3 quick problems

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Dave Haertel

Dave Haertel

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SO, I've got a misaligned drivers side door, inside the glass is either the wrong glass or out of the tracks and a trunk that I have no key for the lock. Questions are:

1. Where do I start with the alignment of the door? I've never gotten into the adjustment fitting of body parts so this is a bit new.
2. How do I get into the door panel to look at the glass issue?
3. How do I get that lock out of the trunk without destroying it or the sheet metal of the trunk?
 
Dave Haertel said:
SO, I've got a misaligned drivers side door, inside the glass is either the wrong glass or out of the tracks and a trunk that I have no key for the lock. Questions are:

1. Where do I start with the alignment of the door? I've never gotten into the adjustment fitting of body parts so this is a bit new.
2. How do I get into the door panel to look at the glass issue?
3. How do I get that lock out of the trunk without destroying it or the sheet metal of the trunk?
Click to expand...

I can't help with 1, but..

2. if it is a stock door panel, it should be fairly easy to remove. There is a bolt holding the door handle on, two phillips screws holding the arm rest on and I believe that is it. From there it is held on with clips. You will want a to use a plastic scraper or a door panel removal tool if you want a chance at saving the panel, from the clips ripping out. Something like this.

3. You can take out the back seat and climb into the trunk and turn the lock from the inside or remove the two bolts holding the latch to the trunk. From there you can purchase a new lock and key.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
I can't help with 1, but..

2. if it is a stock door panel, it should be fairly easy to remove. There is a bolt holding the door handle on, two phillips screws holding the arm rest on and I believe that is it. From there it is held on with clips. You will want a to use a plastic scraper or a door panel removal tool if you want a chance at saving the panel, from the clips ripping out. Something like this.

3. You can take out the back seat and climb into the trunk and turn the lock from the inside or remove the two bolts holding the latch to the trunk. From there you can purchase a new lock and key.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thank you for that. I'm not sure about the back seat part, it's been a while since I've been in the back of it, are there releases that let the seats come forward? Or does the back deck lid just kinda lift up and you can crawl in that way? I'm not sure what's even in the trunk, when I bought the car it had no keys at all, so it maybe full or it may be empty. Kinda nervous about what I find in there actually lol
 
Dave Haertel said:
Awesome, thank you for that. I'm not sure about the back seat part, it's been a while since I've been in the back of it, are there releases that let the seats come forward? Or does the back deck lid just kinda lift up and you can crawl in that way? I'm not sure what's even in the trunk, when I bought the car it had no keys at all, so it maybe full or it may be empty. Kinda nervous about what I find in there actually lol
Click to expand...

Haha. This is on the 71 Dart, right?

If so, the back seat back rest is super easy to remove. It rests on two "hooks" so it should just lift up. The bottom seat isn't necessary to remove to get into the trunk.

Good luck, maybe there is some parts or treasure in there. :)
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Haha. This is on the 71 Dart, right?

If so, the back seat back rest is super easy to remove. It rests on two "hooks" so it should just lift up. The bottom seat isn't necessary to remove to get into the trunk.

Good luck, maybe there is some parts or treasure in there. :)
Click to expand...

lol, yep the 71. Parts, treasure, other loot .... great! Dead body or parts of a body, not great :D
 
There is more to removing the rear seat back. Early builds had 2 long sheet metal fingers poked through loops of the seats frame, then bent/folded left or right. The later models got actual bolts down there. Either/or, you'll need to release those before the seat back will lift off the upper hooks. Knee down hard enough in the seat bottom versus remove the seat bottom.
 
RedFish said:
There is more to removing the rear seat back. Early builds had 2 long sheet metal fingers poked through loops of the seats frame, then bent/folded left or right. The later models got actual bolts down there. Either/or, you'll need to release those before the seat back will lift off the upper hooks. Knee down hard enough in the seat bottom versus remove the seat bottom.
Click to expand...

Really? My 70 just lifts off, I also had a 67 that was the same. Of course those bolts could have been missing, and I have no experience with a 71.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Really? My 70 just lifts off, I also had a 67 that was the same. Of course those bolts could have been missing, and I have no experience with a 71.
Click to expand...
A 67 definitely had the metal finger retainers. Someone before you failed the reinstall. This sort of half assedness doesn't matter.... until the right type of collision.
 
RedFish said:
A 67 definitely had the metal finger retainers. Someone before you failed the reinstall. This sort of half assedness doesn't matter.... until the right type of collision.
Click to expand...

Well that is good to know. I will check for nuts on my 70 and get the correct bolts. Are they accessible without removing the bottom seat?
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Well that is good to know. I will check for nuts on my 70 and get the correct bolts. Are they accessible without removing the bottom seat?
Click to expand...
I don't know what year models have bolts. 70 model may have had the sheet metal fingers too. I never tried to access these without first removing the seat bottom.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Well that is good to know. I will check for nuts on my 70 and get the correct bolts. Are they accessible without removing the bottom seat?
Click to expand...

Nope.:D
Push the seat bottom toward the rear of the car kinda hard and lift up on the front and it should come out.
Down where the seat back is close to the floor there should be two 7/16 bolts (one on each side.
Then lift the back and it should come off.
It helps a LOT to take any window cranks and armrests off one side.
 
TrailBeast said:
Nope.:D
Push the seat bottom toward the rear of the car kinda hard and lift up on the front and it should come out.
Down where the seat back is close to the floor there should be two 7/16 bolts (one on each side.
Then lift the back and it should come off.
It helps a LOT to take any window cranks and armrests off one side.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm no stranger to taking that bottom seat out, but out can be a pain. Lol
 
plumkrazee70 said:
3. You can take out the back seat and climb into the trunk and turn the lock from the inside or remove the two bolts holding the latch to the trunk. From there you can purchase a new lock and key.
Click to expand...

"Climb into the trunk?" I'm not THAT small LOL

One one car I needed to get into I pulled the seat, taped all the 3/8 drive extensions I could find together, and reached straight back through the X braces and unscrewed the trunk latch bolts. "Pretty soon" the latch will fall off
 
67Dart273 said:
"Climb into the trunk?" I'm not THAT small LOL

One one car I needed to get into I pulled the seat, taped all the 3/8 drive extensions I could find together, and reached straight back through the X braces and unscrewed the trunk latch bolts. "Pretty soon" the latch will fall off
Click to expand...
I pushed the electric trunk release button LOL
Seriously though, I remember doing the same. I couldn't get past the X brace either.
I'll add that the fiber insulator board behind the seat back will be brittle and easily broken.
 
RedFish said:
I pushed the electric trunk release button LOL
Seriously though, I remember doing the same. I couldn't get past the X brace either.
I'll add that the fiber insulator board behind the seat back will be brittle and easily broken.
Click to expand...

Am I better off to just drill this out and replace the whole guts? Seems like even after getting through the back seat this is kind of a pain in the *** so to speak. I'm not opposed to drilling it if that would be easier, since I have no real attachment to the lock cylinder that's in the car
 
You could drill out the lock but... Once you remove the latch and lock from the inside you can bolt the latch back in place. Then you'll operate it with a flathead screw driver through the lock hole until a new lock cylinder or key comes along.
Right now a locksmith can cut a key or rekey that lock cylinder. Once its drilled its trash.
 
RedFish said:
You could drill out the lock but... Once you remove the latch and lock from the inside you can bolt the latch back in place. Then you'll operate it with a flathead screw driver through the lock hole until a new lock cylinder or key comes along.
Right now a locksmith can cut a key or rekey that lock cylinder. Once its drilled its trash.
Click to expand...
would a locksmith be able to rekey it while it's still intact and in the car? That above all else would probably be the easiest and least painful scenario. I didn't think that could be done but if it can be ...
 
Dave Haertel said:
Am I better off to just drill this out and replace the whole guts? Seems like even after getting through the back seat this is kind of a pain in the *** so to speak. I'm not opposed to drilling it if that would be easier, since I have no real attachment to the lock cylinder that's in the car
Click to expand...

Come ON. I'm 69 and have lots of arthritic-like issues. It is not all that much work to remove the seat. Throw together some extensions and a 1/2" socket and tape them all together. Put down a mat, cardboard, "whatever." Lay down, stretch out, and reach back with the "tool" and unscrew the bolts.

This is as opposed to "drilling out the lock" which has a HIGH likelyhood of breaking a bit/ slipping off with the drill/ and then.......dicking up the trunk lid.
 
Dave Haertel said:
would a locksmith be able to rekey it while it's still intact and in the car? That above all else would probably be the easiest and least painful scenario. I didn't think that could be done but if it can be ...
Click to expand...

Oh yea they can.
Had it done for a car once that the ignition and trunk key both were lost.
Cost 100 for them to make both keys right here in the driveway.
 
67Dart273 said:
Come ON. I'm 69 and have lots of arthritic-like issues. It is not all that much work to remove the seat. Throw together some extensions and a 1/2" socket and tape them all together. Put down a mat, cardboard, "whatever." Lay down, stretch out, and reach back with the "tool" and unscrew the bolts.

This is as opposed to "drilling out the lock" which has a HIGH likelyhood of breaking a bit/ slipping off with the drill/ and then.......dicking up the trunk lid.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean the act of taking off the seat, just that it seemed like it was a pain to get the lock cylinder out itself from the inside. Logically though, a new cylinder is between 15 and 25 or rekeying it sounds like 50 bucks with a road side service call, but with this one, the car is a regular driver so I could go to a locksmith and probably get it for almost the same price as a new cylinder and not having to lay on my back sliding through the trunk, that seems like the smarter play though to be honest.

At some point I'm going to be retrofitting the back seats with shoulder belts and safety clips, just on the off chance our primary car is down and I have to put the booster seat in to pick up the little one, so it's good to know how to get that seat out. I'll actually do that (pull the seats) just to see how it's done anyway.

Anyone have any ideas on aligning the driver side door? I couldn't find any solid videos on YouTube about that so I thought I'd ask here.
 
TrailBeast said:
Oh yea they can.
Had it done for a car once that the ignition and trunk key both were lost.
Cost 100 for them to make both keys right here in the driveway.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I can drive it to the locksmith so hopefully it'll be even cheaper than that! I had to replace the ignition cylinder on this when I bought it, had no keys at all, so maybe I'll have the locksmith rekey the doors to the ignition also.
 
On aligning the door, you need to align it to the quarter panel, and rocker panel. Then the fenders are aligned from using the door for a reference. The bolts on the door will allow the door to move in, and out. Top, bottom, or both. Keep them just loose enough to move the door. The other bolts that hold the hinge to the A pillar will allow the door to move front to back. Do not use the door latch to hold the door in alignment. It's to keep the door closed, not support the door weight. Also if your door latch pin area on the body is cracked, fix that first. A bodies are known for this.
 
Dave Haertel said:
Thanks, I can drive it to the locksmith so hopefully it'll be even cheaper than that! I had to replace the ignition cylinder on this when I bought it, had no keys at all, so maybe I'll have the locksmith rekey the doors to the ignition also.
Click to expand...

Might be worth it.
 
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