Research

Functional Requirements:

• Allow for easy access to and operation of the interior handle / latch

• Should not touch seats or other components of the car

• Should not interfere with opening/closing of door

• Lightweight: should not be too heavy for hinges to handle

Non-functional requirements:

• Aesthetically pleasing

• Easy to manufacture

• Should not cause injury if bumped against (want rounded edges, soft material)

How To (general idea)

There’s a surprising amount of youtube video of people diy-ing their own door panels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr9CGT3BQGo

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/door-panel-tutorial-145092.html → nice written tutorial w pics

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDUPNrOKk-RF5x4L6ft7bPJao3loGOYf4 → a whole playlist!

• this guy uses ABS, so will need to figure out how PVC foam board is worked

Materials

• PVC foamboard and ABS plastic sheets seem to be the most common materials

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/interior-door-panel-material-393769.html

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/abs-vs-pvc-66825.html

List of benefits of PVC foamboard

1. is completely waterproof.

2. is easily cut, shaped, drilled, and sanded with regular wood working tools, and there are no splinters.

3. is easily stapled, accepts contact adhesive with no problems, can be heat formed, sewed, and glued together.

4. will never warp, rot, or absorb liquids.

5. is completely smooth, and tough enough to allow you to install and remove your panels numerous times with no problems.

6. is lightweight (1/2 the weight of solid PVC and 2/3 the weight of ABS)

7. is less expensive than solid PVC and ABS. One $30 sheet of PVC foamboard should do your door panels and kick panels, which also makes it less expensive than waterproof panel board and about the same price as good quality luan plywood.

Things to look out for

• Excess heat can warp the plastic: as in leaving the car out in the sun can cause issues.

  • The package tray (horizontal surface right under the window) is especially prone to overheating: might be best to use plywood on those surfaces

Procurement/Cost

• “None of this stuff is a building product, and it will never be available at a home center, it is used in the upholstery trade and in the sign making trade.”

• https://waterfalldecor.com/products/pvc-foam-board-embossed-wood-grain-4x8-sheets

  • About $90 for PVC Foam Boards - Celuka - 12mm - 0.55 to 0.9 density - 48" x 96"

Manufacture

• PVC can be glued together

• It can also be sewed together with a regular sewing machine

More links

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/door-panels-230613.html

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/door-panels-230613.html

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/interior-door-panel-material-110094.html

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/interior-door-panel-material-393769.html

Sketching/Play-doh concepting

• Green outline represents housing panel (1 pc): placed over latch/cable system, other features we want to hide edges of panel → panel made of pvc foam board

  • Slightly raised so that components we want to hide can fit under it

  • Mounting points around panel edges can be raised (on the side facing the door) → use layers of foam board strips to build up raised edge lip

  • Need ways to attach panel temporarily: Screws? Velcro? Clips?

• Pink: interior handle to control latch system

• Yellow: armest + grab feature (one piece) → top of arm rest: how to make comfy? fabric?

• Mesh storage (bottom right)

• armrest + grab handle feature

  • yellow outlines = mounting “tabs” (where adhesive will applied to attach armrest feature to the door) → will be covered by panel

CAD Concepting

• Outlined sections act as “housing” to cover latch system, handle system, and to make the panel less flat/1-dimensional

  • They will be hollow/raised to have a gap between them and the door itself to allow components to fit underneath it

• The outlined sections will all be removable (ie attached with velcro) to allow access to the covered components

• The armrest/grab handle feature (not outlined) will be permanently attached to the door as securely as possible to allow for weight to be leaned on it without breaking

Next Steps:

• CAD passenger door

• Add some molding/sculpting onto green panel to make it less flat and more visually interesting

• Add mesh storage feature and figure out how it will be attached while still allowing door panel to be removed

• Figure out materials, aesthetics, colours, etc