Replacing both doors - need advice

[wesmigletz]

The doors on my 70 aren't usable due to rust, speaker holes, and other damage in hinge area. I've heard good feedback about doors from Southern Kentucky and AMD, but do not have experience with either. Both full A pillars and bedsides will be replaced, too, with aftermarket parts, along with the full floor and rockers.

Will the replacement body panels allow more flexibility to correct fit during installation, or should I hold out for OEM truck doors to cut to fit?

Also, would you change to 1972 style doors to get the anti-rattle reinforcement screw?

Thanks in advance.

[BobbyK]

OEM is preferred but even OEM will take some work to fit.
Aftermarket stuff will usually ALWAYS require a little to ALOT of fudging to make fit. depends on who makes it.

I've heard good things from AMD but check with some board vendors.
They live this stuff and have the experience with who make the best fitting replacement parts and usually carry the panels that fit the best.

GMC Pauls has actually spearheaded efforts in getting parts manufactured that meet the need of our community.
Here's a reply he made on the board.

Re: GMC Pauls vs Brother's
Quote:
Originally Posted by special-K View Post
The mega-vendors tend to sell whatever is cheapest for them to buy. The Mom & Pop vendors tend to sell what they find to be best. They are in the business through being fellow enthusiasts and they don't have a customer service department staffed to keep returned junk orders revolving,take complaints,or absorb the losses this creates. They want to avoid that headache,not accept it as what it takes to operate in volume. They are lower volume and every order counts to them. They may even remember your order if it has been placed recently if you have reason to call on it.
you called that very correctly. I've thrown ALOT of parts away after bring 1 of an item in to check it to see if we wanted to carry a particular brand. A good example of the big stores is those lousy imported fuel neck grommets they all buy for $2.50 or less that are imported. they rot in 6months to a year. they KNOW they rot in 6 months to a year. they could buy the American made version for the price they sell the imported version for. They all know of the American version. But they figure only 1-2 in 10 will complain they'll then send another imported version and the customer gives up 6 months later when it rots again thinking they are all junk. Why do they do this. They make more money selling the cheap version over the quality. I want quality. I don't want headaches or problems with a bad product. If its bad I don't carry it period. If its a acceptable part and the only one available I'll explain its only acceptable and why in the description.
I don't want crap, you don't either so why bother with it. Continually here guys say only 1 company makes that part. WAY WRONG most every part has at least 3-4 manufacturers and some like the dash bezels have a half dozen or more with varying degrees of quality. Fenders again 5-6 manufacturers minimum for the 67-72 trucks. About the only parts that have 1 manufacturer are the very newly released parts that haven't been made before and the 67-68 & 69-72 cowl hoods. Look online and you'll see basically Everyone still selling the 67-68 cowl hood & standard hood. A few years ago these were a great product. Now they are trash, the wholesalers buying them know they are trash but say they continue to buy them to sell more as a favor to the retailers & retail buyers so they have a option, the manufacturers that making them has been told of all the problems with them. the manufacturer states were making the same as always. BULL I've got several of the earlier versions and they have crisp clean lines and were a simple bolt on. NOW though they have additional body lines, uneven edges & widths, etc... A award winning body shop recently couldn't even begin to get one to work and in their opinion the only way to have a good 67-68 cowl hood was to cut the cowl off the reproduction and graft it to a original. but since they can form one for less than buying a reproduction to cut up which route do you think they choose. Well I won't sell them anymore because I'm sorry offering a guy a product to give him a option that then can't be used or looks like crap unless you invest twice the money or more in correcting it is WRONG.
Just my take on things. Thanks guys for your continued support we try to make you and ourselves happy with our products cause we all have enough problems without dealing with crappy parts. Time for some then off to a 200+ family reunion. You all have a great weekend!!
Paul @ GMCPauls

[wesmigletz]

BobbyK, thank you for the input. I've been getting my parts through GMC Paul's and Classic Heartbeeat for a while, and will reach out to them about the doors. I also recently made a purchase from MotorCityK5 and was happy with the parts and service.