Notching car door for spotlight.

[Clone TIE Pilot]

My P71 Crown Vic got hit in the front passenger side fender and door. Thankfully I am ok and the car is largely ok. No frame or pillar damage. The damaged door still opens and closes fine but it looks terrible now and needs replacing. The odd issue I have is that my P71 has the somewhat rare dual spotlight option and its near impossible to find a passenger side front door with a factory spotlight notch. I got a white replacement door and I need to figure out what tool to use to carefully cut out a notch. The spotlight manufacturer, Unity was kind enough to send me a install template PDF which is a great help. The factory notch on the old door is a half oval and has a special trim piece I can transfer over to the new door after its cut. So I don't have to worry about getting the cut super clean as the trim piece can hide some of it. Any suggestions for such an oddball issue?

Here is an internet picture to help visualize what I am talking about.

Crown Vic doors wrap around the front pillars. This makes it so that any pillar mounted spotlight requires a the door to be notched to clear it when closed. Some guys say a Dremel, others say a small autobody saw, I just don't know.

 

[565bbchevy]

I would mark the notch and because of the odd location and it's where two edges of the door meet, I would use an air angle grinder with a cut off wheel and gradually trim the hole out and get it close to the mark and finish clean up with sanding bands.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Airsaw, then a burr in a die grinder to clean/true the edges is how we do them

 

[69hurstolds]

Hack out the old "notch" area and blend it into the new door. That may be another option if it's more tricky than being straightforward.

 

[78Delta88]

I answered your other post... I know what your talking about. My take home unit was 93 and later 96. Both had the driver side spots. No passenger side spots. Never had to deal with this. The main issue I had was the gears would short out in the spot lamp handle.

Any how if you have a template, transfer the cut to the door using a scribe or paint pen or sharpie. Never had to make the notch, but try a nibbler and finish with drum sander or small grinding wheel. The wheel used to sharpen mower blades is about the right size. Or Harbor Freight, ACE, etc... has the small grinding kit.

When you cut do you have to go through the pinch weld? You can fill void with epoxy, sand and spot paint with Duplicolor.

The other suggestion is contact local PD or Sheriff and talk with vehicle maintenance and see how they do it, maybe they will help you with it.

I worked for small town and if it were me and you stopped by I'd probably help you with it. Most cops are car guys, just be respectful and don't run around as a "Goober" or "do it yourself cop" and you'll be fine.

Other thing is practice making one or two on the door getting tossed.

 

[78Delta88]

Ribbed roof mentioned air saw and die grinder. I was not sure if the air saw would work but i guess it does. The nibbler only cuts to 18 gauge which is .0478 cold roll steel and you have 3 layers of steel there so maybe air saw sounds like better route.

Pic attached Is my 97 Merc, so identical to Crown Vic.




My 91 Caprice will be getting two spot lamps so I'll have to figure this out too. I'm wondering now if I do it now before final paint.

 

[78Delta88]

This is nibbler capacity is only .048 so might not be enough...




Below is the grinder kit I mentioned....



Also diamond spindles might work, just not sure...

 

[SS_Malibu]

After marking your door with the supplied template, use a cut off wheel on a grinder to get a "V" cut in the oval section. Then a bur bit to get close to the intended oval section and last finish with a 3/4" or 1" flap sanding bit to get to the intended clearance.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

I answered your other post... I know what your talking about. My take home unit was 93 and later 96. Both had the driver side spots. No passenger side spots. Never had to deal with this. The main issue I had was the gears would short out in the spot lamp handle.

Any how if you have a template, transfer the cut to the door using a scribe or paint pen or sharpie. Never had to make the notch, but try a nibbler and finish with drum sander or small grinding wheel. The wheel used to sharpen mower blades is about the right size. Or Harbor Freight, ACE, etc... has the small grinding kit.

When you cut do you have to go through the pinch weld? You can fill void with epoxy, sand and spot paint with Duplicolor.

The other suggestion is contact local PD or Sheriff and talk with vehicle maintenance and see how they do it, maybe they will help you with it.

I worked for small town and if it were me and you stopped by I'd probably help you with it. Most cops are car guys, just be respectful and don't run around as a "Goober" or "do it yourself cop" and you'll be fine.

Other thing is practice making one or two on the door getting tossed.

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like Ford just cut through the pinch welds on both doors. This car has factory installed spots and Ford probably just took standard doors, notched them for P71s, painted them, and then snapped in a plastic trim piece.

 

[78Delta88]

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like Ford just cut through the pinch welds on both doors. This car has factory installed spots and Ford probably just took standard doors, notched them for P71s, painted them, and then snapped in a plastic trim piece.

Sounds about right. Manufacturer's don't spend any more cost then they have to.