Repairing the bottom of the doors

[84MonteCarla]

I just got done pulling the chrome trim of my 84 Monte. I have done a pretty good job cleaning up the car and the only rough spots are the bottom of the doors. The passenger door is better than the driver's but they are both almost completely rotted through at the very bottom. I know this is where most G-bodies rot (probably from the poor weather stripping).

I used to paint cars for 3 years and know a thing or two about body work. I was thinking of cutting off the bottom section of the door, welding sheet metal on the outside and forming the inside with fiberglass. Since it is low, I think that I will be able to blend it pretty nicely on the middle body line. The only reason I don't want to replace the doors is the car has a pretty decent paint job on it. Too bad the previous owner didn't take care of these two problem areas before he had it painted!

Anyway, has anyone done this? I think that the outer panel will be easy enough I just don't know how I should build the inner part of the door.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I think it's the crummy drains that get clogged and then hold water and mud. Mine were just rusty on the bottom insides so I globbed POR15 all over them. If you figure this out, I'm interested too.

 

[Longroof79]

I've also found that the edge where the door skin crimps over to the inner door, becomes rusty from where the factory caulked over bare metal. I'm in the middle of scraping the old caulking from around my replacement doors. I'm going to treat and neutralize the metal, then hit it with urethane primer sealer prior to top coat.
Clogged drains are also a big part of lower door rust out, and weather stripping tends to hold water like a sponge.

Jack

*Post some pics of the problem areas.

 

[81elcamino]

i had to do this with my doors. me and my dad cut the bottom of the door skins and welded a peice of steel where we cut and wrapped it around to the inside. then we bondoed it some and it looks great after being primmed. but then we went to a swap meet and found waaaaay better doors so off came the doors we just fixed and on came the new ones.