1984 el camino, NEED HELP PLEASE!

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zachb1112

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Oct 10, 2019
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0
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any chance you could let me in on the specifics of your research? Differences? quality? pros? cons? etc

my research was based on ease of install and quality for the most part. intellitronix didnt seem to have the support that dakota digital has and everywhere i looked online people seemed to be having a lot harder of a time getting the intellitronix setup to work for them, dakota digital on the other hand has hours of videos and tons of forum posts all centered around making sure you can get it to work for you and how to properly set it up and all. now on the quality piece of it a lot of the reviews i read for the intellitronix kit people were saying the board felt cheap and like it wasnt soldered together very well and the sensor quality seemed cheap which on the flipside with the dakota digital setup i heard nothing but good things other than the occasional control box not working from the factory issue but everytime i saw that come up dakota digital usually replaced it for them.
 

zachb1112

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Oct 10, 2019
8
0
1
We're a pretty helpful group. Just put the word out, and you'll have offers for what you need. You can get some stuff new (door pins and bushings, lock cylinders, and handle, etc), but the rods will probably have to found used.
That's pretty easy stuff to do yourself instead of paying $125/hr+ to a body shop.


yeah all of the body work and panel adjustment is being done by me the only thing were paying for is to have the car rewired, the person that owned it before he bought it tried to wire in some gauges and other accessories and freshen some of the wiring and just destroyed everything. none of the dash wiring works its all dead wires, the radio harness is chopped to sh*t, the blinkers dont work right when you hit one side the other side blinks, i rewired it enough to get it running when we dropped the crate motor in but that was the extent of my expertise lol
 

zachb1112

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Oct 10, 2019
8
0
1
is there a way to just bend the stock ones back into shape and get them to stay that way?
 

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
4,862
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113
Wellston, OK
Door rods bend because there is too much resistance in their travel.

Make sure doors are correctly aligned (tip: remove striker from jamb and see if door operates smoothly and is properly aligned to body when closed)

On a personal note, I prefer re-bushed OEM hinges to anything aftermarket...bonus is they're much cheaper and if done properly, will not require intensive work to realign the doors after replacement. I mean, the originals when new were in the correct position, after being rebuilt they seldom need adjustment.

Lubricate hinges and latch assembly. Also lubricate rods anywhere they have a friction point, like guide clips.

I have never seen a bent rod in a G body, but I suppose it could happen if neglected long enough.

FWIW, the doors on my Malibu coupe close like butter after I rebuilt the hinges and properly aligned the door and striker (previous owner had dorked with them to try to compensate for worn bushings)
 
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zachb1112

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Oct 10, 2019
8
0
1
Door rods bend because there is too much resistance in their travel.

Make sure doors are correctly aligned (tip: remove striker from jamb and see if door operates smoothly and is properly aligned to body when closed)

On a personal note, I prefer re-bushed OEM hinges to anything aftermarket...bonus is they're much cheaper and if done properly, will not require intensive work to realign the doors after replacement. I mean, the originals when new were in the correct position, after being rebuilt they seldom need adjustment.

Lubricate hinges and latch assembly. Also lubricate rods anywhere they have a friction point, like guide clips.

I have never seen a bent rod in a G body, but I suppose it could happen if neglected long enough.

FWIW, the doors on my Malibu coupe close like butter after I rebuilt the hinges and properly aligned the door and striker (previous owner had dorked with them to try to compensate for worn bushings)


so in theory im correct then, if i fix the rest of the problems with the doors i should be able to just bend those rods back into shape and be okay?
 

Jorge1958

Master Mechanic
Mar 2, 2019
380
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43
Columbia City Oregon
Get everything else lined up and straighten the rods. Once all thats done u should be ok. I had the same issue with a 79 Cutlass i used to own. The rods between the lock and handle were constantly bending. Making it almost impossible to get in the car. The door did sag bad. Once i installed new hinges and got it lined up correctly i never had another problem.
 
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