Door sag

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
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dmg36054
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Huntsville, AL

Door sag

Post by dmg36054 »

I have a bad case of door sag. The sheet metal is all fatigued and broken around the hinge mount. I'm getting ready to take the door off, but I'm wondering what holds the tapped plate in that the door hinge bolts to. Is it welded in, or just captured somehow? Once I unbolt the hinge, this tapped plate isn't going to just drop to the bottom of the door, is it?
Dennis
1981 Fiat Spider
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124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: Door sag

Post by 124JOE »

its quite posible
ive heard pepole having trouble just like that

but you have repair to do so you have no choice
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
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azruss
Posts: 3659
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: Door sag

Post by azruss »

the tread plate is captured in a sheet metal box. doesnt mean it cant find a way to sneek out.
narfire
Posts: 3959
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:14 am
Your car is a: 1980 124 spider
Location: Naramata B.C.

Re: Door sag

Post by narfire »

sorted a sagging door last year. TAKE THE DOOR OFF AT THE DOOR. you'll have to take the door pannel off anyway. if the captured plate falls,there are large openings at the bottom of the door to retrieve the thing. I remember seeing a post many years ago that had a link to a step by step repair. Tape the door edges when installing the door after repair,it will save pranging the fender. Perhaps when the door panel is off,check the window bits,lube ect.
Chris
80 FI spider
72 work in progress
2017 Golf R ( APR Stg. 1)
2018 F350 crew long box
vandor
Posts: 3996
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 1:23 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider
Location: Texas, USA

Re: Door sag

Post by vandor »

Before you unbolt the hinges, try to mark its location, or the location of the bolts, so you will have an idea of the alignment when you reinstall. There is a pretty big range of movement, so if you are starting from scratch it may take a while to properly align the doors.
I thought it'd be good idea to paint my doors off the car. Never again...
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town
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dmg36054
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Huntsville, AL

Re: Door sag

Post by dmg36054 »

Thanks guys. I may get to solving this little dilemma this weekend. At least get the door off, and ready to take to my buddy's house. I've found a couple of tutorials about this that will be helpful.

Santa Csaba, I may be in the market for one of your fancy reduction starters. I'll know more by the end of this week. The starter is getting good, clean voltage, battery is strong, etc. The grounds appear to be good, but I'll check them closer. I'm pretty sure the starter is dying though.
Dennis
1981 Fiat Spider
vandor
Posts: 3996
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 1:23 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider
Location: Texas, USA

Re: Door sag

Post by vandor »

Ok, LMK on the starter. We also have a reman'd one for less coin.
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town
bobplyler
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Posts: 823
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:58 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spider 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Door sag

Post by bobplyler »

I had a starter go bad, but I was too cheap to buy a new one. I used to bump start it all the time. I would always park on a hill. But leaving the house, I had to back it out of the driveway and bump it on the hill. I was doing this once, and heard a large CLANK. Hmmm. That didn't sound good. I had cracked the transmission case. So then I had to get a used transmission AND a starter. Didn't save any money.
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).
DRUMMOND
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Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: Door sag

Post by DRUMMOND »

The captured door plate is kept in by two metal tangs. it will not go anywhere, when you unbolt the hinge. Unless the metal is totally corroded 8) I have two doors with busted metal at the hinge. I believe the main reason they break, is the hinge is not greased often enough and seizes, therefore bending the door metal back and forth till it breaks. I found this out when I dismantled the hinges and both were seized solid!!

Make sure you grease the hinge often to prevent this from happening
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