The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Interior door panels solution

When rehab-ing the interior of my 47 Chevy 1 ton I bought the replacement cardboard door panels. Leaks though the door and window gaskets soon had the cardboard pealing and bubbling. Seemed like a waste of money. Then I discovered some left-over Formica kitchen counter top material in the garage. I used the cardboard panel as a jig and cut out a new panel in Formica with shears. It is durable, water proof, cleans as easily as your kitchen counter top, and in my case it was basically free.

If any of you are frustrated with the cheapo cardboard panels, try Formica. It comes in dozens of colors, and you won't need much. I don't know if anyone else has tried this, but it has worked very well for me. Just thought I'd pass it along.

Cheers, Wilber

Good idea. Did you hav a color that matched the originial color? BTW: Mine is the brown(deluxe).

That's what I like ... good old-fashioned ingenuity!

And it's water-proof, too!

Or you could pick up a 5'x 5" sheet of weatherproof panel board at your local auto upholstery shop for under $10 and cover it with your choice of p'leather!
I thought the cardboard reproduction inserts for glove boxes were garbage so I made a wood form buck and made my own exactly as the original one was made.
I used simulated leather book cover material from a book binding supply to cover the panel board. Here’s how the new material looks in the new glove box:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2107026340098611668wGtUYv

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

That looks beautiful, Denny!

That really looks first class Denny
Cleon

Hi Denny, that glovebox looks sharp. How exactly did you make that? What is a "wood form buck". Thanks

Howdy new guy. I took all of the measurements and offsets from the inside of the old glove box and made a wood form. After I laminated the panel board and book cover I cut it to size and shape. Then made a set of dies to emboss the fold lines. Then I folded it around the wood form and stapled it in the center. The back of the original one fit over the out side of the wrapper not back wards and pushed inside like the $12 cardboard replacements, This necessitated a stapler that had a reach of about 10". In order to staple it I had to make an extension fixture for a HF air stapler that had an anvil that lined up with the staple gun. This folded the staples on the inside like the original glove box.
And that's how I made a box that fits and looks like the one that came out.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thriftmaster:
You just reminded me and some others here to tighten up and stop those leaks before we put any kind of panel in. My father-in-law retired from the boat upholstery business and I will see if I can get him to do a roll and pleat job there. Stopping the leaks will be certainly necessary before that takes place.
Denny, your patience shows through with that glove box. I would have given up before I got started on it.

Well Big, I went through two of those cardboard pieces of junk that the vendors are pushing off as reproductions and just decided to duplicate the original as close as possible. Luckily I had the old box, although it was torn, frayed, ripped etc., I was able to get dimensions off of it and made a Masonite template for future applications.
Here are a couple of pics that show the fixtures, scroll back to see the rest.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2974769140098611668FmvhuP
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Well Denny, now that you have the template you can make us all a new glove box for Christmas. Just send mine UPS ground...

Just what you need Jim, a $500 glove box. that's about how much labor goes into it. But at least it's right!!!

Denny G

Denny,
if you stary getting $500. a piece for them glove boxes Im gonna start making them too. LOL Tom

Don't ya wish ya could Tom? Naw just emphasizing how much work went into making the first one and make it look, feel and fit like the original one that was in there.

The junk cardboard ones that the vendors are selling are just that, junk material, and made to small to fit the flange and not enough material to make it right. Even if ya can get it hacked in place, I can imagine what the cardboard would look like after a few sessions with nice humid summers. Just ask Wilber who started this thread; “Leaks though the door and window gaskets soon had the cardboard pealing and bubbling. Seemed like a waste of money.”

Like I said, I used weatherproof panel board like you would use for door panels. I got a couple of sheets from Mike Bell's automotive upholstery shop. Could have used the plastic, in fact he suggested I do just that, it sure would have been easier to form but I was trying to keep it original. Sharp bends on the panel board was the biggest challenge. That’s why I had to make up a compression die for the bend lines, that’s the way its done for the folds on cardboard boxes, and it’s the only way I found to keep the board from delaminating when you bend it. Tried heat and soaking with water and various solvents and compression came out the best.

In a few years, after mine has developed some patina I doubt if anyone will be able to tell it from the original one even on close examination and I feel confident that it will still be in one piece.

Maybe there's a niche for you Tom! That is, if ya can mass produce them for a reasonable price and make them so they fit with out having to rework or remake them, and package them with the proper clips/U-nuts and screws.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I'd be happy to just get a template...

I'll see what I can do Woody, I think I can trace it onto a paper and you can paste it onto a poster board.
email me you address.
Denny Graham

Thanks Denny! I'll PM the address.

Besides the cardboard panels, has anyone used Rod Doors panels? How about a salvage swap, what works?