Those yellow foam pieces on the door panel: What are they for? Do they protrude a lot into the holes in the door? I want to take off the vapor barrier and cover those holes with plexiglass to seal it up and make the door more effective as an enclosure. Will I have to shave them down, and what would happen if I removed them?

 

i believe that they are to keep the inner door skin from bowing in if you press on it, but i could be wrong
pull one off, you can always glue it back on if needed

 

Its for noise reduction, believe it or not without that plastic and foam your door sounds like its falling apart and you get a lot of road noise. I think your plexi will provide the same.. might add some rattle.. not sure

 

The goal would be to take off the vapor barrier, cover the outer door skin with deadener, cover the holes with plexi or wood soaked in fiberglass resin, then put deadening mat all over the inner door skin.

I ask because it looks like the foam wouldn't fit anymore at that point.

 

If you deaden inside the door, outside and inside skin, the foam is removed and not needed. You could Deaden around it, but why, and what a pain.

 

Yeah they won't fit back in once you deaden the door unless you don't do the spots where they go. Just remove and toss them, they aren't that important.

B-

 

Will the door panel be all floppy without them?

 

If you lean on them alot then then maybe, but if not then they should be just fine..

B-

 

Speaking of the door panels, I half wish the panels were a little less obtrusive. I need more legroom :\

 

yep

 

There's no need to remove those foam pieces if you sound deaden your doors, just don't pull your deadening material tight in those open areas, push it inward some when installing the material and you'll be good. That's what I did, I'm running 8's in the doors and it seems sturdy enough, only problem area I'm having is getting a good seal along the top edge of the door panel to the window.

 

Hmm. Maybe I'll take off the vapor barrier everywhere except over the holes that the foam pokes into. I can just deaden over the rest of the holes; they're small enough.