A salvage yard is a great place to find used vehicle parts you can use in repairing your vehicle. Your vehicle's damaged door panel can be switched out for one of a different color from the salvage yard, you can strip and paint it yourself to get the color to match your vehicle. Here are some instructions to help you sand, repair, and repaint a junk yard vehicle door to match it to the rest of your vehicle.
Prepare the Door for Painting
It can be difficult to find near-perfect condition salvage yard vehicle parts for many vehicles. If you find a replacement door for your vehicle that does not have any body damage, but contains rust, pick the part. You can always remove the rust, repair and repaint the door to make it look great.
Before you can begin sanding the replacement door, it is important to wash and clean its exterior. This is to remove any dirt, oils, or other residue that can prevent the door's new paint from adhering to its surface. Mix some regular liquid dish soap in a bucket of warm water and use a sponge or rag to clean the door's exterior. Then, dry the outside thoroughly with a towel. You can also set the door in the sunshine outside, which will help hasten the drying process.
If your door contains any rust, sand down the rust spots from the door's surface, using a coarse 36-grit sandpaper. Be sure to remove all traces of rust from the door. If you paint over any of the rust spots, they can continue to corrode the door's metal under the paint, damaging the integrity of the vehicle's body. Use a 36-grit sandpaper to sand the remaining painted door surfaces in a circular motion to remove all the paint revealing the vehicle's bare metal. Wipe the metal with a damp cloth to remove any dust.
Next, patch over any rust-damaged spots using an automotive filler. With a plastic filler spatula, spread the filler over any voids in the vehicle's body. Smooth the filler so its edges blend in with the rest of the body. Allow the filler to completely dry, following the package's instructions. Sand down the putty's surface to make it smooth, using a 180-grit sandpaper. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
Mask, Prime, and Paint the Door
Mask off the exterior door handle, window glass, and any interior upholstery you don't want painted. As the door panel has still not been attached to your vehicle, you can lay the door on tarp you have spread over the ground. Make sure your work area is not below a tree that will drop any debris onto your wet paint during the painting process.
Locate the appropriate color of paint that will match the rest of your vehicle. Most vehicle part stores will be able to tell you the right color of paint to use. You will also need a good quality primer and a clear coat lacquer that you can apply onto your vehicle using a paint sprayer.
Apply the primer onto your vehicle's door in two to three thin coats, using side-to-side spraying motions. Allow the primer time to dry fully between coats, following the container's instructions. Use 400 or 600-grit sandpaper to smooth over any bumps and uneven areas on the primer. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth. Clean the spray gun to remove all primer.
Use the same process to spray on three to four coats of paint onto your door, allowing drying time between each coat. Be sure to move your sprayer in steady motions so you do not allow the paint to spray too thickly in any one area, causing runs to occur in the paint. Last, apply a clear coat lacquer onto the painted door to give the paint its shine. Remove the masking tape while the lacquer is still wet, and allow the lacquer to dry and cure.
Now you can attach your newly-painted door to your vehicle by attaching the fasteners and bolts onto its door hinges.
If you're looking for replacement parts for your vehicle, contact a scrap yard like City Auto Wreckers.
Share17 May 2016
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