The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors New Door Panels

Hi Everyone!
I have a question of the day , I am trying to put new door panels on my 1952 Chevy 3100 and the old ones were just have panel over the top half covering the door handle and crank handle, i recently purchased an ABS door panel and want to get it upholstered with vinyl but when I screw the ABS door panel to the door it hits the door relay and it bulges out. As most of you know this relay protrudes out of the door by 3/8- 1#2 inch . Any ideas how to upholster this type of panel. I figure i can cut out the ABS to clear the relay but how to upholster this toi clear that relay.
Any photo will help

Thanks

You have discovered the same issue most ‘AD ‘bolters run across. The bar when originally designed in 47, ran nicely in the channel below the handle, with the handle facing up, so the bar didn’t interfere with the interior door panel. You would open the door by pushing forward on the handle. In ‘49 they changed the direction the handle faced. One of GM engineers quick fixes. I suppose handles that opened on the forward position resulted in doors opening in crashes, are not such a good idea. They installed foam blocks to push the cardboard panel away from the inner door to allow more clearance for the bar. Much cheaper than changing the design of the inner door sheet metal to accommodate the bar in the upper position. It does cause the cardboard insert to bulge out a bit, but I suppose in a truck, that was acceptable.

I struggled with that same issue, seeing the nice depressed area where the bar sits so nicely, I tried to get it to fit but with no success. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer and searched for answers, both in this forum and on the web without a suitable resolution. The only straight forward way is see is to change out the regulators to electric. Costly and not original. At least you know what the issue really is.

Maybe some other ‘bolters have other ideas they can share.

It took a long time but I was able to find original relays for my two '48 trucks. It's satisfying to see how nicely they fit on the door, as originally designed. I kind of like my Chevy where the relays are exposed better than the covered relays in my "fancy" GMC.

Thanks Phil
That explains a lot and makes total sense I will see what my upholstery guy comes up with and post on here a solution for thsoe who are redoing their door panels


Paul

What I don't understand is why GM didn't change the stamping of the door panel in '51 when they went to the vent windows. The inner panel is slightly different where the division panel for the vent windows installs, and the window regulator changed, although the mounting bolts may be the same.

One could just use a cut-off wheel on an angle grinder and cut a slot in the door to allow the later model pull-to-open bar to be out of the way.

That may weaken the door too much unless you welded in a channel to strengthen it.

Guys I read on one of the forums where they put the right relay on the left and the left on the right, not sure if that would remedy the problem.

I tried that awhile back and didn’t seem to make much of a difference. Thinking about it now, if you did swap the relays, install them so the linkage rods run down the channels, then installed the handles facing up, I believe it may just work! You would still have to pull the handles back so it wouldn’t be a safety issue.

The only issues I can see is you may only be able to use two of the three screws to install but that should be sufficient and the handle facing up is not stock.

I found a work around for the door control rod misalignment you might try. The YouTube video linked below recommends replacing the 47 to 54 door controls with ones from a 1964 to 1966 C10. Available from the usual vendors. (Classic Truck Parts # 18-831 and 18-832) These will put the mechanisms in the door channel and allow the door panel to fit better. The inner door handles still work in the correct direction.
47-54 Chevy Truck Doors Tech Tip #HotRodDad #techtip #chevy3100

In this video, the inner door handles are still facing up and not down as in the original design. It seems to me you could use a torch to straighten out the original relays to get them tucked into the recess a bit more rather then buying new relays.

Here is a link for the video No1300 was talking about.

[LINK]

I did a similar thing to my doors. I did not like the door panel rubbing the relay strap. You have to switch sides with the relays and shorten the strap. I also removed strap from the top of the relay and re-riveted it under the relay. Handle is up on door. Push forward to lock door pull back to open. Thats why you switch the sides on the relays. I don't know why, but the picture is upside down?

The relay has a detent for the lock position. The door latch is locked rearward. So in order to have the relay strap in the recess on the door and the relay detent to match the latch lock position, you have to switch sides with the relays. If you wanted the door handle down on the door, you would have to push forward to open the door. That seem backwards to me, handle up is more normal ergonomic to me. Either way the relays have to be switched to get the lever and strap in the door recess channel.

Lumbersawyer, thanks for confirming my suspicions. Which side did you shorten and how much?

I shortened the rivet end. I put the door latch in the lock position, then put the relay in the lock position, centered the two screws in the relay, and marked the new hole. Then I cut the strap off. You can see I notched it to clear the bend in the relay arm and riveted it back on under the arm. I bent the strap to lay in the channel nice before I drilled it.

Nice job! Did you cut the top mounting tab off (now on the bottom)?

Yes, I cut it off. Did not need it on the bottom.

Being that my truck will never be judged at a Concours event, I would rather have door handles that stick up than door panels that bulge out. I may just copy your modification. Great job, thanks for sharing!