I have a 96 base convertible and i have a problem with the right hand door panel. There is a strip of fiberglass tabs that the door panel hangs on and the tab at the back of the door is broke off.
I have searched the net for this strip but no joy. A friend said i should make one out of aluminum and drill out the rivet and cut off the broken part and use self tapping screws to fasten the new piece in place.
After reading several posts about the floppy door panel I have decided to wait until minnesota winter has me storing it before i tackle removing the panel and either replacing it or repairing it.
Has anyone had experience wwith this fix on the tab?
Thanks in advance
OldBoy

 

I had my door panel off a few weeks ago to replace the passenger side window guide. When I took it off I noticed the tabs (4 of them I think) were cracked, allowing the top of the panel to flex. I'm guessing these are the tabs you mean. I found a YouTube video of someone making a sheet metal patch to repair them and did something similar. I cut out some metal templates to size for each "rib", drilled some holes in the templates and the ribs for a pop rivet and then mixed up some epoxy. I epoxied at the split for each rib then used some ratchet straps (used some towels to protect the edges of the panel) and closed up the crack or split in the ribs. Pop riveted the metal template on each side of the rib and applied some more epoxy. Maybe a little overkill with the epoxy but I don't want to have to redo it later. Left it dry for 24 hrs and put it back together. Seems to be holding fine.

 

OldBoy: Welcome to the forum. Unless you have another favorite epoxy, I recommend using J-B Weld.

 

Thanks KTM for your reply, I bought a NOS door panel and plan to repair as you recommend the old panel and sell it.

 

KTM thanks I will try the jb weld