Simple door fix/arm rest replacement

[Raider L]

I know everybody knows how to do this but sometimes the simplest can have problems, just not this.

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I know, this is embarrassing but I'm asking for amends. I'm getting rid of the ugly and replacing it now. Better late than never.

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Remove these two screws, #8 x 1" Phillips.

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This is the new arm rest I got today from NPD, National Parts Depot. It was kinda pricey, like $27.99. I think that's high but where else can you get a new arm rest in the right color as my interior?

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Install new arm rest.
As a matter of a fact it fit better than the original one did. It was right on the screw holes. And the color match is right on. Now I'm going to have to look at respraying my panels to match this color. NPD calls it "Light Saddle" My carpet and seat covers were redone in the new 1996 Chevy pickup interior colors of "Saddle Tan". I think it looked more like a burnt gold color. This color looks to me like that spray paint you use to paint over labels on card board boxes so you can use the box to ship stuff but it can't have any other labels on it. Doesn't it?

 

[Bennyt]

Will, I have a pretty nice passenger panel in that color if you need it.

 

[ali_c20]

I use VHT or sem for interior parts, it holds up really well and it doesn't scratch or peel of.
Sem offers more colors.
Prep is the most important step for a good result.



https://www.vhtpaint.com/specialty/vht-vinyl-dye

https://www.semproducts.com/products/market/upholstery-trim

 

[Raider L]

@ali_c20,

This is kinda long but it's a good story.

Thanks. I never knew what the upholstery shop used to paint the panels with, but that was back in 1995 so there's no telling. But you are absolutely correct when it comes to prep being the most important part of repainting the panels because if the prep isn't done correctly the paint won't stick. And I don't really think they did as much as they could. Probably sanded it some and then shot the paint on it. It looked okay, but after about five years it looked like some places were starting to peal already.

This time I'll do the whole nine yards and sand, that stuff you put on it to prep the surface for primering or something like that and then the paint. The panel is some kind of rubbery plastic. I went to the "sem" you refered to? I had not heard of it before. I know what VHT is. I had the drivers door panel off last week to fish out the rear view mirror bracket that fell down into the bottom of the door when I took the rear view mirror off to see if I could tighten it up so it would stop slipping every time I shut the door. The panel is in good shape. It's not cracked or anything I could see other than it needs to be washed good. I'll go to LMC to see how much the new wood grain insert is so once they're repainted they'll look new. Thanks, @Bennyt for the offer but I think I would like to paint the panels myself just to do it myself.
To talk about another part of the truck, I contacted a place that offers a new dash but the thing was real expensive so I'm going to have to come up with something else.

See, I'm slowly getting the truck restored because after 25 years on the street the poor thing has taken a beating. You don't even want to see the seat covers. I found some cheap towels at Walmart that matched the interior color and that's what covering them, ha, ha, ha. The drivers side body is all crashed in from people hitting it when it's parked. My across the street neighbor, an elderly woman kept backing into it because she needed the whole damn street to back out of a double drive way. And her grand son did the initial damage to it when he backed into it one night, with his big ass Ford truck, because he said he couldn't see it. And he is partly correct. It's dark blue and turns black at night. But damn! I went out there to see what the noise was I heard in my room, and went back in and got the key and once I saw the door was okay and would close and lock I told him to forget it. He said, "It's bad". I said, "Yeah, but your insurance will total it and take my truck and I don't want to loose it.". So that is what it is.

I can get the bed fender and the door skin from LMC for about $400, the bed fender being about $350. Oh yeah, I also need the lower cab corner, the 16" long piece that was bashed in when he hit it. I mean it's bad. So I guess it would be about $450 in total. I can do that easy but the killer would be the body shop charges would probably be $2,000 to repair and repaint the truck. I'm not physically able to do any of it so I would have to put in a paint and body shop to get the truck back restored. And I don't have the money to pay to get the body work done and repaint the truck. And I don't know anyone who could do it all cheap.

 

[squarelyfe]

I got the rests from lmc, nice mold and the holes line up...but.. I noticed that they kinda lift towards the front after being screwed down. Do they all do this?

 

[Raider L]

@squarelyfe,

Rereading this thread. No, I think that must be LMC's. Mine sat flat like it should. They must think that tilting it like that is more ergonomic and is how your arm rest on it.