Custom door handles?

[firecap62]

Im just about finished with my 83 hardtop CJ7 . The doors are the last to do. I have dismantled the doors, and the raised area on the exterior where the door handle fits it pretty rotted out. Has anyone ran into this problem. I need to come up with a solution to repair the doors in this are. Fabricating new sheetmetal like these raised areas will be a pain. If i replace the metal without the raised area may put the handle to close to the window, so im looking for ideas.

 

[Peanut Butter]

You can try to find somebody with a bead roller or get one at HF. You could cut the sheet metal a little bigger than the size you need and the roll the edges. That piece could then be welded into place. An old fashion body shop would most likely have one.

Born and raised in Decatur, but left it for the military and ended up in Texas.