I've had a pair of Hawk pre-cut door panels, laid aside for a decade or more. It's past time to re-do the 56J's door panels, so I dug out the panels yesterday. Looking them over, they are neatly cut, but only .080" thick and kinda flimsy. Even worse, I put a few of the pop out pieces in a glass of water overnight, and they look like wet cardboard this morning.
I hate doing interior work, and never wanna have to come back and repeat. Hawk door panels, even with all new seals, are prone to getting wet in heavy rain. The last two pairs of door panels I made was for our GTs, and they came out nice, for driver quality. Instead of cardboard backing, I used (24" x 48" x 1/8") sheets of HDPE (do not use HDPE, use ABS instead) and, despite getting rain soaked several times, they remain as neat looking today as the first day installed. So I ordered more HDPE today, and will use the cardboard repro as a template.
I cannot take credit for the HDPE (do not use HDPE, use ABS instead) trick, I first saw it on a show quality 56J I worked on. That was about 20 years ago, and I still see that 56J on the internet once in awhile. Till now, its door panels look immaculate. Might as well do it right, and that's the plan for my 56J this time around.
UPDATE: I made notations above, but will also say it here, do NOT use HDPE, use ABS instead. The reason, the HDPE is highly polished on both side, so not a good surface for glue adhesion. ABS has one side textured, and very receptive to gluing. Also, 3/32" (.091") thickness is closer to the factory cardboard thickness, or at least the repro stuff I have, which is .080". Further, 24" width is not enough, as the panel is about 26" at its widest point. But 26" is near impossible to find, so today I ordered two sheets of 3/32" x 32 x 48. I also sent the HDPE seller a return request, keeping my fingers crossed.
I hate doing interior work, and never wanna have to come back and repeat. Hawk door panels, even with all new seals, are prone to getting wet in heavy rain. The last two pairs of door panels I made was for our GTs, and they came out nice, for driver quality. Instead of cardboard backing, I used (24" x 48" x 1/8") sheets of HDPE (do not use HDPE, use ABS instead) and, despite getting rain soaked several times, they remain as neat looking today as the first day installed. So I ordered more HDPE today, and will use the cardboard repro as a template.
I cannot take credit for the HDPE (do not use HDPE, use ABS instead) trick, I first saw it on a show quality 56J I worked on. That was about 20 years ago, and I still see that 56J on the internet once in awhile. Till now, its door panels look immaculate. Might as well do it right, and that's the plan for my 56J this time around.
UPDATE: I made notations above, but will also say it here, do NOT use HDPE, use ABS instead. The reason, the HDPE is highly polished on both side, so not a good surface for glue adhesion. ABS has one side textured, and very receptive to gluing. Also, 3/32" (.091") thickness is closer to the factory cardboard thickness, or at least the repro stuff I have, which is .080". Further, 24" width is not enough, as the panel is about 26" at its widest point. But 26" is near impossible to find, so today I ordered two sheets of 3/32" x 32 x 48. I also sent the HDPE seller a return request, keeping my fingers crossed.
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