Repairing wasted door panels and textured plastic.

[cuda hunter]

They do look good.
What brand of texture product did you use that is out of production now?

[Mr Lee]

Wow.  Amazing job!


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[70 Challenger Lover]

This is a great thread and I'm truly impressed with the results. I appreciate the discussion about what worked and what didn't but after a while, I had a hard time digesting it.

Any chance someone could condense it into a step by step process for those who want to try this themselves? With details on the products needed and spray equipment with settings?

[Mr Cuda]

Hey,  I get it,  No continuity as I went through many steps to get my end result. I wanted to update my thread to show that its completed.  It was almost a year from my last post. I didn't want to leave the thread undone for the few that had interest. Not that I expect many to attempt.
Alot of things didn't work,  and I  pointed that out.
So....
  If you have a hardtop, you will buy new ones.  They fit and are nice from what I've heard.
If you want convertible panels, you can get used for big money for plastic on the verge of failure, or  buy palco and live with it.
I am a glutton for punishment,  so I repaired. 

There is no guide for most of the steps since it's  just like doing autobody.  Lots of sanding,  some primer and SEM plastic paint. SEM comes in rattle cans for those who don't have paint equipment. 
The texture is from a non skid floor coating.
EZ-Trak (aerosol spray can). A synthetic grit suspended in a 1part epoxy.  Good adhesion to plastic.
Durable as you can use it for floors and stairs.  I had to buy a case, so I can sell cans, if anyone wants to try.

[70 Challenger Lover]

Perfect! That's what I was looking for.

[cuda hunter]

Question for ya. 
I have done pretty much the same process on a few sets now but I power blasted the chalky texture off of the plastics instead of sanding the majority.  Cut down the time of sanding.
I have used the SEM paints with the adhesion primer with very good results.  The plastic would bend a little and not crack the adhesion primer or the paint.
If the texture is an epoxy does the plastic still have some bend without cracking the SEM final color coat that is on top of the epoxy? 

Not that the panels are flexed much after being installed but a good elbow to the rear panel flex's it a good bit.   Curious.

[Mr Cuda]

 Epoxy by nature has some flex qualities.  I manhandled these pretty well, and left in the sun to check my speaker  patch for expansion in the heat.
The biggest challenge is clean plastic for adhesion.
No solvents should be used on PP for cleaning.  And plenty of time between paint operations.
I got all my wood in. The years of being bummed about speaker holes is over.

[Jay Bee]

Not to hijack this thread BUT remember this one from years ago

https://forum.e-bodies.org/interior/6/interior-plastic-restoration-journey/18703/

[Mr Cuda]

Not to hijack this thread BUT remember this one from years ago

https://forum.e-bodies.org/interior/6/interior-plastic-restoration-journey/18703/

Read my first sentence on post 1

[larry4406]

Mr Cuda - awesome results!

In Post 39 you mention "mystery glue" to bond the patch piece at the former speaker hole.  What product did you use?

I searched for EZ-Trak non skid coating and am coming up empty.  Link?

[Jay Bee]

Read my first sentence on post 1

, after 4 pages I forgot. Now what did I do yesterday 

[Mr Cuda]

 4 pages.  I could delete all the posts of stuff I tried,  but even those had an acceptable appearance if done on all panels. Most had an appearance similar  to kawahondas final results. Maybe edit down to the result, but then you get no sense of the struggle.
Like finding out  EZ trac is not available in  individual cans, only case lots, after using one of my last cans on the sample panel.  So I order a case @$33 each, because it works best.
Polypropylene plastic is hard to bond. Plastic welding really doesn't work,  its against the nature of PP and heat.
Duramix bumper "glue" cartridges are $48 on Amazon plus you need the special application gun. I used that product for backer patches on repair areas.  PP is so "greasy" that you need adhesion promoter to bond well.
On the patches I used the plastic super glue 2 pack which has the activator swab, and a granulated powder filler,  then soaked the joint down with lots of super glue.  Do this outside,  I used the paint booth, as the fumes will burn your eyes.  Then after roughing up the backside,  coating the joint with the duramix 4240 as extra. Not sure I needed to as the superglue bonded joint passed the bend test.
Finally,  after you have a solid , chalk free panel,  epoxy prime it before applying any bondo or putty coat over imperfections.  You only need to finish off to 150 grit, the texture will cover.
And time, add time to the cost, and new becomes affordable. 

[larry4406]

 Mr Cuda thanks for documenting your journey including the fails. This should be a sticky somewhere.

[Mr Cuda]

 I am so glad to have the speaker holes fixed.  Now I'm moving on to the super rare  Y1  beige interior panels.  To make the rears match the front,  i will do all 4, and the seat backs.
These have seen alot of sun and have "some" chalking.  Only one this spot cracked out.

[cuda hunter]

Y1 ?  You got me.
Can you please post a picture of the fender tag.  Even if you block out everything else.
I have no code showing y1.  I have a Y,Y3,Y4 and Y5  but have never seen a y1. 
Please educate me. 

I own a 1971 Y5 interior on Y4 exterior. 
I had a 1972 Y3  Interior on a Y9 exterior.