door post rust

[steve8462]

i need somebody that has dealt with door post rot. my drivers door lower hinge looks like the area surrounding where the hinge actually bolts to the body is rotted. it looks like somebody previously tack welded spots around the area to try to rig it. is this a huge under taking? how do i access that area other than with a periscope? LOL i can barely get my fingers in the area. i will try to post a few pictures soon to better show my problem

[124JOE]

rust can be a killer
if its too bad cutting and welding is in order
if you can stop it then you can rivet or bolt patch pannels in

best of luck to you

[steve8462]

how would i open up the area to shore it up? I've looked in the cutout around the hinge and there seems to be no access to the actual piece that needs fixing. would removing the fender help or should i use a grinding wheel to cut back the outer skin to expose the area around the hinge mount, do the repair and then then MIG weld the outer skin back in place?

[124JOE]

the fender is welded on so removal would be harder than your patch

hows the rest of your car?at the shock towers floor boards and rear around the wheel wells?
id hate for you to do all the work your talking about only to have it fold up on you

those DUKE BOYS weled there doors shut

[steve8462]

the car is a quagmire of unusual things. the pro's- it had the bonnet heat blanket in good shape, the interior wasn't trashed, the engine,trans, rear-end are all in great shape (new carb and distributor) all glass is good, the body is surprisingly straight, the top is like new. floorboards are in great shape.

now the cons! the door post rot at the lower drivers side hinge, little bubbles of future rot here and there everywhere you would expect it. wiring is a nightmare (headlight switch is currently being used to power the fuel pump) rot that i can put my fingers through behind the rocker panels. need four tires and brakes including calipers. need rugs. also the rear fenders are 99% good but the metal wheel wells behind them are quickly disappearing.

i have the mechanical ability to do most of the repair work myself up to and including sheet metal work and fabrication but i draw the line at finish bodywork. everything I've tried came out looking like the ocean. i do wish i had a lift at my disposal, i'm getting too old to crawl around on the ground!

[seabeelt]

I have done this and you need to remove the fender to do it right. Otherwise you risk losing the door hinge bolting plate inside the door post. The bolting plate floats in a loose clip so that there is ability to adjust the door. You can see the three bolt holes for the plate at the upper left of the photo and the little bent tabs that hold the bolt plate.


This is what I started with after I cut out the rust from the mice that had inhabited the inner portion of the fender behind the splash guard.

and

r/

[steve8462]

yours looks like it was in really rough shape but living near the ocean will do that. i was born and raised in North providence so i grew up chasing rust on my first five or so cars. i used to work at a Meineke muffler and i could really use the tools and lifts i had then! i really appreciate the help getting mine on the road

[seabeelt]

This wasnt so much from road salt rust, but from mouse urine. The little critters built a huge nest behind the plash guard and half way doen the fender. Only noticed it because the paint was starting to bubble from the inside out in a place that had no cause to do so. Needless to say the fender is trash also. Got a new one for xmas

[steve8462]

i noticed after i removed the map pocket/kickpanels inside the carand removed the plastic wheel wells i could see into the interior from the wheel well area. is this normal? my veiw wasnt provided by rust but what appears to be factory design. is there insulation or a rubber panel that is supposed to be there? i will try to include a picture of it.

[124JOE]

it sounds like a floor vent

[steve8462]

i managed to figure out how to post a picture. here is the picture of the lower drivers side door hinge rotted area on the body post

[seabeelt]

Some cars have a cut out for a speaker above the lower hinge, or a cut out as you can see in the picture above, just to the right of the hinge tabs. Here is what the completed repair looks like - as you can see, the lower access hole is coverd from the outside by the triangular piece. (same construction on the 78 as well as the 81 parts rust bucket that I have)

[seabeelt]

Someone with good MIG or TIG skills might be able to weld a patch over the existing post area and then re-hang and adjust the door, otherwise you need to do that repair from behind with the fender off

[steve8462]

i know a guy that thinks he can make a plate with the bolt holes in it with the floating nut holder and weld it in the recessed area where the old hinge plate was and make it rock solid. i trust him because he used to custom fabricate dump truck bodies and emergency vehicles.

[124JOE]

as its not exterior i say go for it