78 Passenger Door won't open  using inside or outside handles. 

I can slide the inside & outside door looks to locked & unlocked positions.

I have the inside door panel off.

I tried pushing on some tabs on the latch but no luck getting the door open. 

Any suggestions short of sawing the striker pin off?

Len, if you go over to Dan's (Jacobs) house, you can see how the latch works.  His doors are pretty bare but the latch mechanism is in and viewable.  Just gotta see which little lever does what.

Thanks Gary. I have the door panel off and can see the latch. But haven't found a level that will release the latch.

Skip to about 2:20 on the vid...Corvette door latch video

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks for the link. I viewed that You Tube video several times. The tab they say to push down does not open the door.

Here is the Corvette Central address for your windows and door locks.  I used it to repair my door glass and my door locks when they quit working.  I also used a wilcox tech article for my doors.  The corvette central article is quite long and the lock mechanism is some where around page 48. Here is the address http://tech.corvettecentral.com/2011/04/1968-82-corvette-door-glass-service/

Good Luck it helped me

Dan

Thanks for the link Dan. I looked through but didn't see anything about opening the door if the latch was stuck in the "Lock" position.

OK Lynn here are the rest of my suggestions for you ,

1,  Zip Corvette technical article posted July 7, 2012, titled Door Handle Repair

2.  1969-1982 Corvette door won't open, Here is how to release it!  Wilcox Corvette Inc.    http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/1969-1982-corvette-my-corvette-door-wont-open-here-is-how-to-release-it/

3.  Locked out and can't get in?  How to bypass a seized c/3 lock mechanism by Tom Russo of Myrtle Beach SC

hunt4cleanair@earthlink .net  

With all the information I have sent I was able to unlock my door, to understand every thing I used all four articles that I have sent you.  I then properly lubed everything, straightend  a few of the solid rods and reinstalled the lock mechanisms.

One last possibility if you have automatic door locks and they work.  Try locking and unlocking about ten times and maybe that will free something up.

Again, Good Luck, Dan

Hi, been watching this thread. A good thing to remember is these old cars were assembled with a lot of cozmoline. It's a  substance used to lubricate, preserve, and subdue noise in pivot points and connections. It may be necessary to disassemble all the door hardware and remove the sticky, thick, and solidified substance. Then reassemble things with a good lubricant. Time consuming,  but may be worth your time. And save your sanity.

Click on image for full view

Dan the link does work.

All of the door mechanisums were cleaned and re-lubed about 6 months ago. Nothing is sticking as far as I can tell.

Sounds like an issue I had 30 yrs ago.  Doused the mechanism with silicone and a lever released and has not stuck since then. 

Just fyi...Tom is/was(?) a member here, and has many tech articles available for these cars. 

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Maybe he will chime in on this thread.

Many years ago I had a similar issue with my '78. I had to go through the passenger door to open the driver's door from the inside. A person who owned a body shop recommended trying a product called Free All and spraying in into the door latch and lock cylinder. I had already tried WD40 so I figured why not. It took quite a while to work but I was eventually able to get the latch and door working again. No problem since.

That said, my lock cylinders froze up a few months ago. I thought I was going to have to take the door panels off and maybe wind up replacing the lock cylinders since the Free All wasn't working this time. Before I got into all that I saw an ad on TV for Superzilla penetrant that said it could free up almost anything including frozen locks. I found a product called WD40 Specialist Penetrant that sounded similar, so I bought it. After spraying it in the lock cylinders I was able to turn the key in them within 10 minutes! Unbelievable. I highly recommend this product to anyone having similar issues. It works.

Thanks for the recommendations. In my case the locks & latch had just been cleaned and lubed a few months ago. The latch itself was just in the "locked" position even though the lock levers inside & out were in the "unlocked" position.

Crazy.