I'm fabricating a aluminum door skin this weekend as a skills builder. I have been away from fabrication too long. Sometime you just need to get back to doing something fun.

I'm rather enjoying it and thought I would fly a trial balloon by you guys to see if there is any interest out there. If I were to fab these I may need to do the install on your shell or have a core sent back as part of the deal.

What do you think?

Here's the start. I'll post when I finish.

Click to view attachment

What about making a frame and fabricate a new light weight door?

Just for fun? You have mad skills my friend!

Hmmm, I need a good aluminum fabricator.

Looks great. Did you wrap the edge?

Not yet but I'm close now. I'm trimming the salvage edges now. I plan on using door skin glue along with the edge wrap.

Colorado is closer and we do aluminum from scratch too!

Mark has been trying to get me to move to Nor-Cal for years now. Who knows what will happen.

Would be possible but not wise for a street car unless you have a cage and door opening bar. Mercedes 280 SL's have all aluminum doors but the inner is a heavy casting.

Oh I suppose I should up date this as long as I bumped it. I sent the shell out to get sand blasted. I should have the skin on in a week or so. I decided to do two doors and save them for a future project. I have some cool parts laying around I have been collecting for a euro hot rod project. That is if I ever finish this Mercedes.

Would an aluminium doorskin take and show paint the same way as the rest of the car?

Sure. But polished would be outrageous!

Looks great Rick. Any photo documentation showing the steps you took to create it?

--- Rob

I'll post more when I get the first shell back from the sandblaster.

Then you'll have to reskin the entire car.

Sure looks pretty and LIGHT. Nice work.

So what does the door frame along with the aluminum skin weigh?

Also I have cut down frames, so do that cause you issues when doing the aluminum bits?

Awesome work !!!

Neeto

The aluminum is way cool but I think it would be a tough market. Glass would be cheaper and maybe lighter as well. Although if you get the fitment right and they'll still accept glass they may sell.

I think it's super cool you are doing this.
Just not sure of the market for more.
An all-aluminum door has some intrigue. A skin on a steel door, not so much.
An all-fiberglass super lightweight door already exists (as well as carbon fiber if you want to pay the price), but only makes sense in certain applications.

This hybrid thing, just seems to be a cool novelty. Am I wrong? But please, I hope nobody will misunderstand my questions... I LOVE this metalwork! Just have to ask.

Is the skin bonded with adhesive?

I tend to want to go all the way strong or all the way light. I don't see this as either. But if I had one, I would brag about it at car shows.

I do things I like. Often it's not conventional. I have done proto typing in fabre glas on a Porsche 928 Spyder. The results were,, well, Cheap looking. I have bonded lots of parts on wrecked Corvettes. It may not be the lightest. But for me it's all about the cool factor. You said it. If I had aluminum door skins I would brag about it at all the shows. Cool factor.

Whole car....

That was mentioned. Ever since I have been thinking about it. Seriously.

Hey, You know that project you and I talked about that you wanted me to do for you?

I love this about you.

It should be aluminum....my project I mean.


Btw, door pockets that I know won't lose things...aluminum.
I would buy those...
Put a few cool beads in them too....