Search Forum
Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
Locked
123
123
Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
 
Administrator
|
Let's have a discussion about door panels and the boots that go on/in the door panels and surround the interior door handle. I'm looking for info to help us nail down some differences I've seen.
Basically, I believe that the door panels from 1980 through 1982 had studs to hold the door handle boots, and for 1983 they changed the boots to a grommet style that mounts in the opening instead of on the studs. I don't know when the studs were dropped from the doors, but by 1985 they apparently had been dropped as none of the 1985 panels I have include the studs. I come to this conclusion by looking at the part numbers for the boots/grommets, shown below Note that through 1982 they mixed and matched E0, E1, and E2 part numbers, and since the early boots mounted on studs, apparently they all did through 1982. But, in 1983 the earlier part numbers were no longer used, so I think that's when the boots became grommets and mount in the opening in the door. In fact, note that the black E0 boots were replaced by E3 boots, which can be popped into the opening of the door panel with or without the studs. So, I'm asking y'all if you can help figure this out. Do you have original door panels and boots? If so, what year and what style of boot do you have? Do your door panels have studs? Here are the details:   On Dad's 1981 truck the boots are flat and mount on a stud on the back of the panel like this:  And they look like this from the front:  But the door panels I have from 1983 and later trucks don't have those studs, and the boots are actually grommets that go into the opening in the door panel and look like this: 
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
Administrator
|
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
  Hi Gary, the E1 part number medium duty NOS door card that I am holding for you looks like it has the rear mounted boot. So it fits the pattern. On a more anecdotal note, the door cards in my F150 came from a 1983 Bronco. That was the last year for black interior, and the Bronco appeared to be very original. It has the grommet type of boot. I can pull a door card later and verify the lack of studs, but I have no reason to believe the boots are not original. Your black weave bezel set also came from this Bronco. Funny thing, I didn’t realize the boot type changed. I just thought the early trucks had an additional inner dust/noise control boot and that the outer color-coded grommet type boot must be missing 😅. Learn something new every day ha ha...
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD
STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2 |
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Recent one David found:
E1 but an insert - assumes package is correct. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1980-1986-FORD-F100-F150-F250-F350-BRONCO-LH-DOOR-HANDLE-OPENING-TRIM-BOOT/392964586758?hash=item5b7e83bd06:g:MPwAAOSwIrNfdYDo 
Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6 'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio |
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
In reply to this post by 1986F150Six
Interesting. I sent the seller this note:
Could you do me a favor and show me a pic of the back side of that door panel? I'm not interested in buying it, but I am doing research (http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Door-Panels-amp-Interior-Handle-Boots-td78520.html#a78542) and your door panel would help us answer a question. Specifically if there are studs on the back side where the door handle pokes through.
Note here that what I think is the grommet, an E3, is the replacement for the E0 boot. So it is possible that the panel has the studs and someone replaced the boot with a grommet. Or maybe 1982 was a transition year?  And here's the panel on ebay: 
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
|
Well, guess I'll be the one with the 1982 panels. I pulled the entire interior for my brown truck from a 1982 F250. I know for 100% fact that those door panels had the grommet style boots. I also know that the truck was a later 1982 as it had the splined shift knobs, however I don't know the exact build date. So like most other things, these were most likely a mid-year or late change in 1982.
  *EDIT* Those door panels look soooooo good. I want them back. 
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
|
There were no studs, just a grommet.
The upper pad was not available after 1980, I added the woodgrain trim and the 1980-only upper pad after I found them in a Ranger Lariat at the local junkyard. Those are the aluminum version woodgrain panels. These pictures were taken before I converted the door panels to slide locks (Yea, I was crazy back then). The door panels themselves were XL trim, so they only had the chrome trim when I picked them up, shown below.  |
Re: Door Panels & Interior Handle Boots
|
Administrator
|
Interesting, Shaun. So the '82 panels, at least the ones you have, don't have studs. But, according to the MPC all of the '82 door panels had an E1 prefix. But Dad's 1981 door panels have studs.
 EDIT: Wait! There are two whole rows of panels that don't have part numbers, just the black star that says they were all discontinued. So, is it possible those had an E2 prefix and didn't have the studs?  
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
|