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Hey all, dismantling the 54 and stripped the door today but having an issue with the door limiter...
Blaming it on being the last thing after a long day but im stuck at how the door limiter is removed - short of grinding one of the rivets out? It is spot welded plate on the door frame, and then rivets holding the thing from pulling out when the door is opened.
Inside the door it has a rubber bumper and large washer these are also rivetted on.
This is the thing im talking about 
1954 DeSoto Firedome 8 Club Coupe
Take a cut off tool, die grinder, or an angle grinder with an abrasive disc and remove the top of the rivet then pop it out of there with a punch. I prefer the cut off tool because it is easy to remove just the head of the rivet. BTW, I just killed my cut-off tool and need to buy a new one.
Have a nice day
Steve
Great thanks Steve - thats what i was thinking but didnt want to get the grinder out and then be told that there was something i was missing!
1954 DeSoto Firedome 8 Club Coupe
Is the rivet then replaced with a bolt and a nut? It looks like it can in this case. Rivets usually have tight spaces they need to fit through. Anybody successfully replace the rivets? Are riveters available to do this job - rental or auto shops maybe? I have these rivets on another car I would not mind having done correctly.
They are typically a tubular rivet, and often replacements can be found at a good hardware store.
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
Ok Tim. But can you hit it with a hammer and drift or can you get a riveter on it - if you have a riveter?
Paul, they are about 1/4in round. It is easy to get a punch in there, I use a self-mechanised punch and it worked fine.
1954 DeSoto Firedome 8 Club Coupe
