You will need to route a small recess in the LH side rear door to fit the pull. This area can only be about 1/8" thick to still fit the pull.
Your panels look really good!
Your panels look really good!
ARCHIVE 73/74 Owners: Any Interest in HDPE Side Panels?
- Thread starter wardharris
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #82
SIDE PANEL UPDATE
As some viewers may know, I am doing a build thread (rambling technical chat) for my 73 here LSJ 73 Resto Mod - The Flying Burrito
Part of the build is a do-over of the interior and I found an interior/upholstery guy who said he would reproduce the factory panels (rear sides and rear doors) in plastic sheet and install....fine, done, no problem.....except he has had shoulder surgery and is out of action for a bit as described in above posts. As noted, Torfab volunteered to make up some panels to fit......from metal......or (now) maybe plastic.......... Like I said, things changed.
Current thinking: sheet plastic with textured surface, high pressure water jet for cutting, flat head hex head hardware for attachment, speaker grilles, etc.
Torfab is now designing a couple sets of prototype panels - rear sides and rear doors. We/they are now thinking aluminum or HDPE with access hatches for washer bottle (or fuse block in my case) on right rear corner, jack storage (left rear corner) and storage hatches behind the speaker grilles on sides. Tor and Donovan (designer/lead tech) will build a couple, figure out the details, determine production issues and pricing and, then,MAYBE put them in production.
No promises, but there MAY be a solution at a price. IF they come to market, the range of options would likely include front door panels as well, but no promises. IF and WHEN they come to market, they won't be cheap. The vinyl/cardboard panels can still be had (I think) but they aren't cheap and the rear sides don't provide much in the way of storage access. I would assume the Torfab kit (when done) will be significantly more expensive than the OEM panels and a lot more than Home Depot DIY.
I will post any/all meaningful info to THIS thread as things progress...... Here's a teaser image to whet your appetite. Tor and his crew do great work......preliminary (not final) CAD file below.
(NOTE: This is not a Terrain Tamer, Can Am, etc. project/product.)
As some viewers may know, I am doing a build thread (rambling technical chat) for my 73 here LSJ 73 Resto Mod - The Flying Burrito
Part of the build is a do-over of the interior and I found an interior/upholstery guy who said he would reproduce the factory panels (rear sides and rear doors) in plastic sheet and install....fine, done, no problem.....except he has had shoulder surgery and is out of action for a bit as described in above posts. As noted, Torfab volunteered to make up some panels to fit......from metal......or (now) maybe plastic.......... Like I said, things changed.
Current thinking: sheet plastic with textured surface, high pressure water jet for cutting, flat head hex head hardware for attachment, speaker grilles, etc.
Torfab is now designing a couple sets of prototype panels - rear sides and rear doors. We/they are now thinking aluminum or HDPE with access hatches for washer bottle (or fuse block in my case) on right rear corner, jack storage (left rear corner) and storage hatches behind the speaker grilles on sides. Tor and Donovan (designer/lead tech) will build a couple, figure out the details, determine production issues and pricing and, then,MAYBE put them in production.
No promises, but there MAY be a solution at a price. IF they come to market, the range of options would likely include front door panels as well, but no promises. IF and WHEN they come to market, they won't be cheap. The vinyl/cardboard panels can still be had (I think) but they aren't cheap and the rear sides don't provide much in the way of storage access. I would assume the Torfab kit (when done) will be significantly more expensive than the OEM panels and a lot more than Home Depot DIY.
I will post any/all meaningful info to THIS thread as things progress...... Here's a teaser image to whet your appetite. Tor and his crew do great work......preliminary (not final) CAD file below.
(NOTE: This is not a Terrain Tamer, Can Am, etc. project/product.)
Keep me on the list of interested parties ...
- Thread starter
- #84
Man, here I had high hopes of removing a door to utilize the HDPE as a cutting board for wild, hand caught salmon, WAY off the beaten trail.
Guess I'll have to just lay her over, now, and use the future skid plate....
It's, at least, gonna be hand brushed stainless, right?
Hahahaha.
Do you have the removable door tops, Ward?
Guess if these are a viable option, Tor could adjust the cut to accommodate the access holes for them, at least.
Guess I'll have to just lay her over, now, and use the future skid plate....
It's, at least, gonna be hand brushed stainless, right?
Hahahaha.
Do you have the removable door tops, Ward?
Guess if these are a viable option, Tor could adjust the cut to accommodate the access holes for them, at least.
- Thread starter
- #86
If you pay him enough, Tor will likely give you a drop-down cutting board/serving table for your fishies
Current thinking is HDPE or some other petroleum product.
Yes, I have removable door tops and the pattern shown is to suit. Not sure what the rears would need for access?
Hey look at that, was searching for this exact thing. Theres a techshop near my work that you can rent equipment. I was thinking of getting some HDPE sheet and building my own for the troopy. The panels i have are sad looking.
For those of you that have done it, what thickness did you use? Id love to jump on board with this, but i dont think us troopies are very high on this list :-(
For those of you that have done it, what thickness did you use? Id love to jump on board with this, but i dont think us troopies are very high on this list :-(
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I am not sure I would be able to afford them, it seems.
I want them though.
Right now I have the rear upholstery cards completely out so I can gain access to FRP roof bolts.
I want them though.
Right now I have the rear upholstery cards completely out so I can gain access to FRP roof bolts.
I think it cost me ~$200 all in for a 48"x96" sheet of HDPE and the hardware (nutserts and bolts). Laid out properly you can do all interior panels including the front doors from one sheet. If you're mildly handy with a jigsaw and drill it's not hard to get decent results. Only thing I wish I could pull off are access panels/doors to use some of the space behind the panels.
I had the same issue with my panels as you all plus I wanted something more agreeable to cleaning with a quick wipe.
I love the idea of the HDPE panels, but what I don't like is using a fastener that shows on the outside. The reason for this is because the locations for the fasteners are not evenly spaced and, to me, give a haphazard look to the panel when installed.
Being very well versed in the use of plastic laminates (Arborite, Formica, etc.) I decided to make my own panels out of plywood with a laminate face.
Here is what they look like.
I won't go into detail here, but I used the existing plastic clips and glued them into the plywood and then laminated the faces. I used scrap laminate that I had lying around so the door panels are a wood grain finish while the back doors are a leather finish. I thought I would like the leather look more (as that is what I wanted them all to look like) but I think I like the wood grain more.
Here are some pics before I laminated.
For the door handles I just shaved off the clips a little bit on the back with an exacto knife. It was pretty easy to do. For the window cranks I had to recess them in order for the clips to go back on.
I love the idea of the HDPE panels, but what I don't like is using a fastener that shows on the outside. The reason for this is because the locations for the fasteners are not evenly spaced and, to me, give a haphazard look to the panel when installed.
Being very well versed in the use of plastic laminates (Arborite, Formica, etc.) I decided to make my own panels out of plywood with a laminate face.
Here is what they look like.
I won't go into detail here, but I used the existing plastic clips and glued them into the plywood and then laminated the faces. I used scrap laminate that I had lying around so the door panels are a wood grain finish while the back doors are a leather finish. I thought I would like the leather look more (as that is what I wanted them all to look like) but I think I like the wood grain more.
Here are some pics before I laminated.
For the door handles I just shaved off the clips a little bit on the back with an exacto knife. It was pretty easy to do. For the window cranks I had to recess them in order for the clips to go back on.
Those panels look great! I was considering the same sort of thing with wood and either paint or stain. I'm still leaning towards the HDPE panels and just putting fasteners at evenly spaced intervals and using rivet nuts in the sheet metal to hold them in place. How have the factory plastic clips held up with being glued to the wood? I never seem to have much luck with gluing things like that.
I just finished these so they are not time-tested yet. I have the same concern you do, but I think they will hold. The "pin" portion goes all the way through the wood and has the large "head" holding it in, which is glued to the wood, and then the laminate is over this "head" again so I don't think the fastener is going anywhere. So the third picture shows the finished side of the panel before the laminate is attached.
- Thread starter
- #95
PANEL UPDATE
Picked up the truck at Torfab this week, following punch-list work party and interior. Photos below.
Side/rear panels are don and I am really friggin' happy with the results.
Torfab may be going to be selling these things - cargo area sides, rear doors and driver/passenger doors.
I am not speaking for Tor or the shop, but I believe if you PM, email or call him you will not be disappointed.
Tor Slinning
MUD @torfab
PHONE 206-659-8677, extension 2
EMAIL info@torfab.com
Torfab, LLC
2902 W Marine View Drive
Everett, WA 98201
SIDE PANELS
Torfab crew filled and painted the dinged up side metal and built these cool panels out of plastic. Access ports are simple with compression latches. The whole thing is way too cool and no loosy-goosy or noises as above.
Driver's Side (LHD)
Picked up the truck at Torfab this week, following punch-list work party and interior. Photos below.
Side/rear panels are don and I am really friggin' happy with the results.
Torfab may be going to be selling these things - cargo area sides, rear doors and driver/passenger doors.
I am not speaking for Tor or the shop, but I believe if you PM, email or call him you will not be disappointed.
Tor Slinning
MUD @torfab
PHONE 206-659-8677, extension 2
EMAIL info@torfab.com
Torfab, LLC
2902 W Marine View Drive
Everett, WA 98201
SIDE PANELS
Torfab crew filled and painted the dinged up side metal and built these cool panels out of plastic. Access ports are simple with compression latches. The whole thing is way too cool and no loosy-goosy or noises as above.
Driver's Side (LHD)
- Thread starter
- #96
Passenger Side (LHD)
Id like to see the rear barn door pieces, those should be universal
- Thread starter
- #99
Come visit with your Troopy and get a fitting!!
Seriously considering 