Door cards

[ChrisCtype]

I'm looking at my options for door cards but also suppliers of board so I can cut my own.
I can get 3mm hardboard easily but I'm considering MDF or ply, I think I would prefer ply as I am concerned about the stability of MDF absorbing moisture.
However I'm open to experience from others
Obtaining 3mm ply seems to be difficult, MDF less so , any recommendations for a supplier of board would also be appreciated around the Oxford area

thanks

Chris

[mgcjag]

Hi Chris.....mdf is far more stable than standard ply...unless you go for marine ply.......you can waterproof standard mdf by coating with varnish etc....or you could use the premium moisture resistant Medite board.....dont forget that you fit a plactic membrane between door and card.......Steve

[Gfhug]

Remember the front of the door card is not straight at the top but has a bend in it. MDF doesn’t bend (unless wet )

Geoff

[mgcjag]

Hi Geoff...thats the first iv heard of a bend......flat on my 2+2.....can you explain please plus photo?.....iv bent plenty of mdf dry.....furniture etc.....cheers...Steve
Lots of detail on boards https://john-skinner.co.uk/in-detail-our-panel-kits/

[Gfhug]

Steve, at the top of the door where it goes from level at the window to sloping down towards the hinge the door and forward door chrome has a bend. If Chris looks at his door chrome he will see that the forward one has a couple of kinks.
Haven’t got a decent photo to hand will see what I can do.

Cheers (and when are you going to buy another E Type?)

Geoff

PS shall admit to only seeing mdf bent when wet, hence my smilie

Does this show it clearly enough?

[mgcjag]

Hi Geoff...yes im with you now.....no big deal though you just use a flat door card shape it over and its held in with clips.....you made it sound like you had to soak it to get the shape

[Series1 Stu]

Hi Chris

I've just bought some 3mm birch plywood on Amazon. I plan to give it a couple of coats of outdoor wood preserver before trimming with moquette for the left rear wheel arch blanking plate. You should be able to get a reasonably close size to what you need.

You'll have the plastic sheet between the door and the door card so you only really have to think about the risk of condensation in the car, which you can control anyway.

Regards

[politeperson]

Hi Chris,

These ones fit well and and well priced.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173576783781 ... SwWzlde2cH

James

[ChrisCtype]

James so those ones on e bay are High density board HDF which from my research is hardboard but I have found this one which says its harder than MDF
https://www.jastimber.co.uk/white-hdf-8 ... oard-sheet
So I might give them a call and get a sheet as I also need to do the B pillar cards
or I may
have a look at this
https://www.diy.com/departments/fibrebo ... 257_BQ.prd

cheers Chris

[Robsan]

These ones fit well and and well priced.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173576783781 ... SwWzlde2cH

Thoe are for S1............ is the OP's car an S2 ?, if so door cards are differant

[ChrisCtype]

Yes series 2 I found the correct ones after James posted the same link https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173576786421

I think I will buy the 3mm HDF board and make my own as that is what this supplier is using, hopefully I will then be able to make the B post cards from it, if I can work out how to create a bend in it

thanks to all
Chris

[vee12eman]

Hi,

Bending MDF is fairly easy if you have a steamer, just an ordinary household steam cleaner. Steam the board, bend carefully then dry as quickly as possible. Living in a warm climate helps, but you can use a heat gun or hairdryer for the job, just go carefully. Try not to leave it wet for too long, because MDF will break up if it’s damp for a long period, but a few minutes has worked for me, making fairly complex shapes, such as the pieces above the rear arches of my E-type, similarly for my old GT6, the rear parcel shelf of my current project and various others. I’ve been told you can’t do it, but I’ve succeeded every time and I can’t remember ever wasting material. Once I did get a little separation as the back of one of the tighter curved pieces lifted and peeled, I simply allowed it to dry then stuck it back with PVA glue to get a very strong panel.

Good luck with it,

Simon

[ChrisCtype]

Simon
Thanks for that info, exactly what I was considering doing so great to know it will work
Cheers
Chris

[angelw]

The economics of making your own don't stack up; we've visited that project a few times. However, the best material to use, in my opinion and it would seem the opinion of the professional trim kit manufacturers, is Masonite. It is far more stable than any of the material mentioned and is quite water resistant. Marine ply is actually no more resistant to warping than ordinary ply; its just that the glue used in the lamination is more water proof that that used in non marine ply.

The bend in the door frame is only at the top and therefore, its more of a twist with a slight bend at the top over a reasonable distance. No steaming or pre-shaping is required, as the whole of the top edge of the door card is restrained by a chrome moulding. If anything, this twist and slight bend is an advantage, as it gives a very slight outward aspect to the door card through the Window Winder area.

Regards,

Bill

[vee12eman]

Hi,
Sorry Bill, I have immense respect for your posts normally, but saying that for a DIY restoration, making your own door cards isn’t economic sense is, well, nonsense. I’ve made them for my E-type, Kombi, Triumph GT6, Austin A50, Spitfire, Herald and others. Most were exact replicas of the original, some modified to taste. There are some which can’t be made exactly as the original design, but my E-type Series 3 has exact replicas made by me. I don’t enter concours shows, nor do I make a special effort to prepare cars for shows. Nevertheless I have won two prizes in, admittedly small shows where the car is entered just by being present. No one has ever commented that the trim looks homemade, doesn’t match other, existing trim or any comments other than pleasant surprise/shock, when I tell them I trim most of the cars myself. I also make other trim pieces two, I don’t have the E-type photos on this device, but here are a couple of photos of my A50 Ute which has every piece of trim made by me, except the seat cushions, which are original. Everything else, including the seat backs, I trimmed myself. I didn’t spend even a quarter of the costs of professional trim.













Regards,

Simon

[ALAN COCHRANE]

I can also vouch for home trim panels which I made many years ago for my GT6.
I used hardboard to great effect. They were all 3mm hardboard except the rear deck panels which were at least 5mm.
The door cards on my E-Type were for a later 4.2 S2. From memory these did not have the preformed bend at the front corner. The easiest way to achieve this is to cut a diagonal line down the back with a Stanley knife. This means that when fitted there’s no tendency for the clips to spring out.

[ChrisCtype]

Well after much consideration I purchased a 8x4 sheet of 3mm HDF and have cut and finished the door cards, there are some extra marks on the right hand door card (for those eagle eyed which look like holes) these are my marking out for the hole positions in the door itself. The remaining B post and rear arch cards have also been cut I just need to finish these once the car comes back on Monday from the paint shop