BANDITCAR

Can't say it enough...


...even if you don't have cracks, you will eventually. Take the panels off and do the fix. It won't even take a whole day, just a few hours and you never have to worry about it again.

For the guys and gals with the cracks all the way through to the insert...the fix wont work. Only solution is to get another door panel and then reinforce that one so it won't crack.

My do it yourself is post 159 here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...ml#post5321834

Good luck


Oh and its not the sun. Well not directly, anyway. Its the temperature rather than the UV. The variations in temp cause the plastic to expand and contract, but the panel is reinforced along the window guide with a steel insert that doesn't allow it to do so freely causing the crack at a weak point.

kny3twalker

iTrader: (31)

Yeah I dunno, but the 1995 Graphite is very close to the 1999 Medium Gray.

Bainsm

Mines cracked also, 2002 TransAM just start last year. Haven't found anything yet on the internet about it until now. I use AeroSpace on the inside and seals of my car. They use it on boats. MD~

DarkJuggalo

iTrader: (6)

mine just cracked 01 ws6, the day i broke 70k miles i noticed it while cleaning the interior

2020

iTrader: (4)

do anyone have a GM part # for left door panel i 2002W6 ebony in color

JCS30TH

iTrader: (1)

I want to know why this didn't happen to the pre 98 cars.

LiquidSword

iTrader: (1)

Rarely browse these forums anymore, but thought I'd add my name to the list. I thought mine was just a result of bad luck, and florida temps / road conditions. My driver side started cracking at 80K or so from what I remember. Passenger side around 95K. now at 110K Driver's side is cracked all the way, and passenger about half way there. I started ignoring it a year ago.

BennyBlown2Barrel

iTrader: (1)

2000 trans am w/ 111k miles - passenger side has been cracked since I've known the car when it had 80k on it (two friends owned it before me).

West Texas Blues

So does anybody know for sure if an lt1 panel will fit and ls1 door? does the vinyl have the same pattern? any modding necessary to do the swap?

t-1

iTrader: (20)

mine happened about a year ago both sides almost at the same time. 24000 miles

kny3twalker

iTrader: (31)

They fit fine and are made of thicker higher quality plastic. When I did mine, I swapped all the carpeted panels out. So if the vinyl does not match you can swap it out. It is a ************ though. You will need a mini propane torch to heat (not melt) the plastic, and a set of pliers to squeeze the the plastic tabs back through their holes. Then once you have done this twice (on the vinyls you do not intend to keep, just slice the tabs off), you heat the tabs again and flatten the tabs again.

The colors though of the older LT1 plastics are slightly off. You really have to know it to see it though.

Gottahavels1

My drivers side panel has a pretty big crack in it. The passenger side has a smaller one.. prly about a half inch. They are both in the same spot and are both vertical. I would like to replace the panels or have them covered at some point but I have an even bigger problem.

I had my windows tinted when i bought the car and there are huge scratches that go from the bottom to the top of the window on both windows right about the cracks in the door panels. This is f*cking BS! I'm gonna take the door panels off one day to see what I can do to fix this. Then i'll have to have then retinted and purchase new panels. Such an expensive and pain in the *** project just to fix another lazy mistake GM made!

Does anyone else have scratches in their window tint above their door panel cracks? I'll take pix and post them next time i'm home.

Slo TA

ive got 100k miles on mine and race it every single weekend and close and some times slam doors on my car and drive it every single day and still no cracks? maybe im lucky

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

You are not lucky. Take off your door panels and take a look there. The stretching is easier to see - then you'll find that your like everyone else. Fortunately, you may be able to do the fix before you have visible cracks on the inside.

kny3twalker

iTrader: (31)

There are two small brackets in the door which help align the window as well as support it. They are L shaped and made of some very cheap metal. Once they break under the weight of the window, the brackets will start to scratch the windows. When I took my drivers side door panel off for the first time, I found four broken lower halfs of these brackets in the bottom of my door, apparently from the original owner having warranty work done about the poor quality power windows. I also have had to replace them more than once, so I bought a few. They are just a couple dollars each. If you want them to stop breaking and not scratch your tint, the window will need to be aligned. I removed the tint from my car years ago and have not had the opportunity to fix the alignment yet between broken 10 bolts, cracked door panels, etc... and other general maintenance and modifications. Good luck.

7998

iTrader: (1)

My 2002 TA vert is cracked on both sides 67k miles. My old 98 never had this problem.

Elemental Mojo

Door Panel Fix

http://www.highperformancepontiac.co...air/index.html

2002WS6_MN6

As per the fix for this issue you need to remove the metal staples then once the crack is epoxy'd reattach the metal felt strip back to the door panel using metal screws.

When you do the reattach aren't you creating the same problem you're there to fix? If the metal staples were the problem you're putting it back?

I'm doing this job right now, have the door epoxy'd up and drying.

NBM2002WS6Vert

The key is to oversize the screw holes just a bit and only tighten down the screw and nut finger tight with a dab of locktite. You want it tight enough to hold the weatherstrip straight but give the door panel the ability to flex a bit. Kind of like working with making furniture and ensuring the drawer bottoms have room to expand and shrink a bit without cracking anything.

2002WS6_MN6

Thanks, that makes sense.