Mk2 Swapping parts between doors

[AntonovAN12]

One of the rear passenger doors on my Mk2 hatchback has a large dent in its lower half. As it is an LX model, it has black plastic handles and bump strip. The windows are also handle wound.

I have tried regular eBay searching for a replacement in the matching colour with black trim and manual windows, but haven't found one so far. 

How much work is it to swap the required parts over to another door of the same colour?

I was hoping to be able to find one that I could simply bolt on. I found a place last year that said they could supply and fit a door for £50. I would then leave the old one with them. Unfortunately they didn't have any that were a colour match.

[unofix]

53 minutes ago, AntonovAN12 said:

How much work is it to swap the required parts over to another door of the same colour?

What is not much work and very easy to one person, can be a major amount of work and very difficult to another. Not knowing your mechanical abilities it's not something I feel can be answered.

[AntonovAN12]

Perhaps a better way to put it would be how easily can the inside of the door be accessed once the door card is removed?

I have seen them removed on other vehicles, and some looked a lot easier to work on than others.

I assume I would need to remove the window regulator mechanism as well as the door handles.

[alanfp]

14 hours ago, AntonovAN12 said:

I found a place last year that said they could supply and fit a door for £50

That sounds surprisingly good value. Once you have found a door, which you will have to do if you want do it yourself, take it to them and get them to do the swap for £50! 

[TomsFocus]

Removing a rear electric-window door panel will be difficult without power to the door.  The window has to be lowered to line up holes in the panel with bolts in the window regulator.  Only then can you separate the window (lift it up and tape it to the top of the door) to allow panel & regulator removal.

You can of course use a spare length of wire to put 12v directly the window motor.

[AntonovAN12]

Thanks for the replies. I asked about straight swapping the door in another thread. In that thread it was said that a straight swap could be done in a few minutes, as it is only a few bolts and the plugs. That would be preferable if I could find one.

I have seen rear doors listed on eBay for as little as £20, but unfortunately none that were an exact match.

[AntonovAN12]

I should have quoted alanfp there.

The place that said they could supply and fit the door would simply unbolt the damaged one and swap it for another complete one from another car. That could have been done without needing to further dismantle either door.

That was if they had a complete matching one available, which they didn't.

That is why I posted this thread asking about swapping the parts between the door shells.

[unofix]

Yes if you can find an identical door from the same model/trim level then the swap is quite easy. It gets more complicated if swapping between electric windows and manual windows.

[AntonovAN12]

How difficult is it to swap the outer door handle and trim strip? Being an LX, mine are both plain black plastic.

Some of the Zetec models apparently had manual rear windows but body coloured handles and trim strip.

If anyone knows of a spare Mk2 LX Hatchback rear passenger door in ink blue with manual windows and black plastic handles, I would like to know.

This was obviously not a popular colour for the LX, there seem to be more Ghia spec cars about in that colour.

Typical of how things are, there was an Aquarius blue door with matching trim on eBay for months that was only 10 miles from me for £20.