cutting new doors

Okay. Found it. You might want to peruse the entire thread. It's under SUNRAY UPDATE, roughly 30 posts down from the top.

Here's what you need:

Cutting and trimming Plexiglas is time-consuming, and you must be VERY careful. You POSITIVELY must trim the bottom edge first, or you'll end up with a gull that is too narrow to fit the front and and rear T-top pillars. You'll understand what I mean if you picture a triangle with one point aiming straight up. Now think of your triangle being held over an imaginary triangular opening of the same size, then pull the triangle downward. The two sides are now narrower than the opening, which is exactly what will happen if you trim the top and sides before trimming the bottom. -- and scratch one brand-new $250 gull wing!

I use a handheld jigsaw with a fine-tooth, metal-cutting blade to rough cut approximately 3/4-inch from the edge. Trimming is done in several 1/4-inch steps -- fitting the gull, then marking and cutting each 1/4-inch increment as I go.

Be aware that heat from the blade will cause the cut to close behind the blade as you move the tool forward, so be prepared to back up and re-cut all in two- or three-inch intervals all along the way. Avoid using too much forward pressure on the jigsaw, since that can cause internal chipping in the material. Work deliberately, slowly and -- ALWAYS -- carefully.

I take down and trim the edges to their final fit with a handheld belt sander, and finish the edges with hand sanding from 100-grit paper down to 320 wet-or-dry, all used on a no-give, aluminum sanding block. I also sand a slight radius into both sides of the finished edge to make the Plexiglas more comfortable to grasp and to prevent chipping.

I have tried the torch trick to put a gloss on the edges, but that has never worked well for me. I should probably try again with a few scraps, since the heating of the edge is supposed to prevent cracks from developing from the tiny imperfections in a sanded edge.

Plan on at least one full day to fit and cut two gulls, and most likely two or three days if you've never done it.

Good luck with the car.

I am new here but have two Bradlet GT`s.I just fit my new gullwings and after trial and error found that while cutting with a jig saw,had an assistant follow me with a blow gun.The colder compressed air helps keep the blade of the jigsaw cool and the cut dosn`t melt back together.I also used a DA sander to finish the edges but a belt sander is a good idea.would make a straighter edge when finished.