Door lock pin "rod" problem

[IslandHopper]

This has turned out to be much more frustrating than imagined, what started as what seemed a simple fix has turned into a "now what"....

Long story short, my 73 had been updated at some point, and had door top trim with the little joystick for electric mirrors, but only on the drivers side (I guess it only ever was on the drivers side). I have been putting the car back to period correct (hot rod not original but at least period correct)

I bought the drivers door top trim for a 73, and installed it and all was good until I went to put the door lock pin back in. The pin I had was from the later style with no "mushroom" shape to it. This pin is larger than the hole of the old door top trim. Odd I thought since the passenger side worked fine, and at that point noticed the passenger hole is larger, so must be later door top trim as well just doesn't have the mirror joystick since its the pass side.....

[IslandHopper]

So I order the old style lock pins and wait patiently. They arrive and I went to put them on the car only to realize the threaded rod is a larger diameter than the hole in the mushroom shaped lock pins!!!! So apparently the threaded rod part was updated at some point as well... So now the question is can i replace just the upper threaded rod? Or do I have to replace the entire mechanism that includes the rotating triangle shaped piece? And if so where do I get this part??? It is part 45 in the schematic

Sorry for the long winded post but I had no idea this would require multiple stages lol, and in the meantime I keep having to not lock the door if I'm inside

[Flojo]

counter question by me: did you try to put the trim on whyle the pin was ON?
or did you wind off the pin and tried to screw it through the bore to find out the shaft is wider than the bore?

please clarify (picture?).

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by Flojo

counter question by me: did you try to put the trim on whyle the pin was ON?
or did you wind off the pin and tried to screw it through the bore to find out the shaft is wider than the bore?

please clarify (picture?).

The old lock pins (new style) were in crap shape anyway so I took them off before changing the drivers side door top trim, so I didn't realize until I tried to put the new pin (old style) on that the metal threaded rod was too large a diameter to fit in the old style pin. I don't know what you would like a pic of? I currently have old style door trim with a small hole that has a Metal threaded rod poking out of it.

I thought maybe I should try to force thread the door pins onto this rod but it won't even start as its blatantly too large a diameter to fit inside the old style pin

[porschenut]

My guess is the doors on your car are from a later car, and they came with all the later mechanicals. I suggest you put the later door top back on and live with it as it was before, and just get new (updated) lock pin covers.

Or you can drill out the early door top pin hole so the later pin knob will fit. Or you can forget the pin knob altogether and just find a smaller rubber or plastic cap to stick on the end of the rod.

There never was more than one joystick for the mirror adjustment. In cars with electric mirrors, there is a rocker switch under the dash that determines which mirror gets controlled by the joystick.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by porschenut

My guess is the doors on your car are from a later car, and they came with all the later mechanicals. I suggest you put the later door top back on and live with it as it was before, and just get new (updated) lock pin covers.

Or you can drill out the early door top pin hole so the later pin knob will fit. Or you can forget the pin knob altogether and just find a smaller rubber or plastic cap to stick on the end of the rod.

There never was more than one joystick for the mirror adjustment. In cars with electric mirrors, there is a rocker switch under the dash that determines which mirror gets controlled by the joystick.

So you're saying theres no way to just change the threaded rod?? Or the part labeled as 45 in the above schematic?? It seems like it pops out easily enough.....

[daleflesburg]

I think porschenut is right.

I think that what he is saying is that you will chase this problem forever. I have a similar problem with my 74. I am just about to accept the fact the both doors will only be locked and unlocked from the outside with the key, and not from the inside. Only pain in the a** will be if I am in the car and need to unlock the passenger door for someone (the girl in my life) (I have been married for more years than you are old and she does not like to be called "the wife"). I have had the upholstery off of the doors a dozen times trying to reshape the vertical rod so it aligns with the hole

I had my door panels reupholstered with leather, and the door tops do not fit quite right and the rods to not line up perfectly with the holes through the upholstery and in addition, the lock pin hole is too small for modern mushroom shaped push/pull knobs. So, I could fool with them for ever or just accept them, and I am about ready to accept them.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

So you're saying theres no way to just change the threaded rod?? Or the part labeled as 45 in the above schematic?? It seems like it pops out easily enough.....

A different sized rod will likely not fit properly into part 45. If you have a welder, I guess you could cut the existing rod in the middle and weld on the desired one in its place.

There's no easy way to do it. If you try to replace one piece, you'll likely have to replace everything it's connected to, and so on.

[eastbay]

I would either drill and tap the the new pins to match the rod, or take a die and rethread the lock rod down to where it fits the pins. I don't see a reason to change anything.