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Old 03-13-2010, 06:08 AM
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Default gutting doors..

im looking to do this anyone got any pics..i want be able to keep my power windows,inner door handle an such..long road the whole inner metal will be out when i swap to lexan.
Old 03-13-2010, 07:08 AM
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The doors are fiberglass/plastic. The door bar is metal.
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:48 AM
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i got you..how much weight comes out when gutting/trimming up the inside..i seen one hole sawed to death some yrs ago an i think they said with door bars is was 20#s out each door or so..
Old 03-13-2010, 09:29 AM
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Info and pictures. I haven't done it yet, but Beaflag did a great writeup with pictures.
Old 03-13-2010, 09:45 AM
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the bar is aprox 5lbs i took 7lbs from each door

sorry no pics tho
Old 03-13-2010, 07:05 PM
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thanks Corey
Old 03-14-2010, 10:25 PM
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Old 03-14-2010, 10:56 PM
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nice..
Old 03-16-2010, 10:15 PM
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Both door bars are 14lbs (7each).
Old 03-17-2010, 01:12 PM
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Nice pictures. I need to start this soon.
Old 03-17-2010, 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by JFM-jr
Both door bars are 14lbs (7each).
I must have a light weight version, both my door bars weighed seven lbs. Stamped from sheet metal channel, not tubing. Almost worth the effort to remove them.
Old 03-17-2010, 03:15 PM
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nice job on the doors carlos, your car is a lightweight from all the pix i've seen on it
Old 03-17-2010, 08:17 PM
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How much weight do you save with the vfn doors?
Old 03-19-2010, 02:56 PM
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just gutted both doors today. not really worth it because of the HUGE mess it makes. probably takes out a pound off each door but does make getting to the door bars A LOT easier now
Old 03-19-2010, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Reject
nice job on the doors carlos, your car is a lightweight from all the pix i've seen on it
Thanks man. Yeah it that is my Z28 was 2820 without driver. stock brakes, still had ps, stock glass all around. I'm might put it back together one day.
Old 03-19-2010, 06:32 PM
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Originally Posted by mike135531bubba
just gutted both doors today. not really worth it because of the HUGE mess it makes. probably takes out a pound off each door but does make getting to the door bars A LOT easier now
man i started mine today also..i only trimed 1 panel an did it above..the fiber glass and speaker was bout 5 or 6lbs...an does it make a mess..oh man..im glad i got a shop vac..i will say i used a sawzaw and a grinder with a 4 1/2" wheel..to anyone doing this..i would highly recomend using a dremal with carbide bit..you would have more control and be able to fallow the lines of the panel way better...an hell yeah you can get to the pars way easier..my problem is i cant get my bolts to break loose at all..with a small ratchet..my wrench wants to strip the bolt head..im going to finsh tomarrow..an man the door panel at the top is heavy..im going to get rid of the top carpet part..i think i can get most the weight out of the panel
Old 03-19-2010, 06:36 PM
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You can't put lexan in a factory door, you have to have a frame to connect it to all the way around the glass or it will get pulled out at speed.... seen one guy try it, and it didn't work.... don't waste your time.

If you're at the point that the vfn doors are the only thing you have left to do you should be in the high 2600 lb range with a 150 lb driver. If you're not that light, then I'd look elsewhere. Door bars, and trimming inside, that's fine. you just can't put lexan in a factory door.

Wolfe door skins will save alot of weight, way more then you can get off a factory door skin too, I would just get a set of those, then ozite carpet them so it looks like it's still a finished interior
Old 03-19-2010, 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by suicidal racing
man i started mine today also..i only trimed 1 panel an did it above..the fiber glass and speaker was bout 5 or 6lbs...an does it make a mess..oh man..im glad i got a shop vac..i will say i used a sawzaw and a grinder with a 4 1/2" wheel..to anyone doing this..i would highly recomend using a dremal with carbide bit..you would have more control and be able to fallow the lines of the panel way better...an hell yeah you can get to the pars way easier..my problem is i cant get my bolts to break loose at all..with a small ratchet..my wrench wants to strip the bolt head..im going to finsh tomarrow..an man the door panel at the top is heavy..im going to get rid of the top carpet part..i think i can get most the weight out of the panel
i used the same thing, a grinder with a cut off wheel and had to use a shop vac to clean everything out. yeah i didn't take into account the speaker that was taken out a couple weeks ago but i did finally take out all the wiring for the speakers out to the back. and the door insulation can go too

You can't put lexan in a factory door, you have to have a frame to connect it to all the way around the glass or it will get pulled out at speed.... seen one guy try it, and it didn't work.... don't waste your time.

If you're at the point that the vfn doors are the only thing you have left to do you should be in the high 2600 lb range with a 150 lb driver. If you're not that light, then I'd look elsewhere. Door bars, and trimming inside, that's fine. you just can't put lexan in a factory door.

Wolfe door skins will save alot of weight, way more then you can get off a factory door skin too, I would just get a set of those, then ozite carpet them so it looks like it's still a finished interior
by door skins you mean door panels? i took mine off, weighed them and they came out to be 4.5 lbs each. mine must be the lightweight version lol so i put them back on
Old 03-22-2010, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by JL ws-6

Wolfe door skins will save alot of weight, way more then you can get off a factory door skin too, I would just get a set of those, then ozite carpet them so it looks like it's still a finished interior
I replaced the power window motor in the passenger door yesterday, so weighed my door panel while it was off. 6lbs. I had a piece of trailer skin about the right size, it was 2 lb 8oz and would still need covered. I can't run them bare in SS. Mine is a TA with all the extra BS. Probably some stock panels that would be ligher. Not sure $200.00 aluminium panels plus freight and covering them would be worth it. Mine is 2845 with no driver, no wheelie bars, no alt, and one battery.
Old 03-22-2010, 09:57 AM
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Ed I'm in teh same boat with the door skins, I have a transam also.

Suicidal, the VFN door has a frame around the top so that the window is supported when it is up all the way, you can make the windows work with a VFN door if you'd like, I have seen Stine's car and the doors do have a frame along the top.

I've seen several cars, at the top end the wondow's start to pull out when you don't have them attached. It may be possible to get it to work, but probably requires some type of venturi effect on the cabin to create somewhat of a vaccum to get them to stay in.

Believe me if I could just buy lexan and replace my windows with it and hav that work, and have the windows still function like normal with no problems I'd buy the stuff right now, but it's not a strait simple thing.


Maybe someone from VFN will see this thread and pop in with the info as to how this can/does work.


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