Door Panel Recommendations

[moparmaniac59]

Hi guys,
I am looking for some recommendations for a good quality replacement door panel. I know Year One has them for I think about $445.00 bucks and a company called A1 something?? has them for about $365.00. If I am going to spend 400 to 500 bucks I want good quality(actually I want good quality period!). And I don't want to go for the cheaper price and trade off quality. I've done the re-dye thing on mine and it turned out OK, but now it's time to step up in quality and replace them. Any suggestions??  Thanks guys!!


                                                             Matt B.

[73Chally]

Right now I believe there are only 2 suppliers that actually reproduce the door panels that everyone is selling.  I believe Palco is the better of the 2, but I persoanlly do not have any experience with either, other than seeing a set someone else had (not installed), and the plastic was very thin and stiff, nothing like the originals.  At this point in time no one makes a truly accurate reproduction, and if you do buy a set the grain will not match the rear panels.  I've heard some rumors that someone is supposed to be coming out with a much more accurate reproduction.  I need a new set, also, but I am just going to sit tight until something better comes along.

By the way, nice choice of colors on your car

[CHUCKS71]

I got mine from Legendary and they are made by palco.I have heard they are not the best fit and the grain is a little off.I have not had a chance to put them on yet so I'm not sure on the fit.  

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Matt,

  Your best option is always to buy a nice set of originals. Did you look at Carlisle? They are tough to find, but I bought a set of Palco panels about 5 years back. They were put in a dumpster within a year. I had to massage them to get them to fit. They were made of hard plastic, unlike the originals.

 So, unless the after-market people have stepped up their game in the last 5 years, I wouldn't go there.  


  Mike

[Carlwalski]

Palco are junk. Tried them twice, pattern sucked, the holes were way out and it just fit like junk. Now they reside in the shed and are useless to me. I'm not actually sure why the hell I'm keeping them, they take up valuable room. Step up quality? For the best results, bar none, restore good condition factory panels. That IS the best you can do. If you dyed/painted them correctly that is. They have to be in good shape to begin with. No pitting, scuff marks or permanent pressure marks/dents. Prep and dye them correctly and they come out better than new.

Here are mine, not 100% happy with them but being in NZ it's hard to find good condition door panels for E-Bodies at your local swapmeets LOL. I will be replacing these as they do have pitting and some marks that couldn't be removed. I had them painted and fitted until I spot some good/excellent condition black ones on eBay. These are fine until then, I'm picky is all.


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AFTER

[71ChallengerSE]

Hey Matt, you could talk to Butch... he is holding a pass. side panel for me, he said he had a lot and Bill said he had a complete set in nice condition and I was going to talk to him tomorrow to see if he still has them, I may want his pass. side instead of Butch's panel if they are any better, but original is always the better choice if you can find them.

[moparmaniac59]

Thanks for all the input. I may send mine off to The dash place called "just dashes". They seem to be a good company. I did look at Carlisle, but didn't have much luck as everything had already been picked over & what was left looked pretty ratty. And thanks Chris, I knew Butch has a few. He always tells me he has something I was looking for AFTER I went and paid big bucks for it somewhere else!! It wasn't funny then. I'm gonna have to inventory his stockpile one day!!


                                                       Matt B.

[73Chally]

Just a heads up on Just Dashes - They are very pricey, but will give you a good end product.  Unfortunately they lay a new coating over the top of the original plastic, so you lose some detail in the graining.  I personally have not seen a Just Dashes panel in person, but pictures I have seen look nice.  If you need something done now, this might be your best bet, but the last quote I got on mine was close to $1,000.

[moparmaniac59]

Wow,
I didn't think a restoration to a piece of plastic would be that much.  I am first looking to see what I can find in a used set. I have seen some that look darn near new for a mile less than 1K!!! Thanks!!


                                                        Matt B.

[duodec]

I'm hoping that an accurate reproduction gets made at some point.  My car needs white panels, and having lived the bulk of its life in southern Cali and Las Vegas, the originals are more chalk that panel.  I bought one pristine drivers-side panel years ago but never was able to get a nice passenger or rear panels (that I could afford).  Although the SEM dies sound like they do a fine job, I'm leary of the long term durability of the white dye over the (most common in good used condition so probably) black base panel color.

[MJS73]

I'd go with the Just Dashes option.  They did mine.  See photos at www.mikes73.com on the Interior and Resto pages.

Mike

[FM3V6M]

Just to clarify the pricing for 'Just Dashes'; to restore my ebody dash was $800 cash (walk-in, drop-off) with a 2-week turn around. Each Cuda door panel was $180 each cash also.  They don't advertise this but if you pay cash there is no sales tax and they expedite the process, otherwise its $850+s/h for the dash and $200+s/h for each panel and a 6 to 8 week turn around.

[MJS73]

That jives with my experience.  All 4 panels, a speaker grille and return (insured) shipping was $1000.

They don't advertise this but if you pay cash there is no sales tax and they expedite the process

There's probably a reason they don't advertise that.

Mike