68 Door panels

[LDunville]

It's my understanding that 68 door panels are next to impossible to get. My interior is junk but the door panel cards are reasonably in tact.

First, I would like to find some new ones, but if that's not possible, can they be rebuilt? If so, does anyone have a suggested source?

Also, I thought the after market speakers were installed by cutting a hole in the panel, but as you can see in metal inner door panel, evidently the factory intended speakers to be put into the door panels??? Is that correct?

Thanks in advanced.

[hoffman912]

http://www.sierramadrecollection.com..._detail&p=7093

these are being reproduced.

[mike curnow]

They are around used. I have 2 passenger side and 1 driver side. The pass sides are in pretty good shape, driver side pocket needs help. The vinyl has separated at an area where it changes style. $150 for driver, $200 ea. pass, OBO plus shipping, 3% for pay pal, check OK Neither has speaker cut outs. The speaker thing is a personel thing, currently the big push is for no speakers. I am not sure why, except they may say most of the cars were origionally without speakers. Be that as it may they do not complain about all the cars with sport seats, that are not origional to the cars. So do what makes you happy. Also like you noticed, the factory put the hole in the metal part of the door for a reason. My panels are not elephant hide. I am including pictures of each panel,one with pocket up one with pocket down.

[Bullethead]

http://www.sierramadrecollection.com..._detail&p=7093

these are being reproduced.

Pretty nicely I might add... bought a set last year and pleased with them.

[joegt3cup]

http://www.sierramadrecollection.com..._detail&p=7093

these are being reproduced.

Looks like they only offer them in black, to bad as I'm looking for a red set.

[JT912]

A couple of us from the 912bbs worked with a business in Canby, OR to reproduce these also. I know they have the red material and have done a red set. The price was higher than Sierra Madres. Not sure if they can/will make more sets. They weren't the quickest outfit to deal with but I think their quality was very good. The business is SMS Auto Fabrics and their contact is in this link. http://www.912bbs.org/vb/showthread....968+door+panel

[docrodg]

My question would be about the speakers. While the door certainly has the holes in the metal frame for speaker mounting I have never seen any pictures of a car that had door speakers where they were stated as stock. The parts manual, while not being the best source for information, does not show any speakers for the door, only single speakers which would be the dash. It is possible that the panels were made so that people could install speakers if they wished but they were not a factory item. Possibly some dealerships may have installed them as part of a customer request, but how could one track down that information?

This is why I go crazy trying to research this stuff for my car.

[edmayo]

As you have found out, factory door speakers were not catalog listed until about 74 and later. I have no way of knowing for a fact if they anticipated door speakers that early, although given the state of car radios then it wouldn't seem likely would it. Like you, I have wondered "why" also. Possible answer was that it was just for access to the lower bolt of the window frame, and had nothing to do with speakers. They needed a big enough hole for you to get your hand in and tighten the bolt.

[doigthom]

Tony at Autobahn will make you a set in any color you want. Difficulty is finding the basket weave material. He made me a set of beige ones and if you look back through his [U]archived blogs[U] you will see them. I needed beige. Beige basket weave does not exist. Bought Desser reproduction sport seats and they actually pressed new basket weave material for the seats and did extra for the rest of the car. That's how I got the material for Tony. Difficulty as explained to me was that it cannot be done in vinyl. Can only press leather. My guess is that vinyl has to be rolled that way when created. Also don't know if Desser would undertake it if you were not buying the seats. I was told that somebody in US can do pressing but never followed up on that. By the way Tony does a beautiful job.

[Ned911]

Will those door panels fit on a lwb car?