Create Custom Door Panels

Are you looking into creating some cool modifications to your interior? You can start with some dash trim, maybe some racing seats and a steering wheel, but do you want something bigger? How about customizing your door panels?

Door panels can be modified just for looks of for cool looks and functionality. A lot of good audio shops can modify your door panels to accomodate extra or bigger speakers or car accessories, and these mods really set off the interior form something ordinary to something extraordinary.

If yu want to give this a shot yourself, then ill give you a rundown on how to go about getting the job done right. Start by taking notes on the clearances you need for the door to close properly and for the driver/passenger to be comfortable. There should not be anything hindering or sticking out too far. Once you have an idea of the space you have available, its time to take off the door panel. With door panels, it is important to work outwards away from the door, not inwards. You want the panel to remain flat and securely fastened, so any modifications, will have to keep the depth of the door panel the same, while building up any needed clearance on the outside of the existing panel. For example, if you are installing a door speaker that needs 4 extra inches of clearance, then you will have to design the door panel to curve out to the speaker by building up the outside of the panel.

There are several ways to do this. One idea is to use fiberglass. Using the existing door panel, build a frame for the new shape you need using a 1/2 inch mdf board. Get some fleece material and some fiberglass resin mixed with hardener. Staple the fleece over the area to be fiberglassed, stretching the fleece tight enough to get a solid foundation for the resin. Generously apply the resin over the shaped fleece material and allow it to dry. You can apply a second and third coat if you think you need a more stable panel for your speakers.

The next step is to figure out the covering of the panel. You can either sand and paint it, or you can cover it with leather/vinyl/carpet material. You can also do a few types of materal, such as diamond plate, leather, and carpet. More on this coming soon.