New doors

[MetalMagus]

Hi Folks,

It's been ages since I posted on here. But, touch wood my 90 has been running okay needing very little doing to it.

I am going to have it resprayed soon and the majority of the body work is sound. Where I do have a problem is the doors just below the windows, and the door frames. The Birmabrite has corroded and is blistering. The guy who is going to paint it for me says that he can rub this down and paint it but it would only last a few months before it shows through again.

I have found some new doors at Craddocks for around £250 each, delivered. Is this around what I can expect to pay? What sort of money do 2nd hand doors go for? My original door frame bottoms are knackered so new or second hand doors in decent nick are the order of the day. The work I would need to do in welding in a new piece of door frame and reskinning each door, I thought it might be easier to replace the whole lot in the long run. What I need to know then is what is involved in changing out the doors and the hinges. I need to swap the lock mechanisms, seals and glass, etc so I was looking for any tips and advice from anyone that has done this job before.

Cheers

Sean

[Maverik]

I got a "seconds" door from craddocks at 125 squid, it had a few dints, but it was a Genuine New 06 full steel door, I sprayed it fitted it out and put it on the vehicle a couple of weeks ago, fit perfectly, very nice door that I'm hopeing will last the duration! the bottom frame in the door is very much more open than alu doors, so water easily runs out of it, if it gets in. I'm actually thinking about buying a full price one for the passanger side too.

the trickyest bit of taking all the bits from one to another was fitting the window, but after some wiggling that was pretty straight forward.

Something to note. the actual felt that the window runs in is held in place buy small counter sunck screw hidden in the actual fold of the felt runner, you have to dig around a bit to find them before the window slider and packer will come out.

The new 06 steel doors are of a TD5 era bulkhead. so the actual hinge 'door' holes are about 4mm further into the door, i.e you need to overlise the screw clip holes in your bulkhead if its not a TD5 era - I'm not sure what year they changed this, but its a real pain, don't ask me how I found this out...

The steel doors also have the TD5 style inner door plate for holding the window regulator. I could not find one of these panles for under 250 squid so I made some little steel convert pieces and was able to utilies the older inner door panel.

I'd say it was well worth doing, but be aware its a bit of a wee minefield, just make sure you've got all the right bits.

What is should look like:-

And the mods I did to get a standard inner door panel to fit:-

[Retroanaconda]

If I had an all-steel door I'd be getting it galvanised!

[Maverik]

If I had an all-steel door I'd be getting it galvanised!

They are fully electro plated. - somewhat more refined that hot dipped galvanising.

[Retroanaconda]

Even the frames?

I've seen Defenders a few years old with surface rust in the bottom of the door frames

[Maverik]

Even the frames?

I've seen Defenders a few years old with surface rust in the bottom of the door frames

The only bit that I could tell that wasn't plated was the door check mounting, other than that the door had a bright finish. Even after I degreesed it, I didn't get any flash rusting so I recon it was all plated.

[Landy4ducks]

I changed both offside and nearside doors on my 1985 landy with a pair of doors from a 2006 defender, last year when the bulkhead was replaced from a 2002 defender.

Only had to replace and resite the door keepers.

Got the pair from a salvage yard for around £200 each complete with all internals - the inside door trim and locks was not included.

Had to prep the doors ready for a new paint job, but that is just time and a bit of graft if you do it by hand. Respray cost £50 by a local lad who has converted his garage into a spray shop.

The door trim is readily available or you can re use your own.

Be careful about door locks - newer version keys and locks can only be got through Landrover main dealers, check with Paddocks what year?. In the end I purchased a couple of new push button door handles complete with new locks and 3 keys from M&M 4 x 4 in Worcester (they have a web site also), fairly cheap as I recall - cheaper than the new keys and locks from Land Rover. Fitting the new handles is a bit fiddly with all the linkages and limited space for your hands.

Final job before fitting door cards is to give a good coating of waxoil in the bottom of door.

[Phils truck]

Rust and corrosion... I should write a book how it can make a person insane.

They say,, a stitch in time will save nine.

Yeah right,, try to stitch up a rusty Landy door frame.

Phil....

[landmannnn]

Or if you are tough and don't mind the elements these door bottoms from WM4x4 seem good value at £100 for the pair.

[Cat_J]

I can see myself replacing my doors when mine goes back together, the bottom are pretty rotten, the drivers side has totally falled apart and although they could be fixed it might just not be worth it.

Are the replacements from craddocks steel frame with ali skin or all steel?

[LR90]

Or if you are tough and don't mind the elements these door bottoms from WM4x4 seem good value at £100 for the pair.

These look interesting but their web site suggest £200 a pair + £20 P&P + vat (+2% for CC payment) which is a bit far off £100 a pair

Also are they steel skin?

[Marco]

I did replace all my doors back in 2007 with Paddock supplied news ones. The delivery man was not happy.... carrying them to my front door.

By now they have been on the vehicle for 3 years, I did my utmost best to prevent them from rusting, which is pretty impossible. There is rust on the wax coated frames and earlier this year aluminum corrosion started to show on the flat part below the window. I guess they just do not last because of the fact they are made up out of two types of metal pressed together, steel and aluminum.

If available I would suggest to go for the best / newest available genuine doors, guess they will outlast any pattern type. Or alternatively dismantle a non genuine new door, have the frame galvanized and refit. Not sure it that's a viable option.

Cheers

Marco

[landmannnn]

These look interesting but their web site suggest £200 a pair + £20 P&P + vat (+2% for CC payment) which is a bit far off £100 a pair

Also are they steel skin?

Sorry - each. All steel.

[MetalMagus]

Thanks for all the options and advice folks.

Lots for me to think about. Plan at the moment is to fit the new wheels and tyres that the nice UPS man has just dropped off.

Then let my credit card recover before buying the new doors.

Probably wait it out over the winter before getting the doors and having the whole thing resprayed. As a thought has anyone ever come across fibreglass full doors?

It would be one way to get rid of the corrosion.

Thanks

Sean