its nearly impossible to get the door panel off without taking the dash out.

how is that?

 

still cant get the door open. any more ideas/help?

 

 

mind explaining yourself?

 

Reread your thread dude. You've been given the answer and the explaination as to why.

 

reread what i've said. you could use every slim jim on earth on this door mechanism and it will not open the door. every rod is still connected. i can push the actuators on the opening mechanism directly with my fingers and it still will not open the door.

NOW would you like to explain to me how i could have gotten the door open without taking out the door panel?

 

If everything is connected and moving the way it should, then I don't understand why you can't get the door open. Unless something is broken, and not moving the correct way, it will open the latch. Since you have the panel off, just unbolt the whole assembly. Get the door off and either figure out what was broken, or replace the whole door itself with a good one.
You have ruled out a punk ass buddy gluing the door shut, right?

 

Dude...someone pulled the dreaded "Dukes Of Hazard" mod to one side of your ride while the car was parked over night...take it to Cooter's garage...he'll hook up you! Yeee Haww!!

Seriously now...this really suck. Aside from cutting...you may be SOL. Sorry for your luck.

 

i ended up drilling a hole through a rivet in the locking mechanism that the lock swung on. got it open, pulled the faulty lock out and replaced it with another i had.

 

Glad you solved this problem. This will be a good fix to know so if this happens to any us soon to be antique owners!!