Door Predicament

[blazininthe73]

After finally getting most the exterior of my blazer nailed down I've run into a snag on the interior. I had a body shop do a full restore and paint on the body. They had to use a donor door because the original was in bad shape. At first glance both doors look the same but after a closer look and trying to mount the interior door panel, they are different. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. The body work was done years ago. The original door is in the second pic, from 1973. It seems I would have to get two different interior door panels if I left these doors on there uncut.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Can you identify which year the door in the first pic is from? Could I cut slots on the bottom angled section of the door in the second picture to match the door in the first pic?

 

[oakknight]

I am not an expert by any means, but looking at the repo parts catalogs online ;
there are two door shells available
73-76 and 77-91
but three interior panels
73-76 77-80 and 81-91

so I am guessing an interior panel fom 77-80 or 81-91 would hav the same mounting.

 

[oakknight]

another thought would be to take it back to the body shop. you paid good money for the wrong part to be installed. If they supplied the door they should have known better.

 

[blazininthe73]

I am not an expert by any means, but looking at the repo parts catalogs online ;
there are two door shells available
73-76 and 77-91
but three interior panels
73-76 77-80 and 81-91

so I am guessing an interior panel from 77-80 or 81-91 would have the same mounting.

another thought would be to take it back to the body shop. you paid good money for the wrong part to be installed. If they supplied the door they should have known better.

Thanks! I'll research those a little. Unfortunately, taking the truck back to the body shop isn't an option. I completely agree they should have known better and that's part of the reason things didn't end well. I'm going to do some measuring but it looks like the shell dimensions are the same just the holes are different. Hopefully I can modify the door in the second pic to accept a newer interior panel.

 

[blazinzuk]

I think it would be easier to modify the older door.


Doesn't look too hard. I actually prefer the older panels so I would actually choose to mod the newer door to fit the older one.

As long as you still have the paint code and its not faded or anything you should be able to match it pretty good

 

[blazininthe73]

I think it would be easier to modify the older door.


Doesn't look too hard. I actually prefer the older panels so I would actually choose to mod the newer door to fit the older one.

As long as you still have the paint code and its not faded or anything you should be able to match it pretty good

If I modify the older door(2nd pic) the panel will not cover the slots on the bottom angled area of the newer door. I would have to fill them and repaint. Is this what you're suggesting?

 

[blazinzuk]

If I modify the older door(2nd pic) the panel will not cover the slots on the bottom angled area of the newer door. I would have to fill them and repaint. Is this what you're suggesting?

Yep I don't like to do things the easy way

Plus I have had more 73s than any other year, so its my favorite year

 

[kennyw]

Why not get another correct door and have it painted to match the truck? In the end, it won't cost any more than the time you would have to put in to fix this one. Either way, you will be doing some painting.

 

[sweetk30]

prob with single door repaint would be color match correct. ould still have to blend the color to the quarter and fender . painted that long ago and diffrent painter and mixer it would look off on our flat body line trucks a lot more than newer round stuff.

were i work i have seen the scanner / match unit get it close and still be off on paint mix once out in the sun light.

so for him it might almost be better if the paint work is 100% to just modify the door inside to fit.

 

[496truck]

So, your truck is a full vert 73 K5 or pickup?

Original door on drivers side. Replacement door on pass.
Did they modify a later 1/2 cab door for full vert? Or did 74 or 75 have different interior panels? It looks to me like the original door panels didn't cover as much door as the later ones, I just don't know when they changed.

Easy solution, cut holes and modify the original to accept later panels. Problem is it may not be what you want to do. Nitpickers will nitpick because the truck will have incorrect (later) interior door panels.

More difficult solution, cut weld, patch the replacement door and only have to repaint the inside and jamb area. Would be hard to tell a slight mismatch in that area with the door open or closed. This way you could use your original interior door panels and the truck would look right in the end result.

All depends on what you want for the end result, full on restoration or resto-mod or resto-custom or I-don't-care-what-anyone-else-thinks-it's-my-damn-truck.

 

[ryoken]

prob with single door repaint would be color match correct. ould still have to blend the color to the quarter and fender . painted that long ago and diffrent painter and mixer it would look off on our flat body line trucks a lot more than newer round stuff.

were i work i have seen the scanner / match unit get it close and still be off on paint mix once out in the sun light.

so for him it might almost be better if the paint work is 100% to just modify the door inside to fit.

it's just as much, if not more, in how it's sprayed... but it is a single stage solid, so you have a pretty good shot of it looking good.. metallic, not a chance in he!!...


i would say it depends on what'll be easier to find, a new door, or swapping both door panels over to the larger door panel... you don't need to get fancy and cut the "T"'s for the blocks, just drill holes for self tappers in the appropriate spots, after all, thats all the white plastic blocks do..

 

[blazininthe73]

Thanks for all the replies. Here's a recent pic of my K5. As you can tell, I don't care much about staying true to the period. I'm assuming they chopped a later model door to be full vert. The original interior door panel doesn't cover as much as the newer door. I think I'll try to make the larger door panels work since filling holes and repainting doesn't have great appeal to me and I've never really cared much about what others think.