How to secure chequer-plate to doors

Hi all
Bit of a strange question, I know, but how would you all suggest I attach chequer-plate to the doors?
I was thinking drilling the outer skin of the door, using pop-rivets to secure it, then sealing the edges with clear silicone to stop water getting trapped behind it & rotting the door skin?

Some of the roads I'm now regularly driving down have some savage branches catching the doors & I've noticed the paint is disappearing!
Before I lose more paint & the sea air accelerates the onslaught of rust I thought I'd go defensive with the chequer-plate!

Not sure how chequer plate would look, but yep, drilling and pop rivets are the normal way and a bead of silicone in the hole before the rivet and around the plate would help too

When I did my sills I sprayed stoneguard all underneath, then a bead of silicone around the inside of the plate. Then bit of silicone in the holes aswell.

you add too much weight, those doors will fall off

essexpestcontrol said:

you add too much weight, those doors will fall off

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Will fall off anyway if they get wet.

you worry about paint scratches may becoming rusty and want to drill holes in it?
that is damaging the door permanently.

Just an idea:
I've recently seen a Freelander with the bottom half of the door covered with stone-chip, protects from scratches and rust and much easier if you want to go back to color

baptista said:

you worry about paint scratches may becoming rusty and want to drill holes in it?
that is damaging the door permanently.

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It's not so much the damage to the door its more the door rusting & the rust spreading.
I think chequer-plate will look nicer than lots of scratches touched in with colour match paint, because it's never the exact same colour now that the doors have faded over 12 years!
Also they stand more of a chance with some extra strength when people throw open the door against our brick wall on the drive!!!

duncanpage4 said:

attach chequer-plate to the doors?

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How about wrapping the wing mirrors in it to

GrumpyGel said:

How about wrapping the wing mirrors in it to

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Not sure they suffer from rust!
I think they do chrome covers but that is a bit too 'bling' for me!!

are you not on the wrong forum with check plate or five bar as they call it you need the tratter section

teddywood1 said:

are you not on the wrong forum with check plate or five bar as they call it you need the tratter section

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I have a Freelander, I just want to be able to drive through narrow country lanes & not wince!
I'm not sure there's much point fitting chequer plate to a tratter as it would rust away as soon as the holes are drilled!
Besides I like having comfortable seats & a heater, things a tratter can only dream of!

duncanpage4 said:

Not sure they suffer from rust!
I think they do chrome covers but that is a bit too 'bling' for me!!

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Both mine are busted from encounters with branches. The cases are weak-as. Once busted they 'weather' far worse - so I'm sure my wiring will rust away unless I do something about them.

duncanpage4 said:

I have a Freelander, I just want to be able to drive through narrow country lanes & not wince!
I'm not sure there's much point fitting chequer plate to a tratter as it would rust away as soon as the holes are drilled!
Besides I like having comfortable seats & a heater, things a tratter can only dream of!

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least our doors dont fall off when wet

flat said:

least our doors dont fall off when wet

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Tratters don't need to get wet for their doors to fall off.
That's why they made the rear wheel carrier because their doors kept falling off!

duncanpage4 said:

I have a Freelander, I just want to be able to drive through narrow country lanes & not wince!
I'm not sure there's much point fitting chequer plate to a tratter as it would rust away as soon as the holes are drilled!
Besides I like having comfortable seats & a heater, things a tratter can only dream of!

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yes get you point just think of it this way if you put the plate on and then dent it you door will also dent .I do not like the checker plate on the wings of the tratters it just leads to rot the only place to put checker on a freelander is the sump guard which I am doing at the moment

teddywood1 said:

yes get you point just think of it this way if you put the plate on and then dent it you door will also dent .I do not like the checker plate on the wings of the tratters it just leads to rot the only place to put checker on a freelander is the sump guard which I am doing at the moment

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If chequer-plate increases the chances of rot then you're right, best not to fit it.

How's the chequer-plate sump design coming along? Sounds like a good idea, the plastic once doesn't offer much protection.

I have carpel tunnel in both hands at the moment and awaiting a operation on them and when they are better I will finish the project , I am doing it so you do not have to take the whole thing off to do a oil change just the chequer plate

Ok, I'm just thinking aloud, but why not just glue them on with Tiger Bond, Silkaflex or whatever it's called...?

Just a curve but ball what about 3m skicky and some of tbe plastic chequer painted up?

and suppose the glue or the 3m tape comes undone what happens the that big piece of checker plate does it fly off and kill somebody .I prefer rive nuts and bolts