1968 SS Doors

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SSing said:
From what I understand
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:) ok lets try again... From what I understand the SS Barracuda and Darts had acid dipped doors. Not lightweight steel skins, like the front bumper was lightweight steel, not acid dipped.

Question: Was the entire door assembly dipped, or just the door panel?

The inner construction may instead have seen a major cheese job, since there were no window mechanism... is my thinking, since I have no O-car around to examine...
Thanks
Stefan
 
The entire door shells were stripped of components and acid dipped.

Yes, the inner door panels were cut out from the top of kick panel to the bottom of the top finish panel, with the exception of the inner door release mounting area. The window regulators assemblies, glass, and lock mechanisms were removed. The stock glass was replaced with Dow Corning "thin glass" and straps.& snaps.

To date I have performed this procedure on two cars successfully (minus the acid dipping and thin glass) and my 3rd car has the doors cut, regulators and the glass removed.

I hope this helps.

:glasses7:
 
sscuda said:
The entire door shells were stripped of components and acid dipped.

Yes, the inner door panels were cut out from the top of kick panel to the bottom of the top finish panel, with the exception of the inner door release mounting area. The window regulators assemblies, glass, and lock mechanisms were removed. The stock glass was replaced with Dow Corning "thin glass" and straps.& snaps.

To date I have performed this procedure on two cars successfully (minus the acid dipping and thin glass) and my 3rd car has the doors cut, regulators and the glass removed.

I hope this helps.

:glasses7:
Click to expand...

Thanks, sscuda.
What about the hinges. Anything done to them?
 
SSing said:
Thanks, sscuda.
What about the hinges. Anything done to them?
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To my recollection nothing was done to the hinges intentionally. Sometimes the detent was removed but it wasn't considered a modification.

I just rebuild mine as needed. Dornan supplies the pins and bushings.

:glasses7:
 
sscuda said:
To my recollection nothing was done to the hinges intentionally. Sometimes the detent was removed but it wasn't considered a modification.

I just rebuild mine as needed. Dornan supplies the pins and bushings.

:glasses7:
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Ok, thanks.

Do you know of anyone who have done the door dipping job? And it turned out good, I might add...
 
SSing said:
Ok, thanks.

Do you know of anyone who have done the door dipping job? And it turned out good, I might add...
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Body panels? No, not personally. I've seen acid being used on OEM paint systems to clean and remove hardened 2K material and some of the panels and piping were junk afterwards.

Google is your friend. Redi-Strip used to do it but they're better processes out there today for metal and rust stripping.

The trouble with acid dipping is it's a very corrosive process. If you leave the panels in the bath for too long they're junk. If you have some rust inside the doors the acid will eat through in a heart beat and they're junk. While thinner material is lighter it's also weaker. Racers looking for weight reduction look to glass or carbon.

I don't recommend it but it's your call.

:glasses7:
 
I have met two guys who sent out some doors and bumpers to be chemically
milled. One of the fellas had a factory Hemi dart and the other a clone barracuda project.
I never got to see the parts first hand only their description of what they got back from
the dip tank.
Basically the parts come back as you would expect them to if they were submerged
in acid. Very rough and surface ate up requiring a lot of work before plating or paint.
They lost one pair of doors that didn't survive the process.
I have seen some nice original dart doors and they were unbelievably thin and completely orange surface rusted inside. Outside had good paint.
I had to get very close to see the thickness of the metal at the latch opening. The paint was
thicker than the steel. It seemed about the thickness of a playing card. The owner of the car was very careful with the handle and opening and closing of the latch. Seemed fragile
like it wouldn't take much to get a stress crack around a hinge or latch handle or mounting screws.
Of course I didn't touch the guys car he had on display but he was cool and enjoyed talking
about and showing his hemi dart.
 
Was this done to chemically remove metal from the entire door shell or to remove any seam sealer or sound deadening from inside the door?
 
It was done to lighten the doors by making the steel thinner.
Along with the acid treatment the doors got thinner glass and the regulator
winders removed. A simple seatbelt was attached and used to pull the window
up. It would snap to the bottom of door while in the up position.
 
Thank You, with this information I´ll skip the acid tank. I´ll try my second option, witch is to swap the door panel for a one mm (.040") thick. I´ll see if i can find a body man who is willing to try this.

It´s amazing to think these doors still hanging on in there, isn't it :)
I remember I noticed cracks around the latch handle area on the former John Macey Barracuda that campaigned in Norway sometime in the 80,s. I guess it was possible to get new parts back then, since this car had been re bodied, if you want to put it this way, after his original car had been totaled... and no, I will not ask again where this car is today...

Thanks for sorting the door issue out.
Stefan
 
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