Hey guys, I was just wondering if it would be a bad idea to leave the doors off in my Trans Am convertible for an extended period of time. I'm in the middle of doing body work and paint soon and I'm replacing the passenger side door and fixing the driver's side door. It's easier to do body work on a door (for me anyway) when it's off the car and facing up, plus I got to repair the hinges, replace a small section of the driver's side floor, and do other things. I'm just a little nervous about the structural integrity of the car, seeing that the doors help stiffen the chassis and it's already missing a solid roof to hold it together. Thoughts? Thanks!

 

You'll be fine. As long as it is levelly supported by jack stands or still it's wheels, you're good.

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The chassis will flex a bit here and there with the doors off depending on whether it's on jackstands or it's wheels, but once you get it back together and get the doors on, it will all "settle" back to where it's supposed to be.

 

With SFCs I think it'd be ok but I wouldn't do it without them unless you meant only 1 door at a time & just long enough to do the bodywork & hinges then put the door back on. Then the other side.

 

Converts have factory subframe connectors. My T-top TA was in the garage on jackstands with both doors off for about 2 years, and now that it's back together, it's still straight as an arrow.

 

Yes verts do, but what does that have to do with your t-top car?

 

T-top cars weren't exactly known for the stiffest bodies either, and I am trying to say that he'll be fine if he takes them both off.

 

I would think (think) that you would be fine as long as you do not go driving it around... The T-top cars (and obviously Convertibles since they were converted T-top cars) had the extra wedges to move the stress further up on the body...

John

 

Thanks for the feedback guys, and yeah the car won't be moving at all, except for maybe a few feet at a time when I move it around the garage. I'm assuming I'd be OK jacking up one end of the car too? Like to swap a rear end and possibly drop the fuel tank....