help opening 1966 4dr HT back door after years of sitting

[<chrysler1978@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had this exact issue with my 76 NYB when I got it last summer.  Your
friend's Imperial may not be suffering from the same thing that my NYB was
but here is what happened to me.

The outside door handle felt like it was either disconnected from the latch
mechanism or the door was locked.  I could tell the door lock plunger was
not comin up all the way and I could hear no "clunk" when I moved it so I
assumed the lock was stuck shut.  I was right.  After sitting in the damp
west coast climate for a long while, the latch/lock mechanism was rusted so
that it would not move.  What I knew I had to do was to get inside the door
to lube it and work it free.  To get inside the door, I had to take the
upper door panel off.  To get the door panel off, I had to open the door.
You can see my dilema.  I removed the six rather large bolts that hold the
rear door onto the car.  Removing the hinge bolts allowed the door to slump
away from the car enough that I could get the upper door panel off to effect
the repair.  I recall a near-miss at one point.  I got the door panel off
and I stuck my hand in the door to unlatch it.  Just then a little voice
said, "If you unlatch the door now, what will be holding it to the car,
besides the power window wires?"  I then wend back out of the car and placed
at least a couple bolts back in the hinge.  I didn't tighten them up but
rather threaded them in just enough that they would hold the door.  I then
set to work on the latch.  It took some doing but I got the thing open.  I
then removed the latch mechanism and took it to the bench for clean up and
relube.  After reinstallation and realignment of the door, it works
perfectly.

Hopefully this will be of some help.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Ingraham" <jeff_ingraham@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 8:16 AM
Subject: IML: help opening 1966 4dr HT back door after years of sitting


Hi,
  I have been communicating with an Imperial owner who is trying to open the
back door of his Imperial that has not been opened in many years.   Any
suggestions to offer him?
thanks!
Jeff