[katzenjammer]

'Tis a sad, cold day...
I can unlock both doors of my car, but the passenger side door handle is clean off except for the metal bolted into the niche, and the drivers side plastic handle is still there, but the corner that pulls any internal release has snapped and fallen into the door. I guess that's 16 year old brittle plastic for ya.

Is there any way that I can get either door open without breaking glass or damaging the body too much? If only I could get to the inside door handles teasing me at 2 inches away from the fully closed window!! The car runs well enough - if I could get in, I'd drive it to my parents' garage so I could leave the car doors ajar w/o worrying about my car being stripped.

My Haynes is 60 miles away with any useful tools (aside from hammer and screwdrivers). I haven't had a chance to call AAA to see what they could do; and I'd rather have them look at it in daylight. Gah, it sure is stinky waking up to go to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. I take public transit, so it's not like I'm sore for wheels.

Thanks in advance for any and all help. I'm not super car-lingo savvy, so if you could please dumb down any technical terms and be very descriptive, that would be much appreciated!! (With a disclosure like that, I have a feeling I'll get no respect in these forums!) Have a nice night.

[heavy metal]

grab the remaining door latch peice with some needlenose and hopefully open it.hatchback or trunk?go through the back hatch/crawl through trunk.good luck.

[katzenjammer]

Hrm. I'll see if I can grab anything with needlenoses - It looks like an empty hole there - everything fell in.

If only I were so lucky to have a hatchback or a convertible or carriage top. I looked in my trunk - It seems part of the frame forms a V behind the seats, and I've tried pushing on the back of the back bench seats and it doesn't budge. I forgot to try pushing up where the speakers and brake light are, but the speakers and brake light are there and I don't wanna bust those too! haha

Thanks a bunch - it's cold and dark now. I'll take another stab at it tomorrow.

[swpdcop]

get a door wegde and a long metal rod with bendable end, most tow trucks and cops have these kits. use bar to slip through wedge hole between weather striping and glass to push rod through and snag in side door latch to open, where a cop when you need one? or break the rear window not the sides insurance will cover rear and front, not sides.

[89MUSTANGSIX50]

my driver side handle is dangling off too haha i hope there not too expensive to fix

[giamanut]

get a coat hanger and hook the inside door handle it takes some fishing skill but I've done it.

[katzenjammer]

haha, yeah, the hinge on my driver side door is busted, too, so I was able to pry the top corner of the door open by 3/4 inch and finagle 2 stretched out coat hangers and popped the door open... so I got my car open, ran it, and called my dad (he has all the tools and the Haynes book) and he told me to shut the car and pry it open and come over next weekend! :-P
It was .... a puzzle to get that car open. I should be able to hook the inside door handle in only 15 minutes this weekend.

FYI - door handles are $77. Maybe you can find them cheaper elsewhere :::

As much as I love my 'stang... she is my first car... I can't wait to be able to afford a car that actually opens... and starts the first time... with a warranty......

[artistang]

[quote=katzenjammer;856519]FYI - door handles are $77. Maybe you can find them cheaper elsewhere :::[quote]

I got mine at NAPA....and it wasn't 77 bucks....cant remember exactly, but will look for receipt when I get to the shop this morning.