weak door....74
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
weak door....74
drivers door hinges are weak. when door is opended you can see where the hinges bolt to the pilar move and move the pilar with it, it seems..if you can picture that
any suggestions how to repair or what might be wrong, my garage is closed for reno's so i have to work at my house space is limited.
thanks steve
any suggestions how to repair or what might be wrong, my garage is closed for reno's so i have to work at my house space is limited.
thanks steve
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
tin worm
Steve,
Sounds like you've got a severe case of tin worm in your birdcage. It's not going to be cheap to fix, but it CAN be fixed. There is an article on this in the current edition of either Corvette Fever or Vette. It involves substantial disassembly of the front fenders and firewall area but if repaired properly and RUSTPROOFED, will last almost forever. Don't give up on it, although you'll probably feel like it.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
Sounds like you've got a severe case of tin worm in your birdcage. It's not going to be cheap to fix, but it CAN be fixed. There is an article on this in the current edition of either Corvette Fever or Vette. It involves substantial disassembly of the front fenders and firewall area but if repaired properly and RUSTPROOFED, will last almost forever. Don't give up on it, although you'll probably feel like it.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
If the door Pillar is moving you have real structural issues in the birdcage. You could get lucky and it only be the bottom. Like mentioned above, it is a lot of dissasembly. Pull the kick panels and look in there. Its a comitment, a year or more if you work like me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Well, the only other place it can be broken loose then is at the top. I would pull the door and look at the door post itself, see what ya got there. It is supposed to be pretty stiff. There is an angle bracket at the bottom on the back side welded to the door post and rocker channel for strength. Its under the fiberglass sill plate though, hard to get a look at.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Are you sure the pillar is moving? You said it "seemed" to move. Are the hinges tight? Bottom hinge bolts are behind the kick panel. Uppers are further up behind the dash pad but you might be able to get a wrench on them without pulling the dash.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
its hard to tell sometimes it does, some times it doesnt pending how far i open the door.
if i open it slightly and let it hang, it doesnt seem like it moves, but the hinges seem weak.
if i open it all the way is where i see and get the idea the pilar or the piece the hinges are bolted are loose.
btw you think a good body shop can take care of this and how much you estimate...
p.s
rust found under the dash, small but there...its corner piece that connects the a-pilar from roof to dash??
all help and comments are greatly appreciated
thanks
steve
if i open it slightly and let it hang, it doesnt seem like it moves, but the hinges seem weak.
if i open it all the way is where i see and get the idea the pilar or the piece the hinges are bolted are loose.
btw you think a good body shop can take care of this and how much you estimate...
p.s
rust found under the dash, small but there...its corner piece that connects the a-pilar from roof to dash??
all help and comments are greatly appreciated
thanks
steve
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
No reason to go to the body shop yet. You can get to the hinge bolts, take them out 1 at a time, brushwheel off the rust, lube and reinstall them tight. It may just seem like the pillar is moving, hinge bushings may be done, I think the kit is $20.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,547
Likes: 12
From: Carbondale Pa.
My vote is for a worn hinge/bad bushings, check it out, try having someone more familiar with it look at it for you, you may wind up paying a lot of money if you take it to a body shop where they care about money more then a happy customer,,,Peace, Moosie 
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 663
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu Hawaii
when I got my '68 I had to actually lift the rear of the door to get it to close, inspected the hinges...the lower had bad bushings, while the top was busted all together. replaced them both and now closes nicely with the door gaps correct.
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 702
Likes: 1
From: Sealy TX
St. Jude Donor 06-'07
Pics would help too.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,577
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From: Long Island New York
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
hold up BIG PROBLEM, ROAD BLOCK.
found the pilar from top of dash to floor (mount area) is badly rusted, rusted so bad its needs replacing...damn (shaking head) frustrated.
please shine some light on this, is this replacable if so how much u think a body shop would charge..
thanks need help
steve
found the pilar from top of dash to floor (mount area) is badly rusted, rusted so bad its needs replacing...damn (shaking head) frustrated.
please shine some light on this, is this replacable if so how much u think a body shop would charge..
thanks need help
steve