Race Car Door Panels

[Burp]

Hi Chaps, need a bit of help.

I refuse to pay hundreds of pounds for carbon ones. Im after some ideas.

What kinds of materials have you used? Pictures would be ideal too.

Thanks

[stinkysteve]

Why put anything in? Just leave them open and save more weight. It might not look as good but who cares? Unless i suppose you're prepping the car for someone who does.

Obvious other solution is plastic or aluminium sheet.

I'm interested on feedback on leaving them open. I guess some championships will state materials can be changed (not remove), mine has no issues with removal.

[BJD]

Does it go through scrutineering Ok without a panel on the drivers side? Passenger side is fine without.

[Graham]

flat sheet of ally or fibreglass?

[Burp]

Could leave them off I suppose, the inner skin has been cut away already and running plastic windows. Just a bit worried what the scrutineer will say about opening the door, currently haveto pull the stock cable. Is that ok?

[lewis1]

lotus cortina I run which is FIA Spec just has string on the door lock that you pull, and some thin alu sheet as a door card. works a treat.

[cytefx]

I was going to put some of that corrugated plastic in mine, there is some that is fire proof (they use it in the building trade)

but then I droped on some CF ones that were sculpted, so went with that.

A lot of them in my championship use aluminum, or the thin sheets of plastic/CF but they normally have the standard door openers on them.

[Birdthom]

Leaving the door cards out would save weight, but wouldn't it also leave your limbs vulnerable to be sliced horribly by all those unprotected bare metal edges in an incident?

Ally sheet on mine, BTW.

[alolympic]

cytefx said:

I was going to put some of that corrugated plastic in mine, there is some that is fire proof (they use it in the building trade)

These are the way froward for me. Branded Corotherm, can get them in 4mm from B&Q or Screwfix. Very light, something like £8 for 1m x 1,5m

[double6]

here try this link...

http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/PVCSheet/1.5...

there's plenty of plastic sheet materials that'll do the trick if you don't fancy aluminium ones

[Spit50]

I have thin aluminium cards in my GRP doors. Also have roll cage door bars. I ran without doorcards for a while but was picked up on it by the scrutes because in a crash it was possible for my arm to drop into the space between the door skin and cage door bar. So had to fit the cards to prevent this happening.

Andy

[Burp]

This is what we came up with in the end



http://burpspeed.com/Burpspeed/Build/Entries/2010/...

http://burpspeed.com/Burpspeed/Build/Entries/2010/...

Edited by Burp on Thursday 4th March 15:55

[heightswitch]

Weslake-Monza said:

A lightened door requires the car to have door bars in circuit racing.

The marshall needs to be able to open the car door(s)in an emergency without having to stop and ask you how to do that, especially if you're unable to tell him....

Which part of the blue book have you lifted that from??

[mat205125]

Nothing wrong with a string pull to open the door.

What is the car? Once stripped of unnecesary materials, and trim, the standard items aren't actually THAT heavy, and are correctly contoured to fit the door.

I'd use sheet Ali personally, and try to fit it so that it is under a little bit of force bending it slightly - A slack skin over a resonating door can make a hell of a racket.

[Al Weyman]

I am in the sign business and can recommend two products. I have in my cars made panels from a product called Foamulux a close density plastic sheet but also many cheaper clones available. I use 3mm for this job. It comes in a variety of self colours and I have also used it for making a floor cover. The beauty with this product as I have done on my IROC-Z is that it can be heat bent and stays in place once bent so its possible to curl over the top to make a neat finish.

Another product is an aluminium composite also 3mm which has a resin sandwhich between two very thin sheets of alloy. This again can be self coloured as well as brushed silver and gold or a base alloy finish. It cannot be bent so only suitable for flat panels, its known as Dibond or Alupanel as well as other clones. Both are lightweight but maybe the plastic has the edge in the weight stakes.

BTW both these products which also come in thicker sizes can and have been used to make splitters and spoilers etc.

Edited by Al Weyman on Wednesday 17th March 08:36

Edited by Al Weyman on Wednesday 17th March 08:37

[whiteonyx]

How much are these products and where can we get them?

[Al Weyman]

Vulcascott is one of my suppliers or Amari Plastics, Perspex Distribution are others. You would have to buy an 8ft x 4ft sheet. I generally only hold white in stock if you dont want a full sheet, I do have some white on one side, natural alloy finish on the other of the composite material. BTW if you wanted carbon effect it would be very easy to flood coat a panel with APA's Carbon effect wrapping vinyl.

Edited by Al Weyman on Wednesday 17th March 16:25

[Burp]

Al Weyman said:

I am in the sign business and can recommend two products. I have in my cars made panels from a product called Foamulux a close density plastic sheet but also many cheaper clones available.

Thats exactly what we used for ours.

Edited by Burp on Wednesday 17th March 19:40

[Al Weyman]

There you go, easy peezy!

[jo3_C]

We supply a carbon fibre ABS Plastic sheet in 2mmthk if anyone is interested
2.5mtr x 1.250mtr x 2mmthk

they are abs plastic with a carbon fibre pattern on them, can also supply with wood finish, brushed stainless steel aswell as different colours.

PM me for prices