A door skin, as the name suggests, is the outer panel, which is folded sharply at the edges of the frame and then welded (or in some cases, glued) to the inner doorframe. This can be a very economic repair if the interior of the doorshell is undamaged, or a new door is to expensive or unobtainable. The following is a general guide as makes\models differ slightly. and assumes the door is off the car. Inspect the hinges to see what is needed for removal. A hinge-pin removal tool is required on some models with welded door hinges. Others may be simple bolted hinges, Torx-drive hinge pins ( e.g. Peugeot ) or Torx-head locking screws (Escort Mk 5 - )
A genuine vehicle manufacturers doorskin will usually be for the full door from top to bottom, aftermarket parts will normally be the lower section up to window level, and much cheaper. Lower door skin repair sections (rust repair panels) are available for a lot of common models, but the extra work involved cutting, welding and filling, is not usually worth the few pounds saved, especially long term.
Remove all the trim, locks etc. and particularly glass to avoid spark damage. Use an angle grinder with a metal-cutting disk to grind about 2-3mm from the edge of the doorskin . This cuts through the folded outer skin without removing much metal from the door shell. If only the lower half (to window level) is being replaced mark carefully where the joint will be, and cut across the outer skin with a hacksaw.
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