I'm sure most of you guys have at least driven in newer model cars (if not own one). One of the things I enjoy most about newer cars is that when you close the doors, they have a "sturdy," rigid feel to them when you close them. They also sound very solid when you close them. I don't know exactly how to describe them other than sturdy and solid, but hopefully you'll understand what I'm talking about.

Now when I close my 85's door, it feels like it's about to fall apart! Instead of a solid sound when I close my door, it's more like a hollow, tinny sound that isn't pleasing at all. The door rattles badly as well when I close it, and the window likes to shake when it's halfway down.

My question is, what can be done to my doors to give it the new car door feel when it's open and closed? I'm already planning on removing the door trim and panel to secure the various door rods that I know are rattling inside, but what else can be done? Would adding sound deadener inside the door itself give it a better feel when I shut it? How about new weather stripping?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

A couple layers of sound deadening mat on the outer door skin will help a ton. It also helps to inspect the sheath around the door opening and door lock rods to make sure they're in good shape and preventing the rods from rattling on the inner door skin. Making sure the hinges are solid and not worn also helps. If they're worn, the striker won't line up to the pin properly, which will jar the door and make things noiser than they aught to be.

 

Cool, thanks for the tip. Also, I seem to have a problem with water leaking out of the bottom of my door when it rains. It's gotten so bad that there is a large hole in the bottom of the door that I can stick a couple of fingers in there. What exactly is the cause of this, and how can I fix it? Would a new door be a better option at this point, or do you think a careful layer of bondo might be enough?

Thanks again for the help.

P.S. - btw, Jim- I'm getting ready to install those kicks you made for me in the coming weeks (how long has it been, now? like four months? ). They're going in along with two 12" Alpine Type-R subs.

 

I went to the international autoshow this easter and the lady giving a presentaion on one of the cars said that their doors use counterweights to give it the east open and close feel... I wonder if there is a way to put counterweights inside doors, might be something to look into.
Also if you have rust holes in your door they are probably making them weak and will give that falling apart sound because they literally want to fall apart... I would get a new door and do it up before i install it.

 

Water should drain out of the bottom of your doors. Water will always get into the door. There are holes in the bottom specifically so that it can drain. If it starts to fill up in the door, it'll cause major rust damage. The fact that the bottom of your door is rotten is a good indicator that yours were plugged and holding water at one time.

 

Yeah, I do see the holes that were made for that, but there's also some major rust damage at the bottom of the driver side door and even worse on the passenger door. I guess I'll have to take the entire door skin off to see the entire extent of the damage.

 

If you want sturdier doors then you should definitely look into getting a hinge repair kit. Either from Classic Industries (featured in Chevy High Performance a few months ago) or from Top Down Solutions (a site sponsor).

 

Two days ago I spent some time, and made it so that none of the rods hit anything at all. A shot of WD-40 on the actual mechanism to open the door (the piece at the end away from the hinge) and it's quite good, actually. It sounds MUCH less hollow if nothing is rattling.. Before spending money on other stuff, stop all the rattle, and see what you think.

 

I hate to tell you this but i bought my TA new in 1990 and from the day it was new the doors felt like crap when you close them.( its not just my car i rode in many third gens back in the day when they were newer). Not saying it can't be done up to feel like a door in a current newer car but i think you are asking an aweful lot of a car that never had good door to begin with. I just think that you will put a lot of work in something that you never be really happy with. just my

 

As said above... putting something on the rods in the door will stop a huge amount of noise. I used wire cover on my rods, sounds alot better now

 

When I first got my Z28, it's doors closed like a new car. Complete with a nice clean and solid "Fump" sound. Camaro doors weight a ton, and hang way out on the fulcrum because they are so long. What you gotta do is inspect & repair the following:

hinges,
remove/repair/fix door panel,
fix repair door
door hardware (internal and external)
new weather striping.

If your doors are rotting as bad as they might be, used doors might be better than repairing the door

TheWesman

 

Good ideas guys. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Repair hinges, add sound deadening, new pads to keep the window from rattling.

 

This is correct.

 

i just fixed my rattling doors yesterday along with my door handle and it is soo much better now

i replaced the pads that hold the window
newer style plasic pieces that hold the metal rods
fixed the loose and squeaky weather stripping

 

Don't forget to put a layer of sound deadner on the back of the door panels too. It will make a HUGE difference...

 

everyone that rides in my car always jokes about the doors, but it really doesnt bother me it's a third gen and I love it even with it's heavy clanking doors I wouldn't have it any other way lol

 

I covered every lil hole with duck tape, i made sure there were no areas for wind to get in... I should have gotten sound deadening but i thought that it would make the door panel stick out a lil too much. All i need to do now is get a new handle cause that is the only rattely part of the door.

 

Some suggestions/discoveries in the following link that might prove useful:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...servation.html

JamesC