VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Door hinge

Good morning. The upper hinge screws on my 30 standard coupe are not hold so the door is sagging. The holes are too big for the screws. I have done the obvious in filling the holes and using larger screws but not with much luck. My plan is to replace that post with a new one. How hard is that to do and any suggestions on what to do till I get a new post. This is for the passenger door

It is common for water to rot out the post from the top down. Check the screw holes with a stiff wire to see if there is enough wood remaining to support a repair. If so there are some wood repair compounds that can be forced into the hole or injected to give a good support to the screws. Be aware that they may make replacing the post more difficult. On the other hand may make replacement unnecessary at this time. I have not used any of those compounds. Others may know the name(s) and source.

If you find that the top of the door post is rotted then there is a chance that the roof side rail and the windshield header might be rotted as well. I had the same problem with my 1930 Sport Coupe and when the body metal was removed I discovered that at least 75% of the body wood was rotted. I had to completely rewood the entire car.

As with the Dogs tale, I started with the hinge and finished after I replaced virtually all the wood. It takes some time, but it is a personal achievement that you will take pride in doing. I cut my own pieces but kits are available. Just take pictures or good notes so you can fit everything back as easily as possible.

I am having the same problem with my 32 driver side post. Totally rotted out. I ordered a new piece from KC Wood Man. (pricey) but a really nice piece of wood. My main issue is removing the metal door frame. I have had to drill out all of the hardware and I am not sure where I am going to find replacement hardware. FS has the hinge screws but some of the other hardware is very unique. Once I get the frame out I will see how bad the other wood is and go from there. Any suggestions on the hardware would be helpful. Good luck!

Hello BUDDO,
It takes some searching when it comes to locating the correct hardware and still you may not find an exact match to the original. But anyway, there are many listings of hardware/fastener suppliers on the internet. Type in- Antique Automobile Hardware -and see what pops-up. Some that you may want to look at are: (vintagepartsource.com), (boltdepot.com), (nutsandbolts.com), (mcmaster.com). These should keep you busy for awhile and lead you to more sources. Also, keep in mind Hemmings Motor News for sources and automobile museums may suggest restoration suppliers.