Hey guys. I am restoring my trans am and recently noticed something strange. I had always known the drivers door on my car was not original as the PO said someone backed into it so it was replaced and painted. I recently got a nice solid replacement door for the drivers side before paint since the one that was on it was junk.

After the car was painted, I now noticed that the 3 bolts that hold the door latch in are recessed into the door metal on both doors on the car currently, however on the junk drivers door that was originally on the car, the area is flat where the latch bolts went. Was there a change between years or something? I'm glad I got lucky and the doors on the car match now, however I need to find new bolts since the flat ones will not work on the new door. I'm a little stumped on this one....figured I might get some insight here!

I also noticed my junk drivers door doesn't have the plastic bumper piece right below the weatherstrip towards the top....there aren't even holes there for it so I'm assuming it never had one. Strange. Just one more thing you find out was half A**ed back in the day I guess, lol.

 

That may be the difference in year models. I've been trying to figure out the difference myself.

Be sure to use the correct latch. Latch designed for counter sunk bolts may create problems later.

 

Yea I was worried about the latch itself at first too but the drivers latch looks identicle to the pass latch where the bolts go in. No idea what happened in the cars history. All I can think of is that the door itself was replaced but all the original insides were re-used. I would love to find out exactly what model years used what type of door latch.

 

The plastic piece you refer to is to IIRC is to help keep the doors from too much shimmy // jostle on a t-top car. There should bea piece on the door jamb also.
Ours has plastic & metal.

 

Yes, thats the one I was referring to. My pass door has it with the metal part in the door jamb on the body side. The driver door never had it though,even though the drivers side had the metal part too. Somebody did a chop job on the door before I got the car I'm sure.