How to buy good quality doors
It happens to the best of us—accidents, shopping carts, dents, and time weathering take their toll on your car door, and soon you might be buying a new one. The type of car door you buy depends on the condition of your existing door. If an accident renders the entire door unusable, you will need a door skin. This is the whole door - without the insides and the window - ready for painting or already painted.
If only the outside of your door is damaged, you may have had too many scratches on the cement posts, or someone hit the door hard enough to dent the outer layer, even though you can only buy door skins. This is the outer part of the door, without the inner layer, to which the platbands and all locking and window mechanisms are attached. When you choose only the door skin, it will be more labor than when you buy all the skin, because you will either have to apply the interior panel yourself or pay someone to do it for you. Once you have decided on the option, it's time to start shopping.
Tips to make sure you get a good quality door:
Buy OEM: Aftermarket body parts are notorious for their poor fit. You don't want to ride with a door that announces to the world, "I'm a cheap replacement." You want a door that looks like it's installed on your car, with smooth lines and perfectly matched paintwork.
Get everything you need right awayA: If the insides of your old door are beyond repair, order all the locks, windows, and other trim that your door had while you order a new door from the manufacturer.
Research installers and make sure they have a reputation for qualityA: If you're not going to do the work yourself, you'll want someone who knows their stuff to install the door and make your car look like new.
Changing a car door isn't much fun, but if you get an OEM quality replacement, your ride should be back to its former glory in no time.
