With the door skin strengthened I sprayed the inner seam with rust inhibitor and went to work on the door stay mechanism which I believe is so impossibly stiff that it’s causing most of the problem. I’m just thinking about how much to shave off the rubber to reduce the clamping on the detents. I did think about grinding those down but am not sure if the metal would corrode so I nixed that idea.

After sanding lots of rubber off and getting nowhere I took a Dremel cutting blade to the metal detent humps. Sorted as it can now be pushed through the detents by hand. It may make the door less stable on a hill but better that than a broken door skin.

I’ve fitted new stays to my car and although they are pretty much immovable off the car they only just hold the door open on a 20% uphill slope. There’s a huge amount of leverage and weight.

True, and all of the force is being transmitted to the inner door skin. Having had to take the door apart, send it off for repair and refit everything, given the choice between having compromised door holding ability and repeating this, I know what I’d choose.

I agree it’s just that I enter my garage via a uphill slope so I notice when get out to open the doors. 90% of the time doesn’t really matter to much.

The door is now back together, with a door reinforcing kit and nice new Porsche door membrane. The detent function is compromised with the ground down stay but the door is still protected against over extension. Best of all the door now functions with no creaking.