So where do I start?
attempt one: I fit an exact piece to the hole in the door. I needed too as the door could not be banged out nor could I salvage what was there. I had three ideas to get the door back to semi straight again and this is the first one, butt weld the patch in. FAIL!!!! the welds shrink! and what I got was some pull here and there and the whole thing looked like an abortion. I cant tell you how pissed off I was. the door cant be hammered and dolly out to flat again due to restrictions because of the inner door panel. I felt screwed and looked for a different option before going to get a new lower door panel internet was an idea maker.
Attempt two: I cut out my newly installed patch and proceeded to get out the wows and OMGS in the panel. It took a while. I had oil canning going on in a couple places and it was truly a test in my ability to figure out how to fix it. the whole time I knew I could get a new panel but did not want this to kick my ass. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a seamer. I attacked the rectangle hole I had and went around the hole several times I wanted a good lap to bridge across and wanted to limit my bondo usage. (Is this the way a pro would do it? I'm not a pro, I'm a get it done guy.) after fitting for what seemed like too long and getting it to set well I tacked in to place. I went across the top first then down the sides then the bottom. I had little if any shrinkage and the patch was in. I place a 4 foot level across the door and checked for a uniform flatness across the whole door especially the patch! WOO HOO! I had a door that was semi close to what I wanted. I used my dent puller and a sanding disk some more to insure I would not get a panel that would collapse under only a little pressure and I had it. a couple thin layers of bondo and smoothed out my door is done.
Now I reflect on the door work. Was it the best way to fix it? will it hold up over time? My thoughts are this and only this. Its my truck! I don't have a shop teacher over my shoulder telling me how to do this and since its done and I can look at it and be happy with the results, who cares what anyone thinks. Granted there are better methods, and there are a lot more skilled resources out there, BUT I DID IT! Me. and I over came a very difficult project. I will warn any one attempting to do any large panel that will need to be flat or close to flat, ITS HARD AS HELL!
