Classic/Antique Car Repair/Door adjustment

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 3/4/2009


Question
Dear Sir: I have a four doors 1959 plymouth savoy with very low miles. The all four doors work as new as they are, but when the car is running the passenger front door is noising. I have manually lifted the door and it looks as if were some space between the parts. A very small movement. How may I fix the problem?
Thank you for your time. Best Regards,

M. T.

Answer
Maria Teresa:

This could be one of two things: A loose hinge mounting, or a worn hinge pin.

The loose mounting can be corrected by simply tightening all of the hinge bolts (might as well do all the doors, while you're at it).

However, I suspect a hinge pin problem, since you're hearing noise and these pins rust and wear, causing the noise.

You'll have to live with it, or find a mechanic who has the knowledge and parts availability to buy a new pin or have one machined.

After you get it fixed, -ubricate the hinges and locks to prevent a re-occurrence.

--Paul  

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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