Door Removal Advice Needed

[JohnGunn]

I need to replace one of my doors, but have never removed one before. Answers to the following questions would be of great help to me.

1. Will the door from a 1988 Festiva L fit on my 1990 L?
2. Would I be able to remove the door by myself, without a helper?
3. If so, could you describe the best way of doing that?
4. How much does a door weigh? Is it difficult for one person to carry?
5. Will a door fit into the back of a Festiva with the back seat removed?
6. Is there a trick to removing the door stop pin? I tapped on it and it didn't want to move.

I'm sure if it can be done, someone here will know how.

Any suggestion appreciated.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[bravekozak]

easy as pie

I changed both of my doors by myself. You just need space to swing them wide open to get at the bolts. Hint: remove the bolts from the bottom to the top. No the door isn't killer heavy. Squirt a little mazola oil on the pin before tapping it. An 89 door fits on a 93.

[MONSOON]

1) Yes it will
2) Possibly, definately easier with 2 but 1 could do it alone.
3)Support door on shoulder while removing bolts
4) 50 - 60 lbs.
5) I want to say yes, but cannot support this as factual. But if a hood will fit in back I dont see why a door wouldnt.
6) 1 accronym - BFH

[BEASTS'TIVA]

door

if you need help, hit me up. by the way i love golfing at coronado. tiger.

[Pu241]

OK, try this

1. Will the door from a 1988 Festiva L fit on my 1990 L?
Yes

2. Would I be able to remove the door by myself, without a helper
Yes, but a helper makes it much easier

3. If so, could you describe the best way of doing that?
Pop the door stop pin by hitting it with BP blaster and tapping it from the bottom
Now you have a choice to remove the door itself or the door and hinges.
Too remove just the door unbolt one bolt from the pair top and bottom.
Support the door with a jack or anything else.
Then remove the remaining bolts.
If you choose to remove the hinges, you first have to remove the fender.
Proceed to remove a single bolt from the pais on the hinge, support the door, then remove the remaining bolts

4. How much does a door weigh? With glass probably 50 lbs
Is it difficult for one person to carry? It's ackward but not impossible, I've carried two at the sametime for a short distance.

5. Will a door fit into the back of a Festiva with the back seat removed?
Yes, but you don't have to remove the seat just fold it flat

6. Is there a trick to removing the door stop pin? I tapped on it and it didn't want to move.
See #3

[Maxtiva]

You can put a hatch in a back of a festi with the rear seat removed so you could probably fit a door

[Pu241]

With the seat removed, I have put two doors and a hatch in a festiva with the rear seat removed.

[drddan]

Door will fit without removing seats.
Check out this link on folding rear seat:
http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...adness3010.flv

[JohnGunn]

Thanks

Thanks, guys.

Seems the consensus is that I should be able to do this, and for me that is a giant step toward eventually success. I plan to go get it on Saturday, if it's still there. It's half price weekend so it might be gone before I get to it. If successful I'll be sure to post some pictures so you'll be able to decide whether your time spent helping me was well spent.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[MONSOON]

If youre working on a Festiva and are serious about making it a decent runner. Then our time isnt wasted.

[92festie]

Door will fit without removing seats.
Check out this link on folding rear seat:
http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...adness3010.flv

cool didnt know the back seat folded down like that

[ericsmith32]

The 88 door will fit on the 90 but remember you won't have the right latch and all the holes for the wiring. I could be wrong but I'm sure that's what someone did on mine. Had to install the latch with the hookup for the seat belts along with all the wiring.. had to zip tie in it place.

[JohnGunn]

Not What I Wanted to Hear

The 88 door will fit on the 90 but remember you won't have the right latch and all the holes for the wiring. I could be wrong but I'm sure that's what someone did on mine. Had to install the latch with the hookup for the seat belts along with all the wiring.. had to zip tie in it place.

Eric, I picked up the door yesterday before I saw your post and am more than a little disturbed to find that it might not fit without modification.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are referring to when you use the word "latch." If the "latch" as I understand the term is not in the same place for both models then they would not be at all compatible. No one here has suggested that. Also, there were no wires attached to the '88 door nor to my '90 one, i.e. no power mirror. In addition, I don't understand what seat belts have to do with the door except that it has to contact the button on the lower rear corner of the door frame to signal opening and closing.

I dropped the door off at my storage so I can't take a look at it now to compare it with mine. From the responses I got here before yours I was convinced that there would be no difference so I didn't bother to do a detailed comparison of them. A picture of your setup would be the best way for me to decide if what was done to your door would have to be done to mine.

In this light, please tell me again what you believe I will need to do to get the door to work. If the modifications are at all significant I will probably just take the door back for the $4.00 core charge and forget the whole thing.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[Pu241]

Eric, I picked up the door yesterday before I saw your post and am more than a little disturbed to find that it might not fit without modification.

In addition, I don't understand what seat belts have to do with the door except that it has to contact the button on the lower rear corner of the door frame to signal opening and closing.

I dropped the door off at my storage so I can't take a look at it now to compare it with mine. From the responses I got here before yours I was convinced that there would be no difference so I didn't bother to do a detailed comparison of them. A picture of your setup would be the best way for me to decide if what was done to your door would have to be done to mine.

The door will fit with out modification.
At worst you may have to swap the door latch assemby from the '90 to the '88 door.
Maybe not even that.
Contact button is for interior light.
I'm not certain there isn't some wiring in the door lock to trigger the light in the dash.
Don't have wiring diagrams to confirm.
Your going to have to swap over the lock assembly so that you can use your current key anyway.
In short the door will fit.

[ericsmith32]

It will fit no doubt.. you just won't have anything for the passenger seat-belt.. the 88 has manual seat-belts. The contact on the outside is just for the light. The latch itself will swap from door to the other. A bit of a pain install if you've never done so but not hard. If you've already got rid of the original door I'd take the 88 back and get one from the later models. The wiring for the seat-belts also has the power-window but I didn't have that option either...the wiring is all wrapped into one.

The latch is held on by 3 screws you can see them on the the end of the door. Unscrew those and pop-off all the door-handles and locks... the hardest one is the outside it will pop off also just take your time. The wiring is pretty straight forward the connection is behind the passenger speaker.