69L71

Took my 69 out for a ride today. Stop to take care of some errands and when I went to get back in it seems like the drivers door was locked. I didn't lock it in the top was down, but the door wouldn't open. Tried messing with the key and nothing changed. Reached inside to unlock it. Same result. Top was down so I just climbed in and drove home. Now I am perplexed. I can't get the door panel off to look at the mechanics inside without the door being open first.

Anybody got any suggestions?

Peterbuilt

If you push down on this part the door will unlock

slickfx3

same issue here, after 30 years there wear, especially the drivers door, you need to take it apart and adjust the adjuster so there is no slop in the link, if you have big hands, may the force be with you, it is an aggravating but required process

good luck


https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...t-opening.html

slickfx3

you may try rapping the top corner of the door as much as needed to hopefully realign the loose rod,

the little clip that holds the linkage "straight" could have fallen off and gotten lost like mine, you can still buy them

it will assure opening,


just clean up the entire mechanism while you are in there

bj1k

You said that you reached in to unlock it but you said that you didn't lock the car. Did you mean that you reached in to pull the inside door handle ? It could just be that the small metal clip fell off for the outside door handle rod and it will open from the inside. If that isn't the case then you have some fishing to do to reach down into the door with a metal rod with the window down and try to move the mechanism. It's not an easy job. These latch mechanisms do tend to wear out. Could just be the case. I had to replace one on my 52k. miles car.

69L71

Right. It won't unlatch from either the inside or outside handle. Both just move freely without engaging the latch mechanism, just like when it's locked. The door is closed so I getting to the lock mechanism isn't gonna be easy, but thanks for the advice.

65GGvert

Look at the picture posted, take a long skinny screwdriver and push the square lever at the tip of the arrow down toward the bottom of the door. The door should pop open so you can get the panel off and check the connecting rods. One likely thing is the outside handle has a rod that goes down to a lever. IF the spring breaks on that outside handle part, the rod drops down a little and the door won't open with either handle, nor will it lock or unlock. You will need to lift that rod up to put tension on it to open the door with a handle. Simply lifting the top chrome finger plate won't do it. It's the spring on the lever that the chrome piece pushes down. You can take the outside handle off and replace that spring if that's the case, or replace the handle ***'y.

65GGvert

Here's a picture of the spring that breaks. It allows the inside mechanism to drop slightly and prevents both handles from opening the door and if you slide the inside lock button, it feel wrong, doesn't move correctly in both directions. The handle nuts aren't easy to get to to remove it, but it can be done.

65GGvert

Any progress?

65GGvert

Door still stuck?

DUB

A good flashlight and along thin screw driver...as long as the window can go down...I can easily have this door open in 10-15 seconds. But then again....I have done this countless times....SO...I KNOW you can do it.

Look at the photo on post #2.

DUB

69L71

I'm actually messing with it right now. The photo in post #2 is great, but either the road grime or angle is preventing me from see what I need to push. I'm poking at everything I can access!

69L71

OK. Update.... Walked over to my unfinished 69 coupe and looked at the door with the panel off. I can clearly see everything in the photo, and pushed down with a screwdriver. Click... Open. Then I walk back over to the convertible and it's clear that there's something covering the mechanism. I can't see it. The covering is not metal. It is somewhat pliable, but I can't push it away to get to the mechanism,

The two cars don't look the same at all.

Peterbuilt

IIRC that is an 'anti theft' shield, not all years had it.
Just manipulate your screwdriver to get past the shield and you will see the part to push down on.

69L71

Thanks PB. I got it. First step. Can't mess with it tomorrow but I'll try to find what's wrong on Thursday.

65GGvert

Check that spring I told you about. It has to spring all the way up or the mechanism won't work.

PS The same symptom will occur if the clip falls off the rod connecting to the hole in the lever where the spring is. If the rod becomes disconnected, neither handle will open the door.

69L71

It behaves like you describe. I'll look when I get home from work.

I assume if the spring is broken I need to replace the whole exterior door handle, right?

65GGvert

I have re-bent the spring so that it hooks over the lever and it worked. (the end of the spring breaks off). But I was never able to find just the spring for sale. If the clip is off and the rod disconnected, you can buy connecting clips and stick the rod back in and replace the clip.

69L71

OK. Managed to get in there and see what's going on. The bottom of the latch, where the pivot and spring is, is broken. Looks like the casting failed.

OK.... Found the problem and I'll replace the latch. Anyone got any good advice how to get to the two nuts that hold it in? Got the forward one pretty easy. The rear one is near impossible. I can get a wrench on it but can barely get a 16th of a turn at a time, and have to flip the wrench to get each 16th. Can't imagine how I'd get the nut on a new one either....

65GGvert

I did the same thing and when the nut did come off it fell down in the door somewhere. I ended up putting it back on with one nut and it never gave me any problem. Possibly if you had a very small ratchet and socket you could make it work. I couldn't and I used a wrench and flipped it like you said.