Update! I took everyones advice, and I called Al Knoch. They were very helpful over the phone and told me that they would do what is nessecicary to make sure that I got a door panel that fit. So I chatted with one of their Tech's and he agreeed that I seemed to have tried all the things he could think off. So he asked me to send the door panel back to them. After about a month of mailing mishaps, and slow shipping service. . .the door panel finally arived back at Al Knoch. Additionally, I included detailed photographs of the door and how it didn't fit. . .and I took very carful measurments of the door and sent them along with the panel.
However, when they tested the door, it fit perfectly in their "test" door. . .they even e-mailed me photos to prove it. When I asked what they did that was maybe different. . .or what kind of physical effort they had to apply. ..they responded with "None, it just ploped right in place!". They also told me that my measurements were identical to their test door.
Needless to say was became very fustrated. Their tech said that he would make some modifications to the door to ensure that certain things did not get in the way with the installation (e.g. the bolt heads on the door). They then shipped the door back to me (at my expense. . .which was the only part of the whole experience that I didn't like). . .and I proceded to place the newly modified door panel on the door. . .only to find that it still didn't fit. . .and it didn't fit in exactly the same fashion as it hadn't before I sent it to them. Must be me right? Not as far as I can tell. . .
So, I deceided to take the other door panel (diver side) off the car. . .and I started to compare the door's and panels. I must have spent four hours measuring every little detail of the door and both doors were 100% identical mirror images of one another. The door panels were exactly the same in dimention. . .but not in construction. The pasenger door panel was noticably different than the other in build quality. . .and attention to detail. The finish (exterior) was identical though. So. . .I set about my work making the passenger door panel look exactly the same as the other door panel (on the inside). After several hours of modiciations to the ABS and metal channel plate. . .I was able to get the pannel to fit "better". . .but not close to how I feel it should fit. Eventually. . .I got it to a point where I can get the door handle in the hole. . .and the lock knob to turn without binding. it's good enough so that no one would notice. . .but it's not as good as I would like.
So. . .am I happy with Al Knoch? It's a mixed bag. The customer service was spectacular. I cannot say enough about them. They seemed to be genuenally interested in making sure my door panels would fit. They did tell me that if the panel still didn't fit to give them a call. I didn't do that because I got to the point where I wanted to know what the hell was going on with my door. ..and I figured that i would completely butcher the panel before I called them again. Thankfully, I got it to work . . . so I didn't bother them again.
Having said that, the door panels did not just "drop-in' as many have suggested they would. . .and the effort to install them was far more than I could have immagined. However, I'm not sure how much of that is the fault of Al Knoch. . .if any. I would say that the only real issue that I have with them that I can say with 100% certainty, is that the door panles are not of equal or better quality to the origional door panels (which i have). They are very nice, but are noticably less nice than my origionals. In particular, the "pressing" of the weave pattern in the top half of the door. The origional was very defined and deep. The replacements are not very defined (almost used looking), and very shallow. Will I buy from them again. . .probably. . .but only because everyone still says they are the best. . .so I'm assuming that all the rest must be really bad.
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