More De-funkage

The RH door latch was stuck “shut” and the LH door latch had the opposite problem.  I hadn’t manage to lose my impact driver yet so both doors came apart for minor surgery.

stabbing the latch mechanism via the top of the passenger door with a tire-iron granted access to that side.   There was no build sheet hiding behind the upper passenger door panel but there was a mouse nest.  A rather inconvenient location don’t you think?

2014-12-20 15.09.08

 

The door panels were re-installed and the back seat came out next…partly to clean out gunge…partly to hunt build sheets.  Some of the previous owners had some rather messy kids.

2014-12-20 16.39.30Sheesh!  Mr. ShopVac worked overtime that day.   No sign of a build sheet yet but I’m holding out hope for the top of that gas tank.

By the way, my camera battery was dead so no pics… but what’s interesting is that the door latch assemblies on this car is almost identical to the one that came out of my 1986 Chevy Pickup.   It’s literally a bolt-in with the exception of the pivoting piece that the door lock mechanism attaches to.   That pivoting piece is staked to the latch assembly but could be ground off & retro-fitted easily enough.

What usually renders these door inoperative is one of two small springs that eventually rust and fail, causing the mechanism to jam.

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