and prodded. I'm pretty sure I can sort this out with a section from a lower repair panel. The tricky bit to my thinking it a smalish circular rusty area just above the 'Joker' decals near the curve of the lower door.....underneath the dor and at the bottom is very good and there are just a few other areas that need a sand, prep and bit of paint......anyone done this??thanks

[Plasticman]

youd have to paint your old door as well so dont let that put you off, swopping out the innards is about an hours work, say 1 1/2 if doing the outer rubber seal. so for 50 that would be my call.
as for repair , well grind the paint residue etc of the bottom and have a looksee at it inside as well and where the seal sits, make your decision then or better still post a picky or two
as for the other bit , I have a shed full of doors like that, it gritblast and lead it, less heat distortion and much quicker.
go for option 1, you kn ow you want to
mike

[BOXY]

If the van is a user rather than a show-er then body filler can fix most things that aren't structural. As long as you clean out all the rust and treat the bare metal to slow down its return, filler and a lick of paint will be fine. If you want to get old school you could try filling it with lead.

Must type faster than MM

[Plasticman]

nowt old school about lead
mike

[waltraud]

Well, ideas are coming in, u r right I need to paint it either way but would use filleted rustoleum for lower bit and I only have aerosol for the rest, it is a driver that I want to be solid so not so sure I want the trouble of swapping a door- I'm guessing stuck fast bolts, pain changing rubber seals etc....so, I'm planning to have a go at welding some bits in- no idea how to lead load and seems likely to cost more than welding....hmmmm....perhaps I'll do the screen surround first!

[Plasticman]

oh heck, look get some p40 (strawberry jam) fill fill fill then aerosol.
mike

[Jonnyb416]

Quick question for Mike there about lead loading, I've just had a quick read about lead loading. Would you say it's easy to do if never done it before? Say easier than welding with a mig. Ta, Jon.

[Plasticman]

it depends on the location , that is uopside down, vertical ,on a corner, how thick, but its not particularly difficult just need practice loads, have the right materials and be aware of why you are doing it , that is what is the purpose of using it,
thers info and demos on the web Im sure. not seen them myself but no reqson to, so cant say how correct they are, sorry but I have seen many so called instrutors in colleges and the like that are useless when it come sto real world applications.

I dont know if its easier or harder, all welding is the same to me , its just my preference for a certain method for a certain applicaction.
speed is one thing , say you have a bit of a ropey area and lets assume you can grind enough of the hack out the way then If I was set up then i suppose I could lead it faster than you could mix the dog and apply it, or thereabouts.
m

[boatbuilder]

For me, lead isn't an easy option because no one around here sells the stuff. I'd have to import it from the UK and lead is heavy ! If my local motor factors stocked it at reasonable cost, I'd be leading instead of fillering in suitable places.

[Plasticman]

give these a call for this product
http://www.solderconnection.co.uk/prod_ ... ubmit.y=16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and ask if they have a stoickist your way -ish you never know.
mike

[Jonnyb416]

Cheers Mike interesting and informative reply, I will learn that for my next project Jon.

[New Kentish Campers]

For me, lead isn't an easy option because no one around here sells the stuff. I'd have to import it from the UK and lead is heavy ! If my local motor factors stocked it at reasonable cost, I'd be leading instead of fillering in suitable places.

It's also known as 'Plumbers metal' so your local plumbers merchant should be able to supply it.

[lloydy]

Plumbers merchants sell it in rolls in different gauge thicknesses (is that a real word? Spell check says no )

[Paul Southworth]

You can repair most things, however rust will always return.
Lead, fibreglass, filler are all good and sound repair techniques, but don't expect it to last.

[Plasticman]

You can repair most things, however rust will always return.
Lead, fibreglass, filler are all good and sound repair techniques, but don't expect it to last.

not if you remove the rust first it wont.

if you buy it from a plumbers etc then make sure you know what mix the lead is, you want it in bars rather then the thinner strip
mike