Trans Am Resurrection: Fixing The Notorious Door Panel Crack

Cracked door panels are a common issue for owners of mid-90s cars, particularly the 4th generation GM F-body, which includes the 1993 to 2002 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. This is due to the poor design of the factory door panel, which places considerable stress on the upper rear section of the door panel. As a result, many owners experience cracking within 20,000 miles. Given that GM stopped producing this panel several years ago, finding a replacement can be difficult and expensive. However, there are several DIY repair methods available, ranging from using epoxy resin and cloth to drilling holes at the ends of the crack to prevent further tearing.

How to prevent further cracking of a Trans Am door panel

To prevent further cracking of a Trans Am door panel, you can try the following methods:

• Remove the large staples from the top felt of the door panel and replace them with smaller ones. This will allow the panel to flex as the car heats and cools, reducing the stress that causes cracking.
• Epoxy repair: Clean and sand the panel, then drill small holes at each end of the crack to prevent it from spreading. Apply epoxy to the crack, using wire mesh as backing for the repair. Once cured, sand the repair and refinish the panel.
• Use a structural body adhesive designed to bond to metal, wood, fiberglass, and plastic. This will provide flexibility and relieve pressure while holding fast to the plastic.
• Find a replacement door panel. This may be difficult as GM has stopped producing this panel, but you can try looking for used panels or aftermarket replacements.

How to fix a Trans Am door panel that is cracked but not broken through

If your Trans Am door panel is cracked but not broken through, there are several methods you can use to repair it.

Firstly, it is important to understand why the door panel is cracking. Due to the poor design of the factory door panel, there is considerable stress in the upper rear section of the door panel. The metal doesn't allow the door panel to flex as it heats and cools, and this causes it to crack. Therefore, to prevent further cracking, you can remove the large staples from the top felt and replace them with smaller ones so that the panel can flex.

If your panel has more than just "pre-crack" stress marks, you can try the following repair method:

• Take the door panel off.
• Take out the three staples closest to the crack. You can use a Dremel to cut the ends off so you don't stress the panel trying to pull them out.
• Bend the felt out of the way slightly.
• Take a small drill bit and drill a hole at the end of the crack. If it's a bigger crack, drill it more towards the inside.
• Take a small zip tie and pull the two sides of the crack together.
• Pull the zip tie tight, but not so tight that you break anything.
• Reinforce the rears of the door panels with JB Weld if you want to.
• Reinstall the panel.

Alternatively, you can try an epoxy repair. Here is one method:

• Clean the panel and sand it with 80-grit sandpaper on both sides to give the epoxy something to grip.
• Sand the crack to prep it for the repair.
• Drill the ends of the crack with a small drill bit to stop the crack from continuing.
• Sand the inside edges of the crack, adding a bevel to provide more surface area for the epoxy to hold.
• Sand the backside of the crack as well, making sure to sand a wide area so that the repair has as much surface to hold as possible.
• Mix the epoxy in a 1:1 ratio and lightly apply it to the panel.
• Use a small piece of wire mesh as a backing for the repair. Spread the epoxy onto the panel, place the wire mesh on top, and use a spreader to work the mesh into it.
• Once the epoxy is cured, lightly sand the outer surface with 200-grit sandpaper, and then use some glazing filler to smooth out the repair.
• Finish sand the repair with 200 grit, then 320 grit.
• Paint the repair with a colour match paint.

With previous repairs, the cracks showed back up within a few weeks, but after several months, this repair has shown no signs of returning.

How to fix a Trans Am door panel that is broken through

If your Trans Am door panel is cracked all the way through, you will likely have to replace it. However, if it is not cracked all the way through, you can attempt to repair it.

First, remove the door panel from the car. Next, take out the staples closest to the crack. You can use a Dremel to cut the ends off the staples to avoid stressing the panel. Then, bend the felt out of the way and drill a small hole at the end of the crack. The purpose of drilling a hole is to stop the crack from continuing to tear the plastic by removing the stress point. If the crack is bigger, drill the hole more towards the inside.

After that, pull the two sides of the crack together with a small zip tie. Make sure to pull it as tight as you can without breaking anything. Then, restaple the felt using a large paper clip. Cut the end off the paper clip, slide it in, and mash it flat against the surface with a pair of pliers. Twist the ends together on the backside.

Finally, you can reinforce the backside of the door panels with JB Weld if you want. Reinstall the panel and you're done! This method will not result in a perfect fix, but it will look much better than cracks and is cheaper than new door panels.

How to remove Trans Am door panels

To remove Trans Am door panels, follow these steps:

Firstly, you will need to remove the door panels from the car. This is a simple process that just requires you to take out the screws and bolts holding the panel in place. You can do this with a screwdriver and a wrench. Be careful not to scratch the door or the panel during this process. Once the panel is loose, gently lift it off the door and set it aside.

Next, you will need to remove the staples from the door panel. The staples are what hold the felt in place, and they can be removed with a staple remover or a pair of needle-nose pliers. Be careful not to tear the felt as you're removing the staples.

Now, you can begin repairing the cracks in the door panel. If the cracks are small, you can simply fill them in with epoxy or super glue. If the cracks are larger, you will need to drill a small hole at each end of the crack to prevent it from spreading further. Then, use a zip tie to pull the two sides of the crack together and tighten it as much as possible without breaking anything.

Finally, use a large paper clip to restaple the felt in place. Cut the end off the paper clip, slide it into the staple hole, and mash it flat against the surface with a pair of pliers. Twist the ends together on the backside of the panel.

Once the felt is restapled, you can reinstall the door panel by simply screwing it back into place.

How to paint a Trans Am door panel

To paint a Trans Am door panel, you will need two types of paint: bumper trim paint for texture and colour-matched paint for the colour. You will also need a clean and prepped panel to paint on, so follow the steps below before you start painting.

First, you need to remove the door panel from the car. This process is not described here, but there are plenty of walkthroughs available online. Next, remove the staples closest to the crack with a Dremel tool. Cut the ends off the staples with the Dremel so that you don't stress the panel by trying to pull them out. Then, bend the felt lining away from the crack and drill a small hole at the end of the crack with a small drill bit. If the crack is bigger, drill the hole more towards the inside.

Now, take a small zip tie and pull the two sides of the crack together. Pull it as tight as you can without breaking anything. Then, use a large paper clip to "restaple" the felt lining. Cut the end off the paper clip, slide it into the staple hole, and mash it flat against the surface with a pair of pliers. Twist the ends of the paper clip together on the backside of the panel.

At this point, you can reinforce the backside of the door panel with JB Weld if you want to. Then, reinstall the panel.

Now that the repair is done, it's time to paint. Practice your technique on some scrap cardboard or metal before you start on the door panel. First, spray the panel with five coats of bumper trim paint, holding the can about 12-16 inches from the surface. This distance is important for creating texture. Then, dust the panel with colour-matched interior paint until the sheen matches the surrounding area. You can go back and forth with the two products as long as the colours match.

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