Ideas for new cabin door
 

It's the last piece of wood in the cabin and it needs to go!

I want to go with black to match the rest of the dash/cockpit. It needs to be functional and look good. Most importantly I don't want to spend a fortune on it :)

What have you guys done??

Thanks
Jim

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i4...b/5c94aafb.jpg

I haven't done it myself, but I have seen where the louvers have been removed and replaced with some dark plexiglass. Looked pretty good.

I've been kicking the idea around of doing a soft zip around door.

Top hatch for cabin door is already black acrylic. Why not remake the doors in the same? Or for a really cool touch, white semi-translucent with the gauge cluster graphic added.....

There are some folks that can recreate that using starboard (not sure if you can get sb in black). Keep the slats for ventilation if you do not have ac.

The current door is 1" thick. I think I would need to go with the same thickness in acrylic just to keep the rigidity. I will have to see what the cost would be!

The dash panel overlay is getting done to match the boat, might be too busy for the door??

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i4...b/new-dash.jpg

You could get clear acrylic and sand it with a da on the inside. Makes it look like frosted glass. Looks good with black and goes with any color. Lets light in also.

Your boat build has come out incredible, it inspires me to get my resto going again. my panther has a sliding acrylic door, with a similar top door.

Thanks!! :)

Sliding door, hmmmm.....

Do you have any pictures of it?

I forget what size you need but I have dark smoked acrylic door that slides open.
I have ordered from this place before and they will also cut it to size.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/black-plexig...item53e528e100

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

Ooohhhh I like! :)

Do you have any close up photos of how it slides? Is there a track it sits in etc? That link you sent, is that the stuff you bought? Is the door only 3/8" thick?

Door
 

If you want to go cheap. Sand it, paint it black and call it a day. For a little nicer look, tear out the slats, Paint frame black, ,recess some of that 1/4 in acrylic into the frame, and put a graphic on it. You would have to break one side loose of each frame half and have a 1/4 inch track routed into the frame.. All of 15 min if you have access to a router table. You could even wrap the frame with some of that fake carbon fiber sticker after you routed it then install the glass and glue and or nail back together. I think ditching the frame and starting form scratch would be a mistake unless you are wanting someone to fab one for big bucks.

Chris

don't even think about sliding door. boat has to be built with a place for the door to slide into...

We will see!

You would be surprised what you can do with an angle grinder. I think there is space for the door to slide in behind the helm. I am going over to the boat storage place today so I will take some measurements!

Looks good and congrats on getting rid of the wood. My first Baja had wood in it and I hated how it looked. Made the boat look so dated! Black acrylic with a less busy version of the dash graphic would look good.

Well a sliding door won't work :(
There is plenty of room behind the helm but the floor has a 1.5" rise also behind the helm which the door would run right into,oh well!!

Looks like I am going rebuild the doors, I like Chris's (blueabyss) idea. I plan to rebuild the doors from scratch and do a black lexan inset on a black painted frame. Going to see how it looks black on black and then maybe do something with some graphics!

Pictures to come!

fixx
 

how about a roll up door like a track door?
http://www.rollok.com/Aluminum_Tambour_Doors.html

Started building the doors today!

Pics are in my build thread or at this link: http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/3883185-post323.html

That's a cool idea but it looks expensive! Trying to keep this on the cheap!!