Easy Fix for Your Cracked Firebird Door Panels

Fixing the cracked upper door panel of an LS1 Firebird requires paper clips, a zip tie and basic tools.

One of the key cosmetic issues with the fourth generation Pontiac Firebird is that over time, the upper door panels are prone to cracking. Finding used panels that aren’t cracked is difficult and buying new panels is expensive, but LS1 Tech forum member “97ramsst” came up with a fix that works great and costs less than a dollar. Best of all, the fix isn’t very difficult and it doesn’t require any special tools, so if you have a fourth generation Firebird with cracked door panels, this DIY thread will help you fix it for next to nothing.

Firebird Door Fix Introduction

The OP began with a brief introduction of the project before getting into the do-it-yourself write-up, along with sharing before and after pictures. Unfortunately, one of his pictures was hosted by Photobucket and it is no longer available, but that doesn’t diminish the usefulness of this thread. Ultimately, if you have a Firebird and you are familiar with this issue, you don’t need to see the ‘before’ picture, as you have already seen it in your own vehicle.

I know everyone is familiar with the fix to prevent your door panels from cracking, but apparently many of you don’t know that if they are cracked there is still hope for them.

First off a brief explanation of the original fix….on the door panels the top felt is rigid and is stapled hard to the plastic. The metal doesn’t allow the door panel to flex as it heats and cools and causes it to stress and crack at a week point on the panel. The fix to this is to take the large staples out of the strip and replace them with smaller ones so the panel can flex…very simple. But if your panel has more than just “pre-crack” stress marks that won’t fix the crack. Here is a cheap and easy way of fixing it. I have done MANY MANY MANY this way and it always works great…and costs less than $1.

As mentioned above, the OP included a bunch of pictures of door panels and various state of repair, along with close-up shots of his fix, which we have scattered throughout this piece. For a look at all of the information on this project, click here to read through the entire thread.

The Simple, Inexpensive Fix

Next, the OP begins with the actually rundown of how to fix the crack.

First off take your panel off (there are plenty of walk-throughs about that so I am not going through that…its easy though.)

Next take the three staples closest to where the crack is out. I use a dremel to cut the ends off so I dont stress the panel trying to pull them out.
(Sorry no pic of this step)

Next take bend the felt out of the way slightly. Then take a small drill bit and drill a hole here (the little round hole on the right side):

If its a bigger crack you drill it more toward the inside…you will kind of just have to play with it until you get it right or until you learn where it needs to go each time.

Then take a SMALL zip tie and pull the two sides together…this pulls the crack back together:

Pull it tight as you can but dont break anything:

Then you just have to “restaple” your felt down. I have tried SEVERAL different things and it sounds redneck but the best thing I have found to do this with is a large paper clip. Its already curved about the right width and its bendable. Just cut the end off slide it in and mash it flat against the surface with a pair of pliers. Then twist the ends on the back side together and your good. (Note: start at the inside and work to the end or you will never be able to get them all in.)

At this point you can reinforce the rears of the door panels with JB Weld if you want, thats up to you. Either way then just reinstall the panel and your good…the crack will not come back.

These are some ebony panels I did on my red 02 yesterday too…they were just as bad as the one above, its not a PERFECT fix but it looks way better than cracks and is much cheaper than new door panels:

Finally, the OP states that panels which are cracked all of the way through the piece cannot be fixed with this method, but members with fully-cracked panels have been able to clean up the issue with this method.

If you have any questions or comments on this fix, click here to check out the entire thread.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com