The longest build thread ever, at least it seems like it!

[Kaiserjeeps]

Got some work done on the doors. It is amazing how the mirrors bend the door skin. I have welded up old mirror holes and worked the metal with some bondo. Maybe I can get some primer on after my online church service. Don't laugh but I am putting door locks on. Kind of a restomod thing. Defeatable in seconds I just plain wanted them.



My latest experimenting with rust products. SEM and 3M products work. My rust is only surface and no real pitting. Glad for that.



Almost ready for primer. I need a lot more sanding to smooth it over.





Can't wait till their painted and loaded.

[brute4c]

Not to complicate your build...

I have noticed that mirror flex of the door as well...Im sure many have...

Is there a way to make a reinforcement on the inside of the door to reduce the flex or even eliminate it without interfering with the other items that need to remain functional? Gotta be a way?

[Kaiserjeeps]

If I had the luxury of more time for assumed perfection, I would do this. I would use a contour gauge to profile the outside skin. That would give me the exact shape of a second skin to glue in on the underside. I would fabricate a patch say 8 inches long or less by how ever wide to install. I would glue it in with body panel adhesive. I would take the appropriate steps to keep body panel adhesive off the surrounding areas inside the door with masking and maybe wax paper or plastic. Then I would clean the patch area where the second skin would go. That would be the most enjoyable part of this.... NOT. I would then find a way to clamp the patch in with semi fast cure body panel adhesive and get it installed. Probably easy clamping with the wing window out. Then wait for a cure and drill through to establish the mirror mount holes. Coat the patch with paint and after drying install the mirror and hope for the best. The door skin is too flexible even being strengthened with contour. Body panel adhesive is just as strong as a weld. Maybe stronger. It has corrosion inhibitors and is a great solution for when welding is not easy to accomplish. I have had to cut clamps apart from getting the smallest dab of adhesive on the clamp pads. It is by far stronger than you would ever imagine. That is my .000002 cent caffeinated answer.

I got primer on my doors yesterday. It was 30 degrees in the morning and 77 that afternoon. I am waiting for it to dry and do some spot putty touch up. I thought it would look like crud. But the primer shows all the sanding paid off. So close, so close...

[Kaiserjeeps]

Maybe some 16GA or 14GA metal, in a strip or a one piece rectangle drilled to the M truck mirror hole spacing. Not glued but just to act like a big washer to spread the load. With some flange head bolts it might help some. As long as it did not distort the door skin.