Berlina Door Panels

[damoj]

So.. went to replace the door panels on my 69 Berlina.. and as I was pulling the screws out of the bits of vinyl, dried mold, and card board, I noticed that all the screws except for the 4 along the bottom were self taping.. the screws on the bottom were an attempt by the PO to keep the panel attached as it fell into pieces. So.. heres the question... the new panels don't line up very well.. in some cases at all.. to the existing holes... were these panels put on at the factory that way? And so is my only solution to do the same? The replacements are black and came off a 1973 Berlina I think.

[magista]

I've replaced door panels on Berlinas twice. Here the deal...they never line up. Why you might ask? Because they are old and the panels have warped because of either heat or moisture so each one is different. Sometimes you really have to stretch and tweak to get them on right. It can be a royal PITA.

[116_Veloce]

The best thing to do is cut and fit the marine-board yourself, then take it to an upholsterer...

[damoj]

Where did you get your berlina door panels, and what is marine board?

[magista]

I've gotten them from parted out Berlinas. Just put the word out that you are looking for door panels for a Berlina. Most likely someone somewhere has some stashed. I doubt you are going to find any NOS and IF you do you will probably pay a pretty penny for them. Who knows though.

Good luck!

[116_Veloce]

Marine-board is term I'm familiar with, regarding the material they are made of, these highly processed and compacted plates of wood that make for the door panels.

In the past I did some restoration work on other alfas, so I have experience in this department.

The best way to go around this, IMHO, is to first cut the wood, a bit bigger perhaps than the old panel, then keep cutting and filing till you get the best fit for the door. Then you can go ahead and make holes.

THEN you can go to the upholstery shop and have them upholstered (or if you're really crafty, do that yourself as well).

New original door panels are still available for GTV and Spider, for Berlinas I don't know.

In sum, the years, damp and warping will eventually destroy the panels so there is no surprise they do not fit.

You should also spray the backs of the board with a few thin coats of clear, to protect from future warping and damage due to the water that gets in the door.

[damoj]

Thank you both for your input. I am really new to the whole restoration car scene.

[116_Veloce]

You're welcome. One more thing: If it's worth saving, you can try separating the old vinyl, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowly and carefully, from the old door panel, and glue it on to the new one. That way you'll still have an original looking door panel.