1972 Parchment Door Panel (refurbish)

[Chevyland]

As we all know parchment door panels are hard to come by
And usually chalky

I had a couple pair for some trucks we are restoring
They were not perfect, and had some blemishes scratches etc.

The ones with wood grain had not been washed yet
The lighter set, I had scrubbed Real good with dish soap
Used a hard plastic bristle brush and scotch bright dish sponge

[Chevyland]

I used this SEM color
The pair on the cardboard had a couple ( light coats) at this point

You can see after removing the wood grain inserts the color difference

[Chevyland]

More light coats is best
Letting dry 10-15 minutes in between each
Once the color has covered all areas, I apply at a little heavier rate
To help fill the voids where there they were scratched and heavier chalked
They come out very presentable
I ended up applying 1 full can per door panel

Here they are
For comparison
The one in the middle
Is an NOS out of the box that has never been installed

[Chevyland]

Used chrome polish with steel wool on trim
Buffed it out with terry cloth

[cornerstone]

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to post. I've heard good things about SEM products before so it's nice to see what you have done. Do you think they have a fairly accurate medium blue for a 72?

[Curtb1971]

Those turned out awesome Eric It always amazes me what a little bit of elbow grease can do to a part that is close to 50 years old.

[72 tigger]

Looks good Eric!

[special-K]

Came out really nice! SEM's white works well for parchment. I wish I could get exact mixes done in their product. I let a pair go to a member for his very special restoration... black & white SWB Cheyenne Super BBC. He does restorations, the kind to die for, and what he did was blast them with recycled glass. Some say use walnut shells, but he said those leave an oily residue in the material. He sent me pictures and they looked brand new, no dye used.

[notsolo]

I like the your SEM white version better, the NOS original looks to yellow IMO....Really nice results.

[Grumpy old man]

Looks good . Sem can be exact color matched just like paint and SEM has a great website ,Also for those panels that have lost their texture it can be restored with a little work ,Also try bronze wool sometime when you have the need it lasts forever and doesn't have the downside of rust.

https://www.semproducts.com/product/...roduct-details

https://www.semproducts.com/about-us

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_wool

https://www.amazon.com/HOMAX-PRODUCT.../dp/B0000AXS0Q

[gearheadperkins]

awesome.. do you think any rough scratch can be sanded down then painted? I need to do mine

[gearheadperkins]

those look amazing.. looks like I will have a weekend project very soon thanks for posting

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Looks good . Sem can be exact color matched just like paint and SEM has a great website

Are you sure they do custom mixing? My local paint supplier sells SEM, mixes spray bomb cans any color in any paint you want, but said they can't make me a match in SEM. I've always had them mix my interior plastic colors in something else... with excellent results. I always use Bulldog Adhesion Promoter.

[Grumpy old man]

No SEM doesn't do custom matching , Any town that has new and used car dealerships usually have vinyl repair jobbers that come into the dealership and do repairs and color restoration to the trade in line just stop by the detail shop at the dealer and ask who they use . Or all you have to do is look up "vinyl repair" in your town to find someone local to custom match any color , Most auto trim/ upholstery shops worth their salt do their own color matching . Sem is also sold in quarts and gallons to spray thru a gun . the vinyl repair jobbers will custom color match because they have to match the the color in the car that has been exposed to years of UV exposure and not just pull a trim code and spray away with a spray can of something that doesn't match , At least on the high line cars , Joe smoe's used car lot will just grab a can of something close or use one of the generic cheap repair kits .

[landarts]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to post. I've heard good things about SEM products before so it's nice to see what you have done. Do you think they have a fairly accurate medium blue for a 72?

Here is a thread from the Rack Man where he shows the can and where to get it for Med. Blue. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&postcount=233

[StingRay]

Parchment door panels in particular take well to very light sand blasting. Not glossy but it will blow away any of the oxidized plastic. If they are severely sun damaged you will see erosion in any severe areas. If just moderate in sun damage they will come out beautifully white just not glossy. I've done it before. It will also give them some tooth for accepting paint. Polypropylene panels like this need adhesion promoters for anything to stay stuck.

[gearheadperkins]

Originally Posted by StingRay

Parchment door panels in particular take well to very light sand blasting. Not glossy but it will blow away any of the oxidized plastic. If they are severely sun damaged you will see erosion in any severe areas. If just moderate in sun damage they will come out beautifully white just not glossy. I've done it before. It will also give them some tooth for accepting paint. Polypropylene panels like this need adhesion promoters for anything to stay stuck.

Good to know.. thank you ... I will be doing this soon

[special-K]

I suggest the recycled glass over sand. It's only plastic, so no need for so much abrasion from sand. Some use walnut shells, but they will leave an oily residue.