Installing door panels

[Bret Young]

Yes....yes.....I know. With screws. Had to get that one out of the way.

So I have a new set of panels from Clara. I want to use the screw holes that are currently in the doors since they are in good shape. Im just trying to figure out how you all match up the screws to their holes behind the panel. Gotta do it right the first time, or you have ugly holes in your finished panel.

Any methods that work well?

I wonder if there is a good way to do some sort of transfer from the door to the inside of the panel to use as a guide....

Any helpful info would be greatly appreciated.

[busdaddy]

Google Rivet hole finder, if you don't want to make one yourself (2 hacksaw blades) most aircraft tool suppliers sell them for cheap.
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[BulliBill]

Yeah! I'll be doing this soon too, and was gonna have to figure out a way to transfer the pre-existing holes in the doors and walls to the new panel set for my '59 DC. The panel set I'm using is a stored-away set of WW panels bought about 15 years ago. I'd like to get the holes drilled correctly the first time. I'll probably treat the backsides of each panel with some sort of coat of water-proofing.

Thanks for any ideas and experience that anyone can share on how to do this the best way with the east amount of mistakes.

Bill
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Thanks for any help!

[joe56vw]

I have not tried this yet but this is the idea I came up with for when I do mine

put 2" blue painter tape along the edges of the door where the holes are and poke holes in the tape where the holes are then take the tape off and hold it to the panels and transfer the marks
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559931&highlight=

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[motofly196]

I've done almost all my panels (except for the corners) in my Kombi with Clara's panels... she will probably chime in, because she has a ton of tips for installing them. In the beginning, I was using the tape method Joe mentioned....and it works. But by the end, I was eyeballing it. It really is that easy. You'll find that most of the corner holes are so hogged out from over sized screws...or just vibrating over the years, that you'll most likely have to drill a new location anyways. (I know...not the purist answer you were searching for...but only YOU will know that there is an extra hole there). Clara and Greg recommend putting a vapor barrier (clear plastic like the new cars have) behind the panel...but I haven't done that yet.
I was hoping that the panels alone would quiet things down a bit...but I still need to put up strips of dynamat or the equivalent. Her panels are spot on...corners line up everywhere! It does help to have an extra set of hands to get them placed where you want them on the first few holes though.

Scott

[Krustybus]

Taken from this thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3248627

Thanks to 57palm:
You just need to use a hole finder. it is used extensively in aircraft sheet metal and other applications and easy to make yourself. Here is how it goes to make your own.

take two hacksaw blades lay them on top of each other and screw one end together through the holes. The holes in the other end should line up perfectly. Now in one blade hole on the other end fix a small screw or rivet that will fit in the door screw holes. do not make it long or you will not get it in under the panel. Now fix you door panel to the door with a few screws. use the hole finder for the rest by sliding the one blade behind the panel and get the rivet in the hole. Line the other blade up with the one in the hole. The hole in the outside blade will perfectly locate the screw hole for you. Do this for all holes and voila!! no mistakes.

Or you can just buy one from an aircraft tool vendor.


I've used the hacksaw blades. It works.
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Tim

[Big Bill]

Wow I never there was such a tool. When I did mine I used the OG holes not an easy task, it took me a week (no kidding ) to install the front cards and cargo door cards.

[66uno]

I think the vapor barrier is a good idea too but for mine I finished the inside of the panel as well with spar varnish, several coats. That way, if water should find its way on the inside of the vapor barrier, it will just run down the surface.

[Clara]

The cab doors are designed so water runs through them when it rains.
I recommend a vapour barrier under the front door panels.
Generally I cut up a shower curtains from the dollar store.
tape it to the door, and tuck the bottom into the door:

or tape the plastic to the door panels:

Do not bother with a vapour barrier anywhere else except under the front door panels.

some tools I used to install the panels:
-Vise grips - to remove old bolts that were leftover from a previous long gone hideous shag carpet interior.
- Hammer and punch - to flatten puckered areas around previously used screw holes to help the new panel lay flat.
- Magnetic tray for new screw for attaching the panel
- Scissors for cutting the foil lined bubble wrap insulation
not shown:
- roll of masking tape for sticking the insulation to the door (yes for cargo doors, wall, roof. not sure about front doors. I have sometimes, but don't anymore. Just putting the door panels in will keep your knee on the door side much warmer, even w/o insulation under there. Under no account use insulation that holds moisture)
-screwdriver for door screws.

Tap old holes flat, this lets the new panels sit flat against the door:
If the hole is too, big, you can either drill a new hole, or hook a tiny wire in there to shrink the hole, or put a piece of tape over it , and poke a hole in the tape with a pin, which also effectively shrinks the hole.

66-67 doors with pull handle:
Buses got the pull handle and the small flipper door handle in October 1965, at VIN 216 046 096.
The pull handle screws into metal 'speed clips' that slide into the door at the square holes. So for most 66s and all 67s, make sure you have those metal clips in place BEFORE you install the door panel.
They take up two of the clip holes:

Door handle with pin:
First part to attach the panel to the door is the door handle. For the handles with the pin, have a friend push the new panel against the door from inside the bus with the door closed. This method works for me. Then you can lean in the open window and install the escutcheon and handle.
The spring goes on between the door and the panel.

*Do any fixes or cleaning/lubricating of the door mechanism before installing the panel.*

insulation in side door

You can make pencil marks to mark where the holes in the bus are, then push a pin through.
After, I wiped the pencil marked off with my thumb.

use drill at pin hole. I use a 1/8" drill bit here. You can waller out the hole if the pin was not in exactly the right place, the trim washer will cover it if it is close.
The hole finder tool looks good, as well.
It does help to have a friend hold the cab door panel when you start it.
I start all screws before snugging them down.

front doors used 23 screws:

install tip pics link at the end of my ads.

[Campy]

For the front door panels I was installing on my 1963 camper, I put a screw part way in every hole (the heads of the screws need to be all even), put a dob of that black crap that fixes holes on roofs on the head of each screw, then I lined up the panel and pushed it against the heads of the screws. After that, there were black spots on the inside of the panel, which is where I drilled the holes from the inside. This method worked really well.
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[cru62]

I have used masking tape at each hole after making sure that they are all OK to hold the screw tightly. I place the tape at a right angle to the edge of the panel and make a pencil mark parallel to the panel edge through the screw hole. Then, at a right angle to the line I draw another line in pencil from the screw hole. At 3/4" I make a hash mark. I offer up the door panel and make sure that everything is good. The first hole that I drill is always at the point on the top of the panel where it is a slight angle. Push the panel up tight against the door and mark, remove, drill and reinstall. THEN mark the remainder of the holes. Sometimes I have marked the upper, back corner to hold the door with the first hole drilled and screwed. That way the door panel won't shift.

I made the mistake of not marking the hole at the angle point of the door ONCE. I installed the screw in the two upper corner holes and when I put in the screw at the angle, you guessed it, it pulled out the two corner wedges.

As an aside, I was looking at the rear hatch on my Kombi and noticed that there are tiny pilot holes punched into the inner frame right where the screw holes for an inner trim panel would go. That way there would be a hole for the tip of the screw to go into when the panels are being installed. I noticed several on the cargo doors as well. I didn't see any on the front doors, but that would be because there were door panels installed which would necessarily use the pilot holes.

I saw a pair of NOS early doors at a show once. But they were some kind of crossover door with icepick handles and the door panel buttons, so no pilot holes.

My point is that it doesn't make sense to try and use the trim screws to start a hole as they would skitter all over the place. And predrilling would be immensely time consuming. Pilot holes just make more sense.
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[Clara]

[Big Bill]

Great tip on installing the front door handle pin Clara. Thanks looks like you may have done this once or twice

[rebapuck]

I use the new panel to make a posterboard template. Hold the template in place and rub over a hole to locate it. Stick a screwdriver in the hole to hold it. Same in another location and it's pretty much secure. Rub and poke the other holes. Turn over to use for opposite door. KEEP the template for next time.
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1966 Camper "Hannah"
1967 SingleCab "Khady"

[otis_bartleh]

[EverettB]

[Bret Young]

Another question somewhat similar to this topic. Might as well ask it here instead of starting a new thread.

Any of you guys out there have issues with your door mechanisms in your front doors rattling?

Any processes/materials that you guys use to minimize rattles? Now is the time to address it. Dont want to have to pull the panel off to fix noises.

[otis_bartleh]

[Bret Young]

Maybe part of my rattling noise is because the door handle isnt installed yet. I am assuming once you put that spring under the door panel and put the pin into the handle it will put some tension on the mechanism.

I have been driving my bus for a month without door panels (put the door handle on when I need to get out), but I get a decent amount of rattling around inside my door.

Anyone else noticed this?

[Clara]