Regal Doors:crack By The Mirror

[v8skantkeepup]

I own an 85 T-type that I have just had repainted. The origional paint wasn't real bad, just faded on top. Probobly cuz no clearcoat. Anyway, when the body shop started working on the body, the guy doing the work gave me a call one day and told me to swing by if I had time. When I arrived, he showed me a small crack in the drivers door (about an inch long)under the paint, where he had been sanding. The crack was in the door skin itself, about in front of where the mirror bolts to the door. You could accually push on one side of the crack and expose it without any problem. I was dunfounded. The car was baught with 48000 miles from the origional owner in 98'. I was under the impression that the car had been stored inside, from the condition, as well as demiener of the older gentleman I purchased it from. The car currently has 76000 miles.
This sad story is not over. The bodyman assured me he could weld, and smooth it so nobody would ever know... The very next day he called me again and said "Your not going to believe this, but, the passenger door is cracked in the excact same spot!!" WTF!! I thaught. I even went to a few local boneyards in the following weaks and eyed some other G-body's to see if this was common and like half the doors I looked at were cracked as well.
Whats up with the shoddy metel?
Weak spot in the doors?
What?
GM has to be aware of this. Am I the only one to notice?
This may be of interest to those looking for clean used doors.
Just for the record, my doors are rust free. They look untouched, now that the car is finished. But I know whats under those two particular spots of paint. This is scarry to me!!!!!!
Anyone share this expierience?

 

[Red Regal T]

I've seen this quite a few times over the years. Some crack, most don't. A vertical crack from the top of the door where the sill ends towards the front of the door. Doors must stress there from original factory pressing. Fortunately your bodyman let you know and repaired it instead of mudding it over which would cause it to show again.

 

[v8skantkeepup]

That is excactly where these cracks are on the doors. I also have an 82' Limited that has been repainted prior to my ownership. I looked at those doors, after finding out about my T, and it appears they have been "mudded' over in the same spot. Its kinda hard to tell, though. Maybe climate can help cause this? I live in N.E. Ohio, and niether of these cars has seen very little, if any snow. This is something that G-body owners should be aware of, especially if they intend to purchace a car that has been repainted!

 

[mybuick]

in that spot and the 90* part of the roof where the door glass is.

 

[gn85]

I think this is a Gbody thing. I've seen this with a replacement door on my GN and a replacement door on my father's Monte Carlo SS. I'm not 100% certain how it is caused, but I think it can cause the window to fit poorly, not pressing it against the seals enough.

If I ever need to buy a door, that is one place I make sure to check. The crack is often hidden under the wide molding at the top.

 

[Drop Top]

This is a comon problem with these doors. What causes this to happen is the wheght of the mirror and then slaming the door shut to hard. The metal is too thin behind that area and when you shut the door too hard the mirror vibrates and flexes the metal. After a wile the metal begins to stress and cracks. The way I have repaired this in the past, is when you are welding the crack add a small piece of metal behind that area to help stregthen it.