New Door

Cars, planes, boats & movies
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smellody (Online)
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New Door

Post by smellody » February 5th 2023, 1:07am

It is no surprise that I like cars. Today I wrenched for my daughter to install a new door.

My youngest daughter's first car was a w124 300e that we bought from a family friend for $500. She drove it for a couple of years and sold it to my nephew for what she paid. What an amazing car. It made it through my friend, his two daughters, my daughter, and my nephew.

Emma next wanted a truck and I negotiated a w163 ml320 for her for $1200. Besides putting new tires on it she used it for two years only paying for gas and sold it for the same that she paid for it.

She wanted something new, like her mom's car, so we found her this w204 c300. With a dented door I negotiated the price down to $3k.

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As I mentioned, the car had this problem:
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The previous owner had an estimate of $2k to fix the door, but I found a factory color door in California on a popular auction site and paid about $300 with shipping to get it to Oregon.

It arrived in a spectacular crate that I had to break down in the FedEx parking lot in order to get it in the Jeep. I brought the wood home and built a shelf and burned the rest.

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The door has been in the garage for a couple of months blocking my access to the backyard through the garage. So earlier this week I decided to install the door today.

Mr. Mittens helped.

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The biggest job was drilling out the rivets to remove the inner door panel that houses the lock, window motor, and just about everything else.
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Door off!
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After bolting the new door on, I drilled out the pop rivets on the junkyard door.

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New door is clean and waxed, but is the exact color.

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Then the best part of the day was driving to Harbour Freight to but this heavy duty rivet gun.
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Best $19.99 spent on a tool for a long time.

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Riveted the inner panel to the door. Then I reinstalled the window and locks.

I had a couple of extra bits, but found places to attach them.
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It was dark when I finished, but I'll take and after shot tomorrow.

With the door out of the way, I was able to put the trolley with Range Rover's new heads in that spot that allowed me to fit the Maserati in the garage.

Good day, I feel accomplished.
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codguy
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Re: New Door

Post by codguy » February 5th 2023, 6:38am

:bvbvbv: :bvbvbv: :bvbvbv:


I'm waiting for warmer spring weather to tackle three projects I've been putting off-------

Infiniti= front bumper fix and new brakes/rotors
Truck= EGR delete & tuneup
Harley= cam bearings & chain tensioners
.


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Mark1
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Re: New Door

Post by Mark1 » February 5th 2023, 9:18am

Nicely done. Taking advantage of a scratch and dent deal and using Harbor Freight tools to make it right.
See you're WRONG I don't work at all, I'm a Democrat. The immortal Horse Feathers as spoken to Chucky Ninetoes.
DocKlock
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Re: New Door

Post by DocKlock » February 6th 2023, 7:44am

GREAT JOB!!!
Took me a little while to figure out what the plastic bottle on that heavy duty rivet tool was for --- catches the spike/tail end of the rivet so you don't run over them.
Harbour Freight tools generally have good reviews. While most are not 'production line quality' they most certainly are up to use for the Weekend Warrior.
And with most of their tools having a 'lifetime warranty' they are a bargain --- kinda like the old Craftsman tools back when I was a kid and Hector was a pup.
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smellody (Online)
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Re: New Door

Post by smellody » February 6th 2023, 5:56pm

DocKlock wrote:
February 6th 2023, 7:44am
GREAT JOB!!!
Took me a little while to figure out what the plastic bottle on that heavy duty rivet tool was for --- catches the spike/tail end of the rivet so you don't run over them.
Harbour Freight tools generally have good reviews. While most are not 'production line quality' they most certainly are up to use for the Weekend Warrior.
And with most of their tools having a 'lifetime warranty' they are a bargain --- kinda like the old Craftsman tools back when I was a kid and Hector was a pup.
Thanks. Yes I agree on Harbor Freight tools, great bang for the buck. I've only needed a rivet tool to install new window regulators in more modern (last 30 years) Mercedes. Only the third time I've needed one. I think the last one broke using the beefy 1/4 diameter rivets. This new, heavy duty one, took care of them without effort. I was impressed. The plastic holder captured all the pins, keeping them off the floor.

I might try rivity together an airplane next!
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