Factory or aftermarket door hinge better?

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Community Discussion
1

Hello, Hope everybody’s having a good week so far. My 1971 has the pretty common door SAG on the driver side, wondering if it’s better to track down a original factory hinge or buy a reproduction one? I’m inclined that a good used factory one is probably the better way to go but for all I know there could be improvements made in the aftermarket ones at this point.

Any guidance to offer?

Thanks!

2

Rebuild your hinge with a kit from WCCC.

3

Good morning Al, thank you for the response. Do the hinges themselves where, which is my understanding, or is it just depends themselves that we are out?

I freely admit I may be thinking about this the wrong way.

4

Here is the you tube video of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky8hWXTGSKw

thanks
pat

5

The repro hinges look good but I find them harder to get into adjustment and do not think they hold up as well as FoMoCo. If yours are beyond rebuilding good cores are pretty easy to come by, my guess is someone on this site would sell a complete set of four for $100. The lower drivers is the valuable one of the four.

6

Fifty years ago someone had the foresight to keep making the hinge wear out parts replaceable… The bushings and the pin have a part number that dates from the 50s, so maybe it wasn’t foresight so much as the accountants not yet forbidding something so logical and economical. So unless your pins are worn through the bronze bushings and into the steel I would use the rebuild kit. Even if they were worn through I would still try it.

7

Thank you all very much for the discussion and background info.

Sounds like my starting point, going on the assumption it us the pin rather than the hinge, should be;


Door Hinge Pin Kit - Late 1968 + - Repro
Reproduction Door Hinge Pin Kit for the Late 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 & 1973 Mercury Cougar.

These are for the Stamped Steel hinge plates. not the earlier cast metal plates.
early 1968 had cast uppers and stamped lowers.
1967 had cast for both.
4
Item #: 19406

EDIT: Opps - think I need the rebuild kit rather than the one above.

OR - should I just pop for the top hinge as well and just do it once and be done with it? Leaning towards this approach.

Thanks!

8

I rebuilt the hinges in my 70 using the hinge rebuilt kit from Steve’s Mustangs. If originality is not critical, these work well. Kits are total overkill but won’t ever sag. Does require opening up pivot holes in the original hinges and welding in a collar. Works for hinges where the pins wore into the pivot holes too . Not too bad as far as fabrication work and they do work nicely. are even greaseable.