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Hang Time --Technical -- Classic Trucks

Installing Complete C-10 Doors From Classic Industries
February, 2009
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Exterior door damage varies... 
   
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Exterior door damage varies depending on the type of past use. In this case, the '75 Cheyenne's use was more like abuse, as both doors had definitely seen better days. The passenger side took the most punishment, specifically on the front leading edge, which became "tight" with the fender after a little incident.
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Even good old Mother Nature... 
   
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Even good old Mother Nature had her way with the lower rear corners of each door--which was in no way helped with a slab of Bondo cover-up along the way! The damage was further compounded by very poor fitment and latch alignment.
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Curing the physical door issues... 
   
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Curing the physical door issues was simple: replace the whole thing rather than attempt to repair. Obtaining Classic Industries' complete door shells ('73-76) was a start, followed by having them jambed with PPG's Deltron California Gold Metallic. (You'll see more on the paint products in a later issue.)
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The door damage went way beyond... 
   
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The door damage went way beyond the exterior shell, as shown here by a previously repaired tear at the upper hinge mount area. The repair worked, for a short while, until the tear permeated once again and kept on spreading--no new set of hinge pins was going to cure this!
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And speaking of tears, because... 
   
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And speaking of tears, because of the hinge-oriented damage, the door had to be slammed (repeatedly) in order to sufficiently latch, which caused a nice tear in the jamb. This obviously would have to be welded up in order to make even the new doors close properly.
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OK, enough with the damage... 
   
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OK, enough with the damage reports. Before removing the old doors, they need to be gutted. You won't need a manual to tackle this, but you will want to carefully bag all the little parts like clips, linkage rod retainers, etc., if you're going to reuse on the new doors.
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As for the larger items, such... 
   
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As for the larger items, such as the window regulators and door latches, inspect thoroughly for any broken parts, clean, and relubricate accordingly. Since the new doors will be receiving power windows, the manual regulators were set aside.
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Removal of the actual doors... 
   
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Removal of the actual doors themselves is very straightforward, though it's highly recommended having some help before the last bolt is wrenched loose.
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With the door off the truck... 
   
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With the door off the truck for good, we could finally see the actual damaged caused from the hinges. It was only a matter of time before a large speed bump would have just dislodged the door entirely, as the sheetmetal around the mounting points was wasted.
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As for the hinges themselves,... 
   
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As for the hinges themselves, well, it was obvious they had been severely neglected, evident by the split bushings.
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They'd also been overextended... 
   
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They'd also been overextended more times than anyone cared to imagine.
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Like the old doors, the old... 
   
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Like the old doors, the old hinges were trashed and replaced with all new equipment. These gems came straight from the local Chevy dealer, but can be obtained from Classic Industries in either repro or factory replacement options.
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While the doors come on and... 
   
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While the doors come on and off fairly easily, it takes a bit more time and patience working with the hinges, as access to the hardware is tricky.
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On the passenger side, you'll... 
   
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On the passenger side, you'll need to remove the glovebox, and it's a good idea to pull the dash, as well.

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