How to remove outer door panel, with pics (Page 3/3)
MaddRatt NOV 01, 05:22 PM
fierohoho,

Since I don't have 30 posts to vote a "+" for you I am thanking you here. There will be one from me for you and several others that REALLY deserve it!

I am getting ready to replace my driver side door due to a very big hole in it. This will really help me get the old one off, hopefully with relative ease, on my 87 coupe. Also, thanks for showing the differences between door frames and skins between the model years. I have learned alot already from this forum, and members like you REALLY HELP! As do many of the others that have posted and helped others and myself out!
So............

THANK YOU!

Jimmie

[This message has been edited by MaddRatt (edited 11-01-2002).]

FieroRumor JAN 21, 10:28 AM
(bump)
GREAT POST!
Carrolles JAN 21, 01:45 PM
While I had the doors apart installing the pw/pdl in my 85SE I also replaced the outer dew wipes. I couldn't get a bite on the two hard to get to screws with the tool I got from Rodney. I researched my archive of printed forum posts and found one that had instructions that worked for me. I don't have the info with me here at work so I can't post a link.

In this procedure I removed the upper window stops from the door and loosened the bolts holding the vertical track near the rear side of the door. I could then raise the window enough to get the roller out of the vertical track which allowed me to slide the glass forward and backward enough to get to the screws with a regular screwdriver. It sounds complicated but turned out to be very easy. Be sure and mark the position of the bolts before you remove them so you can restore their position when complete. (you will need to remove the rubber molding from the front and rear edge of the glass and the mirror as in the procedure above).

While I had the door apart I sprayed lithium grease on all the moving parts of the lock mechanism and the window tracks. One of the places that causes the most friction in the lock mechanism that I see is the plastic guide that the lock rod snaps into between the lock mechanism and the inner door handle. You can see it when the inner door panel is off. I just unsnapped the rod and squirted a small amount of the white grease on it and re-snapped the rod in place.

lorennerol APR 01, 12:35 PM
When we did the dew wipes on my Fiero my father in law came up with a very nifty trick for holding the little screws when reinstalling.

He cut some small plastic tabs using the clear plastic from those blister packs (you know, the stuff that is impossible to open). The tabs were about 3" long and 1/2" wide. He screwed the dew wipe screws through the ends of the tabs, and then used to tab to hold the screw in place while we got them started. Once they were snugged down, a firm tug on the tab broke it free of the screw and we were able to tighten them down using Rodney's tool.
handymanpat JAN 21, 10:53 AM
I sure am happy that you did all of this for us! Now I can finish pulling off my door skin without wrecking something.
Thanks again!
90turbo1 MAY 20, 01:54 PM
I have seen several fieros with the outer skin cracked at the mirror. is there something that I should look for as my 1986 is cracked in that same location also. not sure if its a cold weather stress point or something else.

I was gonna try to fix mine soon.

thanks for this write up.
sledcaddie SEP 07, 08:11 PM
Thanks for a great write up and pictures! I need to pull the door skin off to access the window regulator. It makes a noise about half way up. I think it's the spring. With the door skin off, I should be able to diagnose it correctly.
Vintage-Nut NOV 30, 12:55 PM
By the means of member fierohoho’s great post and photos to study, plus a lot of more PFF searching to gather additional details; I attacked the outer door panel with a slightly different strategy…

Molding Strip
Plastic Rivets
Edge Screws

I began with the inner door panel, mirror and glass seals/dew wipes removed; plus the window fully rolled up.

Molding Strip
I didn’t want to ‘pry’ on the outer finish, so I started inside of the door with a long heavy flat screwdriver by popping/breaking the visible four middle clips. With the inside middle clips loose, the molding was slightly ‘bowed’ away from the outer panel. Using thin tools; I carefully inserted the tools under the loose molding and then pulled the strip outward more.


Back to the inside of the door, I next ‘snipped’ the end of the small ‘Christmas tree’ or ‘carrot’ type push fastener, which was holding the molding under the door handle. With the fastener loose, it was easy to pull the rear end of the molding from the outer panel.


With the molding away of the panel, I grasped the trim with my hand and carefully ‘twisted-it’ outward, and the front clip released the molding strip from the door without a fight.


Remove the 2 screws that were exposed from under the molding trim with a 7mm socket

Plastic Rivets
Note: The factory plastic rivets have ‘teeth’ or ribs on the center shaft which holds or 'bites' into grooves of the outside flange. By forcing inward on the center shaft with a smaller diameter punch, you can ‘pop’ the center shaft out from the outside flange, which releases the rivet.

My Fiero was sitting on the ground so the workspace was tight under the door.

Instead of a small punch to punch the center out; I used a spring driven center punch at the middle of the rivet to start a drill bit. I slowly drilled the center shaft of the rivets with a 1/8-inch bit, which some broke the rivet, others needed to be pried with side cutters from the center and the flange edge as fierohoho suggested.

Edge Screws
These screws are infamous of stripping out the plastic covers; made sure that the screw heads are clean. Remove any ‘grime’ so you get a good bite into the bottom of the screws with the tool. Also made sure you’re using the correct tool; mine were Torx heads and needed a T-30 bit.

My Tip:
With the tool firmly into the bottom of the screw, TIGHTEN the screw a ‘tad’, and then loosen. If the screw resists, apply penetrating oil, tighten the screw a bit again, and then loosen.

Use the ‘back and forth’ technique to ‘tap’ the screw out.

For me, I didn’t have any problems to remove my screws; all came out with the plastic covers intact.

FYI - If you need new door panel Torx screws; Rodney Dickman still has them as I write this post…

The next step is a little awkward which is disconnecting the lock linkage from the outer panel.

Don’t attempt the lock linkage from the inside of the door, many tried. The best method to release the lock linkage is when the outer panel has been ‘freed’ from the door frame.

To do that, either a helper is needed or a ‘support’ which the ‘free’ outer panel can be placed on beside the door, as you work with the lock linkage; I used the latter.

I put boards under the door as ‘support’ to hold the panel when it is time to lift the panel from the frame.


Slightly pull out the bottom edge of the outer panel away from the frame, and then lift the skin up to disengage the panel lip that hooks over the edge on the frame, and then place the panel on the support.


NOTE: By lifting the panel up from the frame, the door handle linkage slides out of the latch; notice where the rod exited the latch for reassembly. I can already see that when putting the outer panel back on the frame, ‘dropping’ the door handle linkage back into the latch will be tricky, but I’ll cross that bridge later.

With the panel loose on the support, be careful as at this point the only thing holding the panel is the lock linkage which still needs to be disconnected.


To disconnect the lock linkage, gently ‘hook’ the top of the clip and at the same time; pry/push the clip away from the lock cylinder ‘tab’ and push the clip down on the linkage.


This will unfasten the linkage but the rod will be still into the lock tab; the next step is to guide the 90-degree angle bend of the linkage out from lock cylinder tab.

When the end of the lock linkage is out of the lock cylinder tab; the outer panel will be really ‘free’ from the door…




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reassembly

Purchase Parts as Needed:
I brought The Fiero Store Door Molding Clip Kits than separately parts {TFS Part # 81003} and Plastic Rivets {TFS Part #83026} which needs a special tool.
{The Fiero Store sells the tool; I used MAC Tools Plastic Rivet Gun model RG-75}

When putting the outer panel back on the door frame, I fully rolled the window to the bottom, so I was able to observe when it is time to guide the door handle linkage into the latch hole.

When the door and panel are ready; put the lock linkage clip onto the end of the rod; place the outer panel next to the lock linkage; install the lock linkage to the lock cylinder tab, and then the fun begins…

At the end of the lock linkage is a ‘groove’ which this smaller diameter area ‘locks’ into a ‘U’ channel of the clip. Aligning and pushing this smaller diameter area into the ‘U’ channel of the clip was difficult, as both the rod and the tab needs to be parallel before the clip will fit into the rod groove.


Obviously, your hand will be in the way between the door frame and the outer panel, so the lock linkage goes outward at an angle. I found that the front end of the panel needed be ‘skewed’ away from the car to align the lock cylinder tab with the lock linkage.

Make a note that if the linkage ‘groove’ is pushed too far beyond from the clip channel {not locked}, the rod can bind at the lock cylinder tab.

Special Note: I brought TFS Door Latch Rod Clips {#88197} and they didn’t have the ‘U’ channel. Thus, I didn’t try to force their clip onto the lock linkage groove.


Next is to carefully raise the outer panel as you hold the bottom of the panel away from the frame slightly and then guide the door handle linkage into the latch.

With the door handle rod into the latch; lower the panel slightly more and guide the panel’s top ‘lip’ and engage with the door frame, making sure it ‘hooks’ completely, and then let the bottom of the panel fall in place.

Align the front molding screw of the panel with the door threads, and with a clip under the head, lightly thread-in the screw.

Lightly thread-in the rear molding screw too.

Lightly thread-in the seven edge screws behind the panel.

With the door closed, check the alignment and tighten the front screw first, then tighten the rear screw at the door handle.

*If the outer panel alignment isn’t correct; alter the screw threads in the plastic ‘plugs’ in the steel frame.

Tighten the seven edge screws behind the panel.

Molding Strip

The molding trim has clip ‘guides’ inside of the strip where the four middle clips go; the larger ‘legs’ of the clip sits next to these guides.

With the clip legs between the guides and holding the legs firmly in place; push the clip down until the upper side of the clip ‘snaps’ into the molding.


Install the small ‘Christmas tree’ or ‘carrot’ type push fastener into the molding strip at the door handle end.

‘Twist’ the front end of the molding trim on the front clip which is under the front door screw; then adjust/align the middle clips to the outer panel and at the same time, align the ‘carrot’ fastener on the door handle end.

Push the ‘carrot’ fastener at the door handle end of the molding into the door panel and then push all the middle clips into the panel.

Plastic Rivets

Install the four bottom plastic rivets using a plastic rivet gun.


------------------
Original Owner of a Silver '88 GT
Under 'Production Refurbishment' @ 136k Miles

[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 12-17-2025).]