Help replacing doors

[Purebreed1]

I need to put a couple of doors on my 86. Can anyone explain to me the way I should go about this. I have picked up newer style doors from an 89 and will be converting those to the older style moulding and window trim.. I have also bought the bushing kits and new lock actuators to do it all at once. What I need to know is how do i get the doors removed and replaced. Does the fender have to come off. How hard would you expect these to get aligned?

[FoxChassis]

You do realize that the 'newer' style doors have holes in the top edge that will exposed if you put on the 'older' style trim, right?

[Purebreed1]

Yes I see that there is 3-4 holes that will need to be filled. I got both doors for $100.00 and figured they would be worth a litlle extra work for the money.I picked up original dew wipes for this about seven years ago, and like the look of the louvered quarter windows.

[Purebreed1]

I just noticed that you have an 83 GT. Cool car! That was the 4 eye that got me started back in 1987. I am going to be also puting an 83 Hood like yours on my car when I do the doors. Have you made yours functional? I have Vortech s-trim that would really benifit from a cooler engine compartment and I have heard that you can open up the rear and create a cowl hood of sorts. I am hoping to grab the hood this week so I will no more when I have it in my hands.

[84gt86svo]

You don't need to remove the fenders, unless you want to unbolt the whole hinge and just swap the doors that way. If you want to leave the hinge bolted to the car, you'll have to cut the door pins in half and drive them out. I hope you got new pins with your bushings. I'm pretty sure the 83s do not have the E clipped removable pins like the 79 Mustangs did. If you find out that your car does indeed have the pins with the E ring on the end, you can remove the E ring and just hammer the pin out without having to cut it.

[Purebreed1]

I have not looked at the hinge pin kit that I have, but I would much rather leave the hinge and pop the pin out. Will i need air chisel to do this?

[84gt86svo]

I did mine with a Dremel, I think an air chisel may cause some damage to the car, but I don't know. The pins are extremely hard.

[Purebreed1]

So did you just cut the pin in half and pull each side out?

[mmb617]

I also used a dremel to cut mine, but a word of warning here, if you cut the pins in the middle, the top piece of the top pin, and the bottom piece of the bottom pin, will be too long to drive out! Since there is unlimited clearance in the middle of the door, cut the pins with the longer pieces to the center. Then I wedged a screwdriver between the pieces and wiggled, sprayed WD40 on them, and swore a lot before they came out. Have fun.

[black86capri50]

yea, those pins suck, i cut mine with a die grinder and drove out the halves with a chisel and big hammer

e-clips sme-clips, the pins still don't come out without cutting them

[Purebreed1]

Thanks for the advice! I am sure there is bloody knuckles in my future.

[84lxconvertible]

I usually take the plastic fender liners out and unbolt the hinges from the a pillar. I hate working in a limited area trying to cut out door pins. It makes it a lot easier when you can put the doors on stands and go at them.

[jpywell]

I also would undo the hingers and re-hang the other door, at least thats what we do at work and it takes but 10 min.

[Purebreed1]

Well I had some bad news. I got a shop light out and looked at the hinges to see what is the best approach and the top hing on the drivers side is attached to a rusted out support. It appears that this area ia a factory welded panel. What would you suggest that I do? I have about 20k in this car so I have to fix it. I was thinking that I might be able to get the section that i need from the bone yard and have it cut and welded in. I guess that this is now going to be a job for pros. I am having a real hard time droppping off a 560hp car a body shop.