Topic: HELP! Please

['78 LadyBird]

   Ok, I think I bought a money pit.  I understand that this car is 31yrs old, and things will have to be replaced.  Brought the car in yesterday to find out as to why the rear passenger brake was smoking.  $500.00 later had the whole brake system replaced in the rear.  But, before I brought the car in, I had put the defrost on and low and behold, I smelt anti-freeze!  The windows all fogged up.  I knew exactly what that was............heater coil.  Been there, done that on my other TA's.
Well, get this, I went to pick up the car this afternoon, and the passenger door will not open whatsoever!!  It did when I brought it in, and the lock does unlock, but you can't pull it open.  Something must have happened while it was on the lift.  They pushed from the inside while someone was pulling on the outside.  No T-tops.  So, another day it sits in the shop.  Sure, I guess I can be like Starsky and Hutch and just jump in the passenger side.......................lol
Anyone have ANY clue as to what is up??  All I see right now is $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Anderson0741]

I have the passenger door problem as well, I think it is a little plastic piece inside the door lock mechanism that is worn, thats what was wrong on my 68 Camaro.  What was wrong with the rear brakes that cost $500?

['78 LadyBird]

Everything had to be replaced!  Drums, shoes, brake line, bearings and some other part.  The emergency brake cable had to be cut because it was rusted out and was leaving a tension on the brakes.  GESH!! 

[Anderson0741]

At that point you should have changed it over to disc, Im surprised it costs that much.

['78 LadyBird]

I know, I know, I thought the same thing about the disc.  They said that would cost over $1,000.00 to do!  Plastic piece you say?

[Anderson0741]

Yeah on my 68 it was messed up, and the mechanism would get jammed.

[78ta]

I had the same door problem on my 78 ta recently. In my case, previous owner had either put a piece of rubber on the striker to keep it from rattling or there was a piece of rubber under the sleeve on the striker to begin with(when it was made)  that just came out and got lodged in the latch assembly. I had to kick the door from the inside while holding up on the handle in order to get it open. I had already tried all the other ways I could think of to get at the latch with the door shut and the door panel on. Pulling on the outside door handle will likely just break it.
I had some one hold the door handle up while I kicked the &^%$ out of the door from inside and it finally opened. 

God luck,

['78 LadyBird]

OH DANG!  My luck if I kicked the s&*$ out of it, I'll break the glass or the door will come off!! lol  But my question is, why ALL of a sudden it won't open?  It did before it went on the lift.  I know, they dropped the car down too fast and it screwed something up, right?

[78ta]

Not necessarily, though I guess it's possible. Mine worked fine one minute and not the next and I was the last one to shut it just minutes before hand. And the car hadn't been moved.

By the way, the place I kicked it was right at the rear edge of the door right at the latch so there's not much chance of hitting the glass. Besides, the door panel is in the way if it's installed. Of coarse, you may want to put something in place to protect the door panel. Mine need replaced so I wasn't worried about that.

['78 LadyBird]

Hmmm, strange eh?  Never had that happened to any of my cars.

[Andyzx]

My passenger door had the same problem. I took the door skin off and it was just the little plastic piece had slid out of the notch. All I did was push it back into place and it worked like a charm. Take the panel off and have a look see. Probably the same thing...easy fix.

['78 LadyBird]

I hope it is.  The shop is probably going to charge me $100.00 just to do that!!

[pat]

weld the doors shut and do the dukes of hazard thing

[kjkjkcjkcj]

haha seems like it doesn't need to be welded. Alright ill share a story with you that will make me sound like an idiot but maybe will make you feel better. one time i put my foot on the brake and when i went to take it off the pedal didn't return for some reason and i could tell that something was up.  at first i thought the lines froze or something cuz the brakes were almost locked, but i was almost home and my baby had the power it needed to get home.  so i finally get it home and at this point the whole front end it smoking and i gave it all a quick glace and everything seemed fine. well my dad notices something and goes you idiot.  what had happened was the brake pedal god stuck on the plasic that holds up the wiring and because of that i needed to replace the front pads and the rears are on their way out shortly.  Alll i could say was STUPID STUPID STUPID.  so atleast your not putting money into your car due to driver stupidity. 

['78 LadyBird]

HAHAHAHA, Pat, I posted that same thing, well, Starsky and Hutch move!!