Door latch question in a 66, won't close properly

When you push the latch mehanism on the door (with the door open), does it move at all? It's common for the metal surrounding the bolt holes to weaken and crack, which destabilizes the latching mechanism...the alignment problem gets worse when you close the door with force. Fortunately, you can buy a latch repair plate which can simply be screwed in on top of the existing bolt holes to strengthen the system. If that's your problem, it's an easy fix.

Hello. The door panel will have to come off to get to the parts that might actually be causing the problem. I think that, if it was me, I would pull the latch out and give it a thorough cleaning, lubricate it and try it out to see if that fixes it. If no, I would go ahead and replace it. It could be that the spring which pulls the catch thingy into position has become weakened over time and just doesn't have the snap that it used to.

Thanks both for the response. Cuddyk, no, I've tried closing the jaws with the door open with no luck, and stopped before pushing too hard in fear for the safety of my finger. :afraid

Veronica, my first reaction to any problem with my car is to pretend I'm a worker at the Ford factory in 1965. My problem is that I've wasted plenty of energy by going through all that trouble, only to realize that I could have tightened a screw to fix the problem. :doh: I'm glad to know that pulling off the door panel won't be a wasted effort.

Finally, Veronica- without trying to kiss too much butt, I have to say I very much appreciate your help on the forum. In spite of all us eager beavers looking for the quickest way to make our cars go faster, you express a calm understanding of every square inch of these cars, and your knowledge doesn't go unnoticed. I have to say that, intended or not, you help me preserve the respect that these cars demand and encourage me to remain calm and do things the right way. Your presence on any post is something like Queen Elizabeth visiting your home for breakfast. Makes me want to clean my garage, organize my tools, and approach any Mustang problem with a cup of coffee in hand and birds chirping in the background. So thanks for that.

*end poetic appreciation moment*

Wow. :embarrassed What in the world does one say to something like that, other than thank you very much. That is very kind of you. Overly kind, I would say. I do try to be as helpful as I can. I like seeing people being happy, and if I can contribute to that in some small way, then I'm happy, too. Life is a team sport.

(When you finish with your garage, maybe you could pitch in on mine. It's a mess right now. :gringreen )