Range Rover door skin removal and repair

[Rivertest]

Morning all,
I have 1977 2 door Range Rover in need of all the normal TLC most of which is relatively straightforward. One thing that is giving my old brain cells some excersise though is the state of the driver and passenger doors. The steel frame that supports both the hinges and the door catch are completely shot but of course the aluminium skin is fine. I have a couple of options, try to find a couple of replacement doors or remove the outer skin and replace the steel frame pressing if, and it's a big if, I can get find a new mild steel frame pressing or lastly remove the skin and repair the frame. It's probably worth mentioning I don't mind a challenge and time is not a problem.

So, can anyone give me a steer on just how difficult the removal and reuse of the aluminium skin would be or is it likely to get too damaged to reuse.

Any help appreciated.

PS. and if anyone has a couple of doors going spare I would be really interested

 

[zx9]

I can not help, my '76 Rangie has doors in a similar state to yours so I am looking forward to any hints and tips that may come.

 

[harryb94]

I'm half way through welding up my mates 90 door at the moment, skin wasn't too hard to get off. Heated it up first a bit and then used a bolster Chisel to raise the flange up a little bit at a time, had to be careful not to go to much at once or it starts to stretch/split. Not put it back on yet mind but it doesn't seem to have damaged the skin much, main problems were where it had started to corrode at the bottom!

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ what he says. The heating anneals the aluminium, but bending it will work harden it, hence you do it in stages.

Rub some soap on the ally and when it starts to smoke you're at the right temperature.

 

[MoreWellie]

I have done a couple of defender doors but I am guessing a range rover door will be harder. the hardest bit was unfolding and re-folding the skin as although it looks fine the worst bit is corrosion in the fold area which can lead to splits

as you have said the frames are completely shot I don't see that you have anything to lose but it would probably still be a good idea to have a go at another door first especially if you can pick another early range rover one even if the skin is damaged at least it would help perfect the process you would need to go through with yours a door from an early 4 door would also probably be similar and easier to find. Early discovery 1 doors should be really cheap if you cannot find anything else

 

[rtbcomp]

...

Rub some soap on the ally and when it starts to smoke you're at the right temperature.

I believe Dove is the best stuff to use, it's supposed to soften the skin.

 

[Seadog]

But is it soap?
"Soap is a surfactant: when you lather it up and rub it on yourself, it slides between your skin and the filthy, oily residue accumulated on top of your skin, and lowers the surface tension between them, and then when the warm water comes along the skin stays and the filth goes. Dove, by contrast, is a log of coagulated grease with some perfume in it. When you lather it up and rub it on yourself, you are coating yourself with grease. Gross. **Language**'s wrong with you. You are not an engine part.

Dove soap is garbage. It does not wash things, but paints them with filth, and then the advertisements tell you that this filth is self-esteem and makes you beautiful. But nah. Do not use this garbage product. There are many fine soaps which will clean your face, which is quite lovely and luminous when not smeared with grease, which is what Dove soap is."

 

[Rivertest]

Thanks guys, the heating up is a good tip and I'm sure I can put my hand on an old door.
I assume the kind of temp I'm looking for will strip/ bubble the paint.

Seadog, I believe rtbcomp was joshing, but maybe you were too.

 

[Kent]

^^ what he says. The heating anneals the aluminium, but bending it will work harden it, hence you do it in stages.

Rub some soap on the ally and when it starts to smoke you're at the right temperature.

good tip Landrover themselves recommended any light oil in place of the soap for working dents out

 

[Seadog]

Seadog, I believe rtbcomp was joshing, but maybe you were too.

RT, soap does in fact have uses in engineering. Typically when tempering a piece of tool steel to prevent the surface oxidizing and also as a heat indicator