Door repair

[Debacosta]

New members and TC owners here! TC9875 was delivered yesterday so we started making a list of minor repairs. The driver's side door was difficult to get completely shut and then we noticed the crack in the wood as shown in the pictures. We would appreciate some suggestions on how to fix this. Obviously completely replacing the wood would be the best, but is there a temporary fix? We sure would like to drive her before we start doing some major work on her. We did manage to get the door shut completely and are long-legged enough so that we can step into the car without opening the door. But that isn't the temporary fix we are hoping for.

Thank you!

[stephen stierman]

The doors are rather complex structures and given their age and mistreatment often exhibit maladies such as this. You might try injecting wood glue into what appears to be a gap or crack in the timber and then using clamps to draw the gap together till things set up. If you do, be sure to use some padding and perhaps some wood scraps to spread out the stress and not do damage to the door skin.

[Mark McCombs]

Hi and welcome to the world of TC ownership. I am a little puzzled by this failure in what is referred to as the latch post. This is an unusual type of failure, as this wood is supported from the inside by a metal strap that extends up from the body angle iron at the very base to the top underneath the scuttle. Additionally because this is a late TC, There should be a strip of sheet metal called the inner liner that wraps around this latch post wood where the crack is. I think you will need to remove the upholstery pc that is directly in front of the latch post to try to get a better idea as to the condition of the latch post Are you familiar with the person who sold you the car and is there any evidence that the would have been replaced previously?

[Mark McCombs]

Any evidence the WOOD has been replaced... Using the transcribing feature of my new tablet!

[stephen stierman]

As Mark has pointed out, that is the latch post rather than the door where the problem lies. Hard to say what is going on without some dissection, but one often finds that timbers are spliced in to make repairs that are less than durable. I found quite a bit of that on my car when I dug into it.

[Rob Zucca]

As Stephen mentioned, injecting wood glue and clamping is probably the easiest repair without a bunch of disassembly. You also may be able to remove the latch and kick panel. This would give access to pre drill and add a couple of wood screws to the repair at the best locations. Pre drill for the screws and counter sink the heads. Be careful pre drilling and use screws that will NOT contact the sheet metal on the exterior. Then assemble with the screws and clamps without glue first to make sure the crack closes up. Yellow carpenters Wood glue is strong, but isn’t a good filler. The joint must be tight. If you have to pick out some junk or wood fibers out of the crack with tweezers do so until the joint closes. Also mentioned is to use some pieces of wood on the inside and outside to spread the load of the clamps and not dent the sheet metal. A good habit afterward is to use the interior or exterior handles, unlatch them, close the door and release them to latch. It saves a lot of stress on the framing instead of slamming them.
Let us know how it works out!

[stephen stierman]

These poor old cars, if only they could talk. When I disassembled TC2911 years ago, I found pine and fiberboard spliced in and bondo 1/2" thick to make the various gaps more pleasing. It was just easier to keep the timbers that were "above the water line" for reference and replace the rest and make new front and rear quarters to fit. Actually the door timbers were fine and reusable so some of the original karma survives with the car.

[jddevel]

I believe a case of cause and effect situation. Possibly "dropped" hinges have led to repeated "slamming" hard the door to shut it. Result the metal seam that previously held the latch and timber in place separated. If correct then personally I`d remove the internal panel and if a sort of temporary fix is good enough lever the split gently open and squeeze in some waterproof wood glue, clamp upusing timber spreader on both the inside and outside closing the split/gap and then where possible screw in some screws to act as reinforcing. Make sure the screws are not to long and therefore come in contact with the exterior metal work. Leave say over night before removing the clamps, replace the interior panel and touch in the paint work. Finally adress the possible problem of the hinges and ensure the latch is correctly located thus avoiding slamming the door to hard to close.

[Debacosta]

Thank you all! So glad no one is advocating a mass dis-assembly. Will eventually catch on to what the names of all the bits are. Latch post. Got it. :-) You are right about the droopy door and we figured that had a lot to do with it. We will let you know how it goes!

[Steve Simmons]

Once you get the wood sorted, do inspect the latch itself for proper adjustment. Shims are used behind the latch assembly to give clearance If the gap is too tight. Also make sure the latch mechanism operates freely and that the surface of the pin and catch are smooth. A light type of grease is a good idea, but watch out for it when getting in and out of the car so it doesn't end up on your trousers. Also make sure that not only are the hinges in good order, but so is the wood they are attached to. If the wood here is rotten or damaged, then just will never stay tight and the doors will continue to droop.

[Debacosta]

Thanks all! We were able tighten the hinges on the door which helped with the sagging. We had two members of our British car club come see her on Saturday and they had some great suggestions as well. Given the difference between the central coast of California (where it used to live)and southern Oregon (where it lives now) we are going to postpone the repair until the rain disappears and the warmth returns this summer. In the meantime, we’ll be stepping over the door to get in. :-) On to the next challenge, changing two of the tires. (Found the forum on that!)

[Steve Simmons]

You can use even a bad door with a bit of care. When you close it, grab by the outside handle, lift the door slightly to line up the catch, pull closed and release the handle. A lot of people close the doors this way regardless, to reduce strain on the door and catch.