Anyone tried these door panels?

[Skunksmash]

Anyone bought a set of these coverlay brand door panels?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coverlay-18-...NXN6E0&vxp=mtr


I am looking for some good replacement door panels, but I'm really not into paying $500 for a NOS set. Used ones at a reasonable price, are also difficult to locate, if they are worth having and not unusable for restoration.

I think these would be great, if they are correctly embossed for Silverado trim. Anyone know if you can take out that piece that looks like it could be some kind of fabric? The piece where normally, you'd have some upholstery on a factory panel. If you can take that out, I may just be able to rig these up to accept the silverado trim.

[bbbc10]

Those look like crap....get some from lmc

[gmachinz]

As much work as it took to make that mold for those panels, why not make a better panel mold?

[TKCR]

I agree, go with the LMC replacement panels. They are cheaper than those, for a set. I got a set for myself, they fit great

[daddyjeep]

I thought I read that the ones from LMC were made by Coverlay, so they would be the exact same parts. I could be wrong though...it happens.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

I thought I read that the ones from LMC were made by Coverlay, so they would be the exact same parts. I could be wrong though...it happens.

I can tell you, the door panels I got from LMC don't look like those on the link for Ebay. These look and fit just like the OEM panels. And they accept all your original trim pieces.


I'll post a link LMC for the actual door panels. But this is the most important part of the description:

These new replacement door panels (not reproductions of the originals) are made from brand new tooling to more exacting standards than previously available. These door panels are manufactured from molded, heat-resistant plastic and then painted in the available colors. The paint is mixed with an ultraviolet inhibitor to help prevent damage from the exposure to sunlight.

Door panels are sold in sets of two and include pre-attached window weatherstrips.

http://www.lmctruck.com/Features/CC/CCCKC.htm

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by bbbc10

Those look like crap....get some from lmc

I generally don't like to buy from LMC, for various reasons. But it does look like they make the best ones short of OEM

Originally Posted by TKCR

I can tell you, the door panels I got from LMC don't look like those on the link for Ebay. These look and fit just like the OEM panels. And they accept all your original trim pieces.


I'll post a link LMC for the actual door panels. But this is the most important part of the description:

These new replacement door panels (not reproductions of the originals) are made from brand new tooling to more exacting standards than previously available. These door panels are manufactured from molded, heat-resistant plastic and then painted in the available colors. The paint is mixed with an ultraviolet inhibitor to help prevent damage from the exposure to sunlight.

Door panels are sold in sets of two and include pre-attached window weatherstrips.

http://www.lmctruck.com/Features/CC/CCCKC.htm

A few questions for you:

1. Its hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like your upholstery in the panel itself, is sitting on top of the panel. On the factory panels, there is a slight recess embossed in the panel where they sort of fit down into. Granted they still stick out just a bit, but its not much. If I have to cut up the LMC panels in order to do this, I have no problem with that. I'll do it, but it would be nice not to have to.

2. Did you try to fit the factory silverado silver trim in there? If so, would it fit?

3. Lastly, do you happen to know whether those LMC panels can be painted? Their "saddle" color just isn't close enough to the interior color that I'm putting together. Too dark. It says they are already painted and have a UV inhibitor, so I'm not sure if its a good idea to paint them with SEM. Might have to have them covered in vinyl.

[TKCR]

[QUOTE=Skunksmash;7752885]I generally don't like to buy from LMC, for various reasons. But it does look like they make the best ones short of OEM



A few questions for you:

1. Its hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like your upholstery in the panel itself, is sitting on top of the panel. On the factory panels, there is a slight recess embossed in the panel where they sort of fit down into. Granted they still stick out just a bit, but its not much. If I have to cut up the LMC panels in order to do this, I have no problem with that. I'll do it, but it would be nice not to have to.

I guess I should have said, but I don't have the OEM upholstery panel, I had to go with aftermarket. The truck never have them when I bought it several years ago.


2. Did you try to fit the factory silverado silver trim in there? If so, would it fit?

Again I didn't have the Original trim, the only thing I had was the armrest and handles. The PO had some sort of wood trim. And I also change the color of my interior. I'll,post a pic of my panel when I bought the truck.



3. Lastly, do you happen to know whether those LMC panels can be painted? Their "saddle" color just isn't close enough to the interior color that I'm putting together. Too dark. It says they are already painted and have a UV inhibitor, so I'm not sure if its a good idea to paint them with SEM. Might have to have them covered in vinyl.[/QUOTE

I believe they can be painted. That is what I did at first, then I got these from LMC. I didn't have to paint these, cause the color does work, finally.

Pic #1 original panels in the truck, although they are clearly not OEM
Pic #2 my panels that I painted with aftermarket trim from LMC. And painted armrest.
Pic #3 panels from LMC with the same trim and armrest ( from Classic Parts ).

[Skunksmash]

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

Do the armrests seem to be on your new panels pretty well? Do they feel pretty solid?

[Skunksmash]

I'd like to bump for last question.

Saw an official LMC video that made the armrests look.. somewhat sub par in the mounting department. Hope I'm wrong and its like factory or better.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Skunksmash

I'd like to bump for last question.

Saw an official LMC video that made the armrests look.. somewhat sub par in the mounting department. Hope I'm wrong and its like factory or better.

I got a set from LMC and sent those back. The looked like they were made in High School wood shop, nasty. I got a set from Classic Parts. They look OEM

[TKCR]

About the armrests:

This place still has OEM, they just need to be painted to match your interior.

http://www.truckandcarshop.com/trucks73_91/t73_025.html

These are the ones I got:

http://www.classicparts.com/Arm-Rests/products/1008/3/0

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Skunksmash

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

Do the armrests seem to be on your new panels pretty well? Do they feel pretty solid?

Sorry didn't see this earlier, yes they are very solid. In fact, I don't have pull straps, so I use the armrests to pull the door shut.

[Skunksmash]

Thanks!

I know earlier you said that you had to pretty much create new upholstery that goes on the panels. But I noticed that they sort of... sit on top of the panel. You can see what I'm talking about, at the edges.

Do you think that there was any way you could have shaved down the panel in that spot? So that the upholstery pieces would recess into the panel a bit. That's how my factory ones are. You can't really see behind them on the edges, when the door is open.

[gmachinz]

I'd be curious to know if the panel insert section are a fabric glued over an ABS board like the GM ones. Those boards in turn have plastic studs that secure to the door panel. I also prefer to retain the stainless strip above the lower carpeted section too....

[TKCR]

The upholstery does glue over top of an ABS board, they just don't have the studs like the OEM. They attach with Velcro, which doesn't help with pushing it out further from the panel itself. The panel probably could have been shaven down to a smoother surface, instead of it being the raised sections, as seen in the pic. But it's not something I myself, would attempt. Maybe if I had a donor panel to play around with, to try different things. I would be to chicken to try something and mess up the new panels.

I would love to have a set of complete OEM panels with all the trimmings, but I can't hardly see paying the crazy prices for NOS. I've had to pick and choose, when it it come to spending lots of $$ for NOS parts.

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

I'd be curious to know if the panel insert section are a fabric glued over an ABS board like the GM ones. Those boards in turn have plastic studs that secure to the door panel. I also prefer to retain the stainless strip above the lower carpeted section too....

If you've still got 'em, you can just peel them off and put them on the new carpets that you come up with, to replace the old ones. Myself I'll be looking either make some new metal strips, or buy some somewhere.

Originally Posted by TKCR

The upholstery does glue over top of an ABS board, they just don't have the studs like the OEM. They attach with Velcro, which doesn't help with pushing it out further from the panel itself. The panel probably could have been shaven down to a smoother surface, instead of it being the raised sections, as seen in the pic. But it's not something I myself, would attempt. Maybe if I had a donor panel to play around with, to try different things. I would be to chicken to try something and mess up the new panels.

I would love to have a set of complete OEM panels with all the trimmings, but I can't hardly see paying the crazy prices for NOS. I've had to pick and choose, when it it come to spending lots of $$ for NOS parts.

From that pic, it looks as though they tried so simulate the factory upholstery look. And thus didn't leave enough of a recess into the panel to actually be able to have any applied upholstery still look factory. The way it looks, I too would be hesitant to hack that up. Mainly because of the top right corner of the fake plastic upholstery, in that pic. You'd have to be real darn careful with that corner, but you should still be able to do it. I still may do it, once I actually get my panels in.

If I do I'll make a thread on how to do it. Cause those panels are almost there, they're almost at factory panels. They just need a little boost in the right direction.

I think you could still do it, but you'd have to cut out that whole plastic upholstery section. You'd leave a big fat ol gaping whole in the panel. You'd keep enlarging the hole, until the real OEM upholstery just barely fit. At that point, you would then glue (with strong epoxy) something onto the back of the panel. This would sort of simulate the factory surface, that the upholstery is supposed to kind of fit down into. This backing could be plastic, could be wood, metal, anything. The factory ones may not actually be recessed, but they definitely aren't raised up like the LMC panel.

Then of course you'd just affix the oem upholstery to your newly glued on piece, in whatever manner you choose. Then you should have a factory looking panel. Other than that one problem, I don't see any difference between these LMC panels, and my silverado panels. I could be wrong, but it looks as though the oem silverado metal trim may even fit.

[TKCR]

You know, I was wondering, what if you just glued the fabric right to those panels and not even use the ABS board. The raised and lowered sections on the door panel would give the same look as being sewed in sections. Just curious if that could be done.

Again if I had a donor panel, I would try different things. Maybe I can find a cheapy one somewhere and try it.

[Dayton601]

For some reason these look a little better than the LMC ones
but your right the cost is way out there, is it really worth the extra,


http://www.usa1industries.com/produc...cat=396&page=1

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Dayton601

For some reason these look a little better than the LMC ones
but your right the cost is way out there, is it really worth the extra,


http://www.usa1industries.com/produc...cat=396&page=1

Yeh they do!!! And they are just as high priced as OEM. I mean we are talking the difference between paying $169/ set or $625

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by TKCR

You know, I was wondering, what if you just glued the fabric right to those panels and not even use the ABS board. The raised and lowered sections on the door panel would give the same look as being sewed in sections. Just curious if that could be done.

Again if I had a donor panel, I would try different things. Maybe I can find a cheapy one somewhere and try it.

I'd say it would work great, but with one thing you'd have to make sure of: You'd have to make absolutely sure that you had some stitching, and that the stitching went perfectly down into the groves of their simulated upholstery. If you were able to do that, well then nobody should be able to tell by looking at it, that it wasn't factory upholstery. The only difference being it would still be hard, unless you put a foam backing on it, but by then it may stick out a bit too far and be noticeable. For me, I'd probably still go with hacking up the panels lol

This place used to have some NOS door panels, but they never seemed to have ones correctly embossed for silverado trim. I'd have bought them if they had, because IIRC they were only charging $350 for a pair of NOS panels, regardless of trim. But they were completely bare. Now they only have these, which look like a poorer version of the LMC ones. Could be the same panel, and its just a bad picture. That place is notorious for not posting pics, or posting bad pics.


http://www.classicparts.com/1981-87-...tinfo/19-263B/


And that price in the link dayton posted is laughable. Those might be worth half that. You can just buy some used OEM panels off ebay, and restore them for $300 less than that. SEM, or cover them in vinyl.