1956 Door panel

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:55 pm
Thanks for letting me in

I've been a Fabricator for 35 years but not a Body man
I have a 1956 chevy truck I am restoring.
How to fix??
The door panel is not flat in some areas and need to be body work back flat, see Video link
There is a brace about mid way down the door on the inside but NOT touching the panel and it is bent.
I could make several braces to put behind the panel and pull it back, But I THINK it needs to be split with a cutoff wheel first??

You can buy door skins for 500.00 + shipping and they may or may not be flat, most of the aftermarket panels don't fit and have to be modified, so I want to use what I have.

I just made this Youtube so it may not be loaded yet
The gap is about 1/4" on the left and 3/16" on the other :shocked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sswGR5xr1c0
Last edited by MD2020 on Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:14 pm
Wow, that looks familiar.

Door Right Front View.JPG
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:49 pm
Nice ride :worthy:

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 7:29 pm
It's not mine.
I did this for a guy after someone else took him for a bunch of money and he got the truck back in pieces.

You can see the build in the Member's Project Section
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=22145
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 9:54 pm
Nice work :clap:



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 11:37 pm
i'm not sure what your after but Is anyone POSITIVE that that door is supposed to be that flat from end to end? I GET IT i like to make them FLAT from door to the rear corner of the cab and front fender. what i usually do is to bump the edge of the door out so it lines up perfect with the cab corner jamb. usually doesn't take much, 1/8" at most. one needs to be careful as when you bump the edge out it bends the skin IN about an inch behind the edge. and then up. you'll get what you have on the door now. filler at the edge ( bent in) then shiny metal (bent out) i would get it as close as you can without cutting it then shoot a couple good wet coats of hi-build primer then start looking at it. throw the measuring tape away, its to flexible. try and get some steel banding and try it or try your hardware store for some 1/8 x 1 aluminum flat bar.
Jay D.
they say my name is Jay



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 11:53 pm
I'm surprised you are asking us boyz for help. You're way ahead of us. Great work!



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PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 12:22 am
badsix wrote:i'm not sure what your after but Is anyone POSITIVE that that door is supposed to be that flat from end to end? I GET IT i like to make them FLAT from door to the rear corner of the cab and front fender. what i usually do is to bump the edge of the door out so it lines up perfect with the cab corner jamb. usually doesn't take much, 1/8" at most. one needs to be careful as when you bump the edge out it bends the skin IN about an inch behind the edge. and then up. you'll get what you have on the door now. filler at the edge ( bent in) then shiny metal (bent out) i would get it as close as you can without cutting it then shoot a couple good wet coats of hi-build primer then start looking at it. throw the measuring tape away, its to flexible. try and get some steel banding and try it or try your hardware store for some 1/8 x 1 aluminum flat bar.
Jay D.


The end of the door matches the Cab jam and the front fender fine, but the door panel is ballooned out. So if I cut it like I said on the video and get the panel straight, then push the whole panel back in. That is a 6 foot straight edge Yellow ruler 2-1/2" wide and 3/16" thick



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PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 7:44 am
Looks like lots of filler in the door, do I am guessing there might be serious stretch there, making it bulge out. Being as it seems to be over a wide area, I am not sure that torch shrinking in spots will work. Well, it WILL work, but with loss of control over the panel, and the use of more filler. Cold shrinking might work, if you lots of experience in doing it.
I would say the safest way would be to use a shrinking disc. You can spread the shrinking action out over a large area, and gradually pull the panel back into "straightness". But even this methos takes a bit of skill, and paying lots of attention to what you are doing, versus what is happening to the panel.



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PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 1:54 pm
Thanks for the reply
Body filler is minimum everywhere but the edges. I can see the back side.
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