Alex41

iTrader: (14)

I recently aquired a Sunoco hood and SS wing for my Z28 and now need the entire car repainted (for more reasons than just new parts) and I was thinking about shaving the door locks. The way I see it, for safety reasons, its a hatch back car so if the key fobs ever fail, I can get in through the back if I had to.

The work involved is really not an issue its just a question of will it be worth my time to fill in the holes for the end result?

What would you guys do? The car is Mystic Teal and I plan on keeping the factory color if that helps.

EW1

iTrader: (10)

If you are going to shave the door panels, you should go all the way. Do the locks and the handles. If not, just leave it the way it is.

Alex41

iTrader: (14)

I really hate the shaved door handle thing on F bodies. It just seems "rice" on a domestic car. Trucks are a different story.

Who else? So far that's one for no.

bdyman

http://www.radrides.com/gal.htm
so does that car look "rice" to you?? shaving hanels or custom work isnt just for imports one custom shop i worked for that was a given to shave handles, it looks great cleans up the look of the car

the color of your car doesnt matter its still going to cost you allot of money to do a complete paint job, plus you have parts that are going to require allot more work which mean more labor which mean more money

starting price where i work would be 3,000 and it goes up from there, just keep that in mind when your shopping for a price

Alex41

iTrader: (14)

Ok.... I meant that shaving door handles on MOST domestics, more accurately recent domestic cars, looks rice. Classic cars get immunity.

I have already set up a price with a local body shop to have it painted for very cheap. I wasn't asking what it would cost to do it since I am doing all the body work on the car myself. I was just trying to get my fellow LS1 Tech guys to help me decide if I should do it.

MATTKO91Z

iTrader: (1)

I thought about it when I painted my car. I think it would look cool but I decided against it, so I can't post pics.

I agree, as far as safety, you're fine. I say go for it.

bdyman

well then i say do it, my oldsmobile is shaved and never had one problem

bowtiebuilder

iTrader: (18)

I'm not a fan... Personal opinion. Not because it's ricey, I just don't like it!

crimson_bird

iTrader: (4)

I'm going to be doing this as well. already decided 100% on it.

1) it cleans up the look quite a bit.

2) if you use the remote, you never need the key hole. the key holes on my camamo have been covered with smooth lock covers (http://www.smoothlock.com/) for over 3 years now- no problems. i figure i might as well shave them

3) this is MUCH easier/cheaper than shaving the whole thing. other than the cost of the filler, and your labor, this is a FREE mod. if you shave the door handles, that cost several hundred dollars to get the solenoids and the whole set up to pop the doors open. much more work/money -personally i dont think shaved doors look bad/"ricey" at all. when i think of shaved door handles, i think of old-schools, low-riders, show cars, etc.. not imports.

4) like you said, if anything goes wrong and you cant get in through the door, go in through the back. and get your door fixed asap. and ALWAYS have a spare set of keys. which you should always have anyways

bowtiebuilder

iTrader: (18)

So you guys are talking about leaving the hatch lock? If your gonna shave the door locks, shave the hatch lock too. But if the fey fob goes dead..........

crimson_bird

iTrader: (4)

my hatch locks are shaved on both cars already

Alex41

iTrader: (14)

Thanks for the reply guys. I did it tonight after dinner. If it had not been for the drying time of the filler and the primer, this would have been done in less than an hour.

bdyman

inside the kit there is a emergency button, that hooks up to the brain box, and even if the battery is dead the button will still pop the door open

and it work on less then 4 volts, or some guys just install a cable and we just hide it so no on sees it

i use spal kits never had a problem, very easy to install

crimson_bird

iTrader: (4)

looks great! what kind of filler did you go with?

bowtiebuilder

iTrader: (18)

It all makes sense now!

Alex41

iTrader: (14)

Sorry for the late reply. I have been having fits cleaning up the body on this thing. I rolled (hammered) the fender lips on the rear and it stretched the drivers rear quarter some. It wasn't so bad, it had a few little ripples I wanted out anyway.

The filler I am using is Putty-Cote I found from Oriely's auto. It has the blue activator. This stuff really spreads out nicely and sands glass smooth.

collier341

iTrader: (5)

you're just shaving the key holes?? why not all the way and do the handles too? not ragging, just wondering

flippincamaro

iTrader: (23)

Looks really good, Wish I would have done mine now, Before it got painted!

crimson_bird

iTrader: (4)

shaving the key hole requires nothing else but filling in the hole and painting. and you're done. you can still access your door as normal, just use the factory remote to pop the locks.

shaving the door handle requires a lot of work/money to do the whole set up for remote door poppers and all of that.

omarrakeen

iTrader: (2)

no for me...no reason for doing that...i dont like messing with the general look of the car even tho its jst a key! gd luck