Front door hinge rust

[MikeS]

Maybe I missed it looking through back tech postings, but is there a standard welding fix for the dreaded hinge door problem? Is this detailed anywhere? And do any of the recommended Citroen places specialise in it? I'm thinking that this would make it worth buying/ repairing a car that might otherwise be rejected or scrapped.

[docchevron]

I go a stage further and cut the entire closing panel away, weld in a mahossive bit of 1/4" plate steel then weld the closing panel to that, followed by copius waxoyl.
Overkill, but it makes it F strong!

[MikeS]

Very helpful replies on the dreaded door rust. Thanks. I can't see rust winning against 1/4in steel plate -- that's for sure..

[Rob_e (UK)]

I managed to patch mine up while ago, probably a couple of years ago now. I guess the fix depends on how far the rust has gone by the time you come to repair it. Mine ha rusted quite a lot, around three sides of the hinge so I had to take the door off and patch up the post so I could put the hinge back on. It was my first attempt at welding the car so is not very neat. It hasn't fallen off yet though

Here are some of the picture of the various stages of the repair,

Before I started:


Some more of the rust removed



The hinge it self removed, (a rather large hole in the side of my car)



and then the hole patched up and the whole thing primed, not the worlds neatest welding but it has done the job so far Perhaps a little late, but I have now started do welding at evening classes, then I can start tackling the two holes in the boot floor.

[AndersDK]

If you remove the wing, the job is suddenly a LOT easier.
You dont even need to do a 1.st class tidy welding job. All will be hidden by the wing.

[docchevron]

Yep, much as Rob obviousley did, due to the lack of a wing!

It's quite often often the case that some extra dismantling makes any job somewhat easier than struggling in tight gaps.