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Hello from NY. I'm looking for information on securing my lower door ajar warning switches on my 1970 Coupe. The inside mounting plate has detached from the weld and is rusted. I opened the access panel in the wheel well on the driver's side. I'm unable to get the switch to thread to the plate.
I was thinking of getting a hex nut? I am not sure if a replacement plate would fit through the small hole, 1 inch or so. See pictures.
Any information would be greatly appreciated! Driver Side Passenger Side Wheel Well access panel removed Inside Wheel Well access panel
I believe one of the Corvette vendors sells a plate that has the correct threaded hole for the switch. If the repair plate is not available then you could make your own with a piece
of metal with a threaded hole for the switch. J B Weld Epoxy the plate after cleaning all surfaces, make sure to allow extra time for the epoxy to cure.
When i replaced both of my backing plates i used my dremmel tool with the cutting wheel and cut out enough metal where the hole is to get the new backing plates through. Got a piece of rope large enough to thread through the plates threaded hole and tied a knot on the end. Thread the other end of the rope through the hole in the jamb and pull the plate up tight to the back of the jamb, line up the two holes and pop rivet in place.Plus, cutting a larger hole out makes it easier to stick the wires back through to connect to the switches. There is an older thread explaining all this on this forum if you search.😀
This worked for me! Just a suggestion.
👍Tooch
I believe one of the Corvette vendors sells a plate that has the correct threaded hole for the switch. If the repair plate is not available then you could make your own with a piece
of metal with a threaded hole for the switch. J B Weld Epoxy the plate after cleaning all surfaces, make sure to allow extra time for the epoxy to cure.
Thank You for your response. I did see the repair plates available. I was just trying to get the old one out. I'm wondering if it will fit through the hole?
I did see the repair plates available. I will check to see their size.
I was just trying to get the old one out, but it wasn't coming out. I'm wondering if the old plate or new plate will fit through the hole?
Do I definitely need to make the hole bigger?
I am thinking that the new plate is installed behind the rear fiberglass. Is it possible to get the new plate behind the fiberglass and use a string to alight with the hole, like Tooch suggested?
I did see the repair plates available. I will check to see their size.
I was just trying to get the old one out, but it wasn't coming out. I'm wondering if the old plate or new plate will fit through the hole?
Do I definitely need to make the hole bigger?
No way will either plate fit through that hole. Only way is to enlarge the hole. Just sayin,
I am thinking that the new plate is installed behind the rear fiberglass. Is it possible to get the new plate behind the fiberglass and use a string to alight with the hole, like Tooch suggested?
Yes, but not by going through the fiberglass but by stringing it behind through the access panel, that’s exact how I replaced mine. I did a detailed description of how I did it on this forum. Do a search, it took me about 8 minutes to get the new door switch nut plate riveted to the door jamb. It’s not very hard to do.
Here is a copy of my post years ago on what I did:
Unfortunately this goes far beyond just replacing with a new door switch. This is a common area that gets damaged over time. I did this same repair on one of my vettes two years ago.
A new nut plate will need to be riveted into the fiberglass. But before that can happen you have to remove the old nut plate by drilling the old rivets out. Access is by the panel in front of the rear wheel as Walleyfisher indicated. Then you need to repair the fiberglass. You should then replace the old nut plate and rivet a new nut plate behind the fiberglass. You can get the nut plates from any corvette supplier. They are cheap.
If you just tried to replace the switch, it would just break through the fiberglass when you close the door.
The easiest way to replace the nut plate is by tying a string to a coffee stirrer, sliding the nut plate onto the string and looping the string through the hole in the plate, then sticking the stirrer through the access panel and into the hole where the switch goes. Pull the stirrer and string through the hole in the door jamb until the plate is flush behind the fiberglass that you repaired. Line up the rivet holes, rivet one, remove the string, rivet the second hole and you can then run the wire through the hole, attach your new switch. Then you can screw the switch into the plate. One tip, when you run your wire through the hole, twist the wire a few times counter clockwise, that way when you screw your switch into the hole it will unwind the wire and place less stress on the wires and also make it easier to screw in and less chance it will back out the switch.
It can get a little fiddly and you will need to make some small adjustments with a very thin screwdriver to line up the plate behind the glass but I think it took me about 8 minutes to do everything I described above after the glass was repaired.
Look up a thread search on how to do these, they are out there in the tech section maybe. Pictures are better then text, I just don’t have pics of my repair I did.
Good luck
Here is a pic of my repair when done before the touch up bodywork.
Last edited by ed427vette; Oct 14, 2023 at 02:35 PM.
Yes, but not by going through the fiberglass but by stringing it behind through the access panel, that’s exact how I replaced mine. I did a detailed description of how I did it on this forum. Do a search, it took me about 8 minutes to get the new door switch nut plate riveted to the door jamb. It’s not very hard to do.
Here is a copy of my post years ago on what I did:
Unfortunately this goes far beyond just replacing with a new door switch. This is a common area that gets damaged over time. I did this same repair on one of my vettes two years ago.
A new nut plate will need to be riveted into the fiberglass. But before that can happen you have to remove the old nut plate by drilling the old rivets out. Access is by the panel in front of the rear wheel as Walleyfisher indicated. Then you need to repair the fiberglass. You should then replace the old nut plate and rivet a new nut plate behind the fiberglass. You can get the nut plates from any corvette supplier. They are cheap.
If you just tried to replace the switch, it would just break through the fiberglass when you close the door.
The easiest way to replace the nut plate is by tying a string to a coffee stirrer, sliding the nut plate onto the string and looping the string through the hole in the plate, then sticking the stirrer through the access panel and into the hole where the switch goes. Pull the stirrer and string through the hole in the door jamb until the plate is flush behind the fiberglass that you repaired. Line up the rivet holes, rivet one, remove the string, rivet the second hole and you can then run the wire through the hole, attach your new switch. Then you can screw the switch into the plate. One tip, when you run your wire through the hole, twist the wire a few times counter clockwise, that way when you screw your switch into the hole it will unwind the wire and place less stress on the wires and also make it easier to screw in and less chance it will back out the switch.
It can get a little fiddly and you will need to make some small adjustments with a very thin screwdriver to line up the plate behind the glass but I think it took me about 8 minutes to do everything I described above after the glass was repaired.
Look up a thread search on how to do these, they are out there in the tech section maybe. Pictures are better then text, I just don’t have pics of my repair I did.
Good luck
Here is a pic of my repair when done before the touch up bodywork.
Thanks so much. I'll give that a try. Everything is in tact on my car, no cracks. I just have to order the plates. I couldn't get the old one out and it fell down. It didn't look like it had any threads... I tried to use just a regular nut, but didn't have any luck.
C3 Door Ajar Buzzer Switch Replacement
