Hello everyone.. I'm having a hard time deciding what type of finish i want to use for my door panels...I work in a sheet metal fabricating shop and I have access to plenty of equipment to do the mod...I already have the cnc programs ready to go i just have to order the materil i need... I could use brushed,polished or just plain unfinised alum... Brushed---exspensive and the top and bottom of camaro doors arent pararell(sp?) and im not sure how it would look for that reason... Easy to keep clean and scratches dont show as easily... Polished---really hard to not scratch and may be dangerous at certain times cause its like a 24x48 mirror on youre door... Unfinished---Hard to not scratch...But cheapest... Ive already made the the "cardboard"(or whatever the factory panel backing is) and it fits really well.It has all the same holes in the same places as the factory panels and even the ones for the push pins.. I plan to rivet the alum to the "cardboard" around the edges and then put some kind of strip around the outside edge,kind of like that stuff you can buy to protect youre door edges but wider...Then with the factory armrest and trim around the door handle and the upper door sill should support it pretty good.. I also have a console top plate,radio bezel and gauge bezel that i made too but there painted and once i decide what to make the door panels out of, then I'll remake them in the same.. Thanks for any input...pos or neg... Heres a pic of the finished test piece "cardboard" backing....(Just to make sure everything fit how i wanted to)

powdercoated

maybe stamp louvers or something into them to break up the boring smooth finish

Not sure what the coating is that we used at the sign shop, for the backing plates. But it is either painted/powder coated/anodized....Dunno, but it comes in several different colors. Maybe you could find one that matches or closely matches (or contrasts, depending on your taste) your car.

I as thinkin of clear powdercoating and maybe rolling some beads in the part above the armrest...Down in the front part i was thinking about makin some speaker pods or puttin some factory cupholders if i could find some....

Use the door cupholders found the firebirds.

What happens if you dent the door panel?

Sander finish. All you need are some 80 grit discs for a DA sander and just do random patterns until it's completely covered. Do it on a test piece first to see if you like it. It kind of gives a suede look to the metal. Then clean the whole thing with acetone and clear coat. If you don't then you'll have alot of dirty hand/finger prints all over it. Not to mention that aluminum oxidizes FAST.

Break a hem to the inside all the way around it to get rid of the sharp edges. You can use the easy edger for the radiused corners. Then you can epoxy the plastic push pins to the back of the aluminum panel so it installs like stock. IMO the rivets all over it will really take away from the look....and it's only a matter of time before it pulls loose from the cardboard backing. I recommend 1/8" aluminum for this project.

I'm planning on doing this to my '89. I've already thought out the whole process.

Oh, and if you plan on doing any cutting on it with a saw make sure you keep the blade coated with bees wax or you'll gawl up the blade.

I'm a sheet metal worker myself. Local 67 down here in Texas.

I thought of that cause I really like the look of stainless we do like that..but Im not sure if the alum would be bright enough for what I want..We do it sometimes but we use 220 grit..I've never seen it clearcoated though..I'll do up a piece and see how it looks tommorow..What kind of epoxy do you use to hold the pins on? It seems like its almost impossible to bond anything to alum even if you rough it up good..I was planning on useing construction adhesive to bond it to the cardboard and then letting it set in a 4'x8' bed 150 ton hydaulic stamping press over nigh to dry....

Thanks for the input.. I really never considered doing that till now..

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers lodge 2910
up here in Oho...

My car for some reason had firebird doorpanels in it with cupholders when i got it but all the mounts are broke on them....Id like to find another set cause there pretty handy..

The car doesnt get driven too much..weekends,sometimes during the week if its nice...nobody likes to ride in it cause they say its abnoxiously loud So hopefully i wont have to worry too much about it....

I'm going to agree with the other guys, and say either a powdercoating/anodizing, or I like the D/A sander idea. I'm pretty sure you don't want a bright finish. Cool idea though, I want to see how this turns out

Well I tried the sander idea out today and it turned out alot brighter than I thought it would.. Turns out that i really like it...DA'd with 80grit and the sprayed it with clear urathane we had layin around work...I think when i do the actual panels im gonna spray it with a gun and then wetsand and buff the clear... this should be much more durable than bare...

Thanks for the ideas and inputs!! Hopefully get these done this week...