hello once again, i have yet another question. Does any know how to exactly take the door panels off because i've heard that it is really difficult for some reason. i want to get at the window tracks to speed up the window and i need to get a dent out. not an emergency, just one of those things that i would like fixed.

pictures would be much appreciated.

Justin.

yo, no its not hard at all

first take off the screw behind the door handle (this is all inside of the car) its a small torx screw. Then take out the plate which that screw holds down. with that off you should easily be able to pull off the wood trim panel that is there . behind that wood panel is a big phillips screw you'll have to remove. Now is a good time to unplug the power door lock switch, the window switch and the mirror switch if you have power mirrors, as well as the wiring for the courtesy light.
Now remove the big phillips screw that holds the armrest in place. It is near the top of the armrest'* handlebar and its clearly visible at at all times.

after that go to the triangle panel that is behind the rear view mirror section. take off that screw, and remove that triangle panel. under that panel you just removed you'll see another screw, remove that one.

now go to that red reflector on the rear edge of the door trim. pry it off with a flathead screwdriver and behind it there is a hidden screw. (The screw sits perpendicular to the door, i.e. going into it. feel it with your finger to find it but its not that diffidcult to find.)

This is for a car like my '87 bonnie which has seat belts mounted on the door.
now go down to the base of the seatbelt (bottom of the door). Two screws (more or less depending on whether or not some were ever lost on mine) hold down an egg shell -like cover over the seatbelt base. Taking off these two small screwws will alllow you to remove that shell-like cover, revealing another big screw holding the door panel on. remove it.
On the other part of the door where the seatbelt enters on the door (the top part of the door panel, next to the window glass), GENTLY pry up the seatbelt eschueon (its just a cover that goes over where the seatbelt enters the door, under this you will find two screws, remove them. Now slide the seatbelt out of the door panel.

That should be all the screws, but make sure you feel it out when you're doing the next step.

The door panel will sitll be firmly in place. This is because the whole perimeter of the door panel is held on by plastic push-on screws. You'll have to GENTLY pry the door panel'* rim up push-on screw by push-on screw. They pop up with just a little force. The problem with these is that if you just pull up on the door panel, the cardboard backing of the doorpanel will get damaged and the push on screws will stay on the metal door and you'll have to pop them off later from the door and replace them onto the door panel (which due to the possibly damaged cardboard from prying the door panel off the door without its push ons staying on, could be difficult). However if some of your push on screws dont come off with the door panel don't lose your head, it happened to me many times and i've gotton most of them to go back into the cardboard door panel without too many problems.

to reattatch the door push on srews to the cardboard door panel, just slide them into the cardboard door panel and twis the push-on screw. it should hold itself in place. (not hard to figure out , you'll be fine).

Remember to pry the panel off gently and if you feel obvious excessive forces holding it down then you probably missed a screw (i may have missed it in the description!)

That'* as far as I had to go to lube up my window track (see my thread on Slow Window aid).

If you have any more questions let me know. In this whole process there will pretty much only be two types of screws you deal with (with the exception of 1 small torx one i mentioned first). The two screws are big phillips and small phillips. Most of them should be interchangable with each other but its always a good idea to at least try and put each one right back where it came from.

Not too hard, maybe it will take 30 min - 1 hr if you go at a relaxed pace which i recommend. you can still lock and unlock the driver door manually with all that stuff removed, its just a rod that you can move up and down that, (when the door is installed normally) should be going into the litlte door lock switch. when reinstalling the door just line it up with the switch (i.e. move the rod down to lock, and move the switch down to lock and install the lock switch ontop of it, just test it to make sure its in the right spot (not hard at all i just mentioned it as a reminder).

Oh yes, if you have non-power mirrors, remember to also take off the trim plate over the mirror stick (mine just slides off).

That'* it! Have fun and let me know of probs/questions!

p.*. after its all off you can plug the power windows switch back in alone so as to maneuver the window while you're lubing it up

-mike diaz

thanks a lot mike, i'll probably go at it this weekend. thanks again for all the help.