For some reason my driver side door is rusted out at the bottom. Evidently when I wasn't looking a drain hole plugged and there ya go.

I would really rather find a used door the right color in a yard than buy a aftermarket door and have it painted.

Any idea where to look? Any yards anyone know of that has a lot of our trucks?

Or does anyone have a silver driver side door that will fit a 2001 club cab they would like to sell?

Thanks....gary

 

Hi Gary, I think you meant to write "Quad" cab. The doors are different than the club cab which doesn't have rear suicide doors.

Finding the correct color is either a home run or a long wait, todays paint shops can get a near identical match, but silver is harder to do than non metallic colors so I get where you are heading with this.

Also consider a used door from your area has most likely been subjected to the same conditions that rotted out your door and is about the same age or older. (You can use a door from 98.5-2001 1500's or 98.5-2002 25/3500's).

I'd consider having a shop reskin your existing door and paint to match.

 

You are right of course on the above.

Not much of a chance of finding a matching door out there? Thats way too bad.

Can the door be restored without the rust coming back?

Thanks for the reply!....gary

 

Quick answer.....maybe.
I know a guy that had his doors repaired a couple of years ago(at a good body shop), the rust is starting again.
I had my truck to the body shop for a deer strike (didn't hit the door, unfortunately), and asked the shop manager about repairing my doors. His answer was to get new doors. He said they could fix them, but the rust would come back.......

 

They are $399 at LMC Truck but I have no experience with the quality or the steel gauge of the item.
My son took this LONG truck into a NARROW drive thru one time and creamed the side of the bed on a cement filled pole. A local shop matched the paint perfect, but if I am going to do the door, maybe I should have the whole truck shot, wouldn't cost more than a couple VP44's.

 

years ago when i had the whole pass side wiped out the ins adjuster spec'd to replace the bed side rather than repair it- he said it takes less time to cut it off and replace it than to pull it out and fix it right and it's cheaper in the long run. The bedside was $1100 just for the steel...

Rust is like cancer unless you remove everything in the vicinity it is going to come back and sloppy body work (which is very common and very hard to see until it's too late) only makes it worse.

Check out USA autoparts - they have certified replacement parts (CAPA) in most cases- unfortunately the door shells are not CAPA and they are $75-90 more than LMC.

 

Thanks for the responses guys.
So if i do go with a new shell, is there going to be riveting and stuff like that? What about that fuzzy felt in the glass channels? I realize I will have to install glass and window, lock motors, but how much else is involved?
thanks...gary

 

the new shell is just the steel- you'll need to install the mirrors, windows, regulators, channel felts, base window weatherstrip, hinges, lock mechanism...
If you can handle working on the truck in any other way you can handle this. It's just intimidating when you list it out. Put the new next to the old and start swapping parts.
The hardest part is aligning the door on the truck.

 

for all the great comments. I appreciate the help...gary

 

I've noticed quite a few late 90's and early 2000's where the drivers side door was rusting about a third of the way back. This must be a common problem.

I just finished removing all four of my door panels and applying two coats of a rust killer made by Purple Power to the lower section where water might gather. In the process I scraped and vacuumed out all loose particles of dirt, etc. and made sure all drain holes were open. I purchased the rust killer at Advance Auto Parts at about $6.99 for a quart. They usually keep it next to the touch up paint. Now that the inside if coated, I'll scrap off all loose rust on the outer part of the door and apply the rust killer there too. It takes about an hour for the molecular change to occur and the metal will turn a dark gray or even black. At that point you can apply another coat to be sure it gets all the rust. Now that the rust cancer is dead, it shouldn't rust anymore until you can have it fixed permanently.

A good friend of mine had his '84 Ford sprayed with the same material used in bed lining along the lower 4"-5" of the cab and bed. It looks surprisingly good and should add extra protection from further rust problems. Just some ideas to consider.

 

On my truck both of the lower edges of the doors rusted. I had a body shop grind the rust off, then sprayed it with metal blast from rust bullet and overcoated with black zero rust. He then covered the inside of the area with 3M black winshield sealant. I could see a small amt of rust on the bottom edge this spring. I hit it with metal blast and when the weather warms up I will spray with zero rust and then rocker schutz. This entire deal was 50.00.