4th gen door panel teaser..

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May 18, 2006 | 02:37 PM

#51

Slepewesel

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From: Dayton, OH 45431

Car: 91 Camaro Z28

Engine: 5.0 TPI (LB9)

Transmission: 4L60

Hey Shroom,
Any chance of getting some more detailed pics pf the door panels? I'm woerking on mine now, and just wondeering how far foward on the door yours are, and how much metal is left at the bottom of the door? Thanks

May 18, 2006 | 07:53 PM

#52

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

Nope, sorry. It would take a lot of work to get more pics of them right now. They're forward enough that the stock kick panels and lower a-pillar plastic won't work to well. I'm using the 4th gen stuff for that to solve the problem.

Kevin D.

Aug 6, 2006 | 09:36 PM

#53

ReidK

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From: Iowa

Car: 1988 Firebird Formula t-tops

Engine: 350 60 over...400 HP

Transmission: 700 r4 transgo shift kit

Axle/Gears: stock...373?

I'm working on my door panel now...what would be the best way to modify the front of the panel where the a-pillars get in the way, without getting the 4th gen ones?

Last edited by ReidK; Aug 6, 2006 at 09:43 PM.

Aug 6, 2006 | 10:04 PM

#54

Slepewesel

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From: Dayton, OH 45431

Car: 91 Camaro Z28

Engine: 5.0 TPI (LB9)

Transmission: 4L60

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReidK

I'm working on my door panel now...what would be the best way to modify the front of the panel where the a-pillars get in the way, without getting the 4th gen ones?

Reid, for your original post, the key to the handles seems to be getting the panel on where you want it first. then simply drill a hole to screw the trim piece on to, then measure back from that hole to the rivet that holds the handle on ...]

Aug 6, 2006 | 11:43 PM

#55

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReidK

I'm working on my door panel now...what would be the best way to modify the front of the panel where the a-pillars get in the way, without getting the 4th gen ones?

I originally had just cut it down and trimmed it with door guard. To fill the hole I used some fabric covered foam. Now that most everything is going to wrapped in leather/vinyl I'm just fiberglassing it to what fits.

Kevin D.

Aug 7, 2006 | 07:15 PM

#56

ReidK

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From: Iowa

Car: 1988 Firebird Formula t-tops

Engine: 350 60 over...400 HP

Transmission: 700 r4 transgo shift kit

Axle/Gears: stock...373?

another question...there is like a ridge along the top of the door...in one pic you have some of that ridge thing pounded down flush with the door...do you pound that thing down all along the top of the door, or just the back 2?

Aug 7, 2006 | 09:16 PM

#57

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

Mainly just the back half of the door. I also had to cut some down the side to help it sit right.

Kevin D.

Aug 7, 2006 | 09:32 PM

#58

ReidK

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From: Iowa

Car: 1988 Firebird Formula t-tops

Engine: 350 60 over...400 HP

Transmission: 700 r4 transgo shift kit

Axle/Gears: stock...373?

how do you get the bottom of the panel to go down further without nocking them ridges down? My panel shows alot of metal at the bottom of the door. Can you give me the measurements on where to cut down in the back.

another thing when my door shuts the bottom of it hits the seat belt retractor that's on the floor. Because it has a compartment for change or maps or whatever on the bottom of the panel. How do you get around that?

Aug 7, 2006 | 09:46 PM

#59

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReidK

how do you get the bottom of the panel to go down further without nocking them ridges down? My panel shows alot of metal at the bottom of the door.

Umm... That's why you have to knock the ridges down..

Quote:

Can you give me the measurements on where to cut down in the back.

Nope, just cut of what hits.

Quote:

another thing when my door shuts the bottom of it hits the seat belt retractor that's on the floor. Because it has a compartment for change or maps or whatever on the bottom of the panel. How do you get around that?

I'm not using the stock seatbelts. Putting the panel on like I am, so that it looks decent everywhere, interferes with A LOT of stock stuff. It's not simple or quick and you will be chasing problems around until everything works out.

To quote myself from one of the first replies, and something you should take to heart:

Quote:

To get it to fit with no gap you have to make a commitment that you are going to make them work. If you go in trying to keep everything for the 3rd gen panels to still work, they'll never look stock.

Kevin D.

Aug 7, 2006 | 10:34 PM

#60

ReidK

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From: Iowa

Car: 1988 Firebird Formula t-tops

Engine: 350 60 over...400 HP

Transmission: 700 r4 transgo shift kit

Axle/Gears: stock...373?

i took that to heart...umm about the ridges...i meant how do you get it to fit without nocking the front ones down? i have the back ones down but the panel is still showing quite a bit of metal on the bottom front.

Aug 7, 2006 | 11:30 PM

#61

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

The front is shorter then the the back on the 4th gen panels. Getting the window seals lined up on top will the leave the front being shorter then the rear. To help cover it, I epoxied the 3rd gen lower door panel seals to the bottom of the 4th gen door panel. It's add's an inch of fluff at the bottom.

Unless you're running lambo doors no one will notice.

Kevin D.

Aug 8, 2006 | 05:16 PM

#62

ReidK

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From: Iowa

Car: 1988 Firebird Formula t-tops

Engine: 350 60 over...400 HP

Transmission: 700 r4 transgo shift kit

Axle/Gears: stock...373?

so you used part of the 3rd gen panel? I'm not quite sure what you mean could you post a picture? Thanks.

Apr 30, 2008 | 03:32 AM

#63

358formula

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From: Grinnell Iowa

Car: 89 Formula Ws6

Engine: 358 Tbi

Transmission: 700r4

Axle/Gears: stock 2.73 posi

Re: 4th gen door panel teaser..

Quote:

Originally Posted by stalin05

hey anyone wana come to iowa and do that for me

Did ya ever say how much it was to do all that? And do they come in black?

where at in iowa are you i just did it to my 89 i am still trying to figure out the 4th gen door handels and final fitment

Apr 1, 2014 | 09:09 PM

#64

rooney428

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From: Memphis, TN

Car: 1986

Re: 4th gen door panel teaser..

Shr00m - looks awesome! Wish you were in N MS instead of South.. since I'm in Memphis... picking up a set of doorpanels tomorrow to go in my 86... panels are from 96 - in great shape and I think will really give it a good look. Wish they still had the seats but those were already gone.. so looking to either find another set of recover mine to match the door panels

Apr 2, 2014 | 12:04 AM

#65

shr00m

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From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Car: 1992 Jade Green---Trans Am Converti

Engine: LS1

Transmission: T56

Re: 4th gen door panel teaser..

I really thought I had updated this. Per another thread I did reply to:

Quote:

4th gen panels are wider then 3rd gen doors, they are not flat on the back side (they are curved out on the bottom and front), and they are shorter in the front then they are in the back.

Like Wraith said, no matter what you do they are not going to look stock. Whether they look good or not is up to you. My teaser pics were admittedly skewed to not show you the areas I didn't want anyone to see. They still might have worked out had I never put the kick-panels back in. They will hit the kick-panels.

So use this thread as a guide I suppose, but I was never happy with the results and would not recommend trying to cut 4th gen panels to fit. You can manage to get something that looks good with the door closed, but the front and bottom will never look great to me.

I ultimately went with the guts of a 4th gen panel fiberglassed to a blank 3rd gen panel/top. Build site is at http://www.ms-fbodies.com or in the stereo forum.