Kinda been kicking around the idea of changing up my door panels. They look like **** anyway, so something needs to be done.

So what I have right now are what were stock grey LS panels with crank windows and no power anything that I painted black and cut a whole in to mount extra speakers. The paint is getting screwed and the speakers dont do what I wanted them to, so it is what it is.

I really like the look of some of the older American cars, full on tuner cars, and even some of the higher end Euro's that go with the minimalist approach. Now here me out on this... I've tossed around the idea of the sheet aluminum door panels. I kinda like how they look when done right. Big problem is, I live in Texas and that **** gets HOT! So then I thought about maybe carbon fiber. I've never worked with it, but it seems a bit like fiberglass which I have done. Both would be done kind of minimalist style with maybe a small armrest, something to pull the door shut with, window crank, lock, and door handle.

I dont know if anyone is good with photoshop to make some pictures to see how it would look? But that would be cool. Anyone got opinions? Hell tell me Im crazy and that its a **** idea. Tell me its awesome and I should do it. I dont care. I'm just kicking around ideas and thinking out loud here but lets effin brain storm this one out.

 

Seeing as the dash flows into the panels it will likely look like ****.

Good luck tho.

 

The carbon fiber would be expensive, but I think it would look pretty good actually. Keeping it simple might help to keep costs down. The aluminum would only look good if the rest of the interior was also decked out in an "aluminum style". It wouldn't have to all be metal, but at least give some appearance of being so. And yeah, it would be hot as hell in the summers in TX!

 

Ok, so I've been checking out both possible materials. Side note, CF is fuggin expensive!!! But with CF, I think I could get the weight down to about 3lbs per panel using 4 layers of 5.7oz CF plus the resin. But the cost would be at least $300 to make 2 panels. With aluminum, I could get the weight down to 4lbs per panel at a cost of about $150 for both. So I think the most cost effective would be the aluminum.

The fact that the door panels follow the flow of the dash does pose a problem. I dont know how horrible it would look, but I would have to just take the door panel off and close the door to see what it would look like. But I will check on that and see what I come up with.

The other big concern I have is how composite materials act during an impact. I've hear that in the event of a wreck CF tends to splinter and that wouldn't be good flying around in the cabin. Plus, if I wanted to put in a small armrest on the door, I wonder how long it would hold up being made from nothing but CF. I think aluminum would be better for longevity and structural integrity. And it can always be painted black to match the interior.

One thing I was thinking about was an aluminum backing plate, then using an expanding foam type material to make bolsters for the window crank, door handle, and possible even a molded in armrest, and then a layer of fiberglass over that in order to seal it all together. But then fiberglass behaves a lot like CF in wrecks, so I have that to contend with. But that would make painting marginally easier as well as keeping heat down.

Again, just rambling off ideas.

 

The armrest in the factory doors has a small plate it mounts into. Could build something based on that for an armrest.

 

Thats what I was thinking. Im not sure how its mounted to the door, whether its screwed or riveted, but replacing that piece with aluminum and coming up with some sort of pad for it would take care of the armrest. Although, since I've got a manual transmission car I typically hold the wheel with the left hand so I really wouldnt need an armrest on that side.

I've still got a lot of thinking to do. But Im liking the ideas, so please keep them coming if you, or anyone else, has more.