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Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:52 pm

Hello All!

I just got my first bus this past weekend and have been cleaning it out. However, I am
to get the drivers side door open. I removed the outer lock, and have attempted to lift and pull when using the inner door handle and still will not budge. It appears that it is stuck on the lock somehow. The bus in mention is a 1965 standard. I have read and searched and have soaked it with pb blaster religiously and nothing. Any help is greatly appreciated please! I have includes pictures below for reference. Thanks!

Mon Jan 26, 2015 4:18 pm

You can't just say you got a new bus & tease us by showing only half of one door and some key hole shots.

Don't be shy...Let's see some more! We like full body shots & don't mind a little undercarriage with some rear end :D

Mon Jan 26, 2015 4:34 pm

easy e wrote: You can't just say you got a new bus & tease us by showing only half of one door and some key hole shots.

Don't be shy...Let's see some more! We like full body shots & don't mind a little undercarriage with some rear end :D

Sorry! HaHa. I was just trying to get this figured out first as it's frustrating me...I plan to do a restoration thread in the future as well. Here is a couple of shots...

Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:15 pm

65Bugsmasher wrote:

See that square piece in the middle of the pic? Find a way to push it in and then pull it out (Darn you, Evan, see what you started!) a bunch of times while lubricating the assembly liberally. You may have to wait a while, but keep working it until it comes loose. That is the part that the door handle contacts.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:24 pm

Pull the inner door handle up and toward the back of the bus to unlock.

Looks like you may have a broken lock mechanism inside the door. In your photo, the large flat paddle gets pushed in by the outside door handle when your door is unlocked. On the left, you should have two smaller paddles with a gap in the middle. Looks like your top one is missing, up unlocks, down locks. Missing the upper would prevent the key outside from unlocking. If the inside door handle wont unlock the door, try pushing the lower left paddle up.

Mechanism photo from the classifieds.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:26 pm

cru62 wrote: ...push it in and then pull it out a bunch of times while lubricating the assembly liberally. it must be tight after all this time & no plungering

Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:40 pm

EDragnDean wrote: Pull the inner door handle up and toward the back of the bus to unlock.

Looks like you may have a broken lock mechanism inside the door. In your photo, the large flat paddle gets pushed in by the outside door handle when your door is unlocked. On the left, you should have two smaller paddles with a gap in the middle. Looks like your top one is missing, up unlocks, down locks. Missing the upper would prevent the key outside from unlocking. If the inside door handle wont unlock the door, try pushing the lower left paddle up.

Mechanism photo from the classifieds.

Which lower left paddle are you referring to? Also, the inside door handle only moves the metal piece slightly, almost none at all. If this were to not work, how would I ultimately get the door open?

Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:50 pm

I would use this thread as your build thread. This one has a great start and later you will enjoy having the stuck door in the same place "as your finished stock restoration" LOL. Just kidding on the stock comment. You will get the joke later if you don't already...

You can have an admin rename the thread, if you can't do it, I bet.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:45 pm

The actual piece on the handle mechanism which pushes on that spot is just pot metal and very prone to breakage if forced. I have had more than one crumble in my hand, usually when removing them to get the lock cylinder out. No one repros them that I know of.

That bus looks very nice. Additional pics would be very welcome. Good Luck with it.

Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:20 am

65Bugsmasher wrote: EDragnDean wrote: Pull the inner door handle up and toward the back of the bus to unlock.

Looks like you may have a broken lock mechanism inside the door. In your photo, the large flat paddle gets pushed in by the outside door handle when your door is unlocked. On the left, you should have two smaller paddles with a gap in the middle. Looks like your top one is missing, up unlocks, down locks. Missing the upper would prevent the key outside from unlocking. If the inside door handle wont unlock the door, try pushing the lower left paddle up.

Mechanism photo from the classifieds.

Which lower left paddle are you referring to?

8)

Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:04 pm

Congratulations on your new Bus! Looks like a great start for your resto. Where roughly in the world are you? Perhaps another Bus nut/owner local to you may have enough experience to drop by and help you out. Concerning the door and mechanism, be gentle, lots of PB Blaster and have a lot of patience. Try not to break/bend anything, but if you do you'll probably find another in the classifieds...

Welcome to our world!

Bill

Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:31 pm

BulliBill wrote: Congratulations on your new Bus! Looks like a great start for your resto. Where roughly in the world are you? Perhaps another Bus nut/owner local to you may have enough experience to drop by and help you out. Concerning the door and mechanism, be gentle, lots of PB Blaster and have a lot of patience. Try not to break/bend anything, but if you do you'll probably find another in the classifieds...

Welcome to our world!

Bill

Thanks all for the help and advice! I am in PA, close to Hagerstown, MD..After attempting to get it open, and working the lock pin and such, the last resort was to cut the actual striker plate. When cutting the striker plate, the door came right open, and the actually locking mechanism went to the open position. My only thought was that it sat for about 30 years and it froze shut? I have pictures to show the locking mechanism below. Does this look to be good? When pushing on it manually, the mechanism releases.

BTW, anyone have a 1965 door striker plate laying around? :roll: Classified do not have one and it appears no one sells them.

I will upload pictures to this thread and change it to a build thread as I start taking it apart.

Wed Jan 28, 2015 7:37 am

65Bugsmasher wrote: Does this look to be good? When pushing on it manually, the mechanism releases.

First, clean all that crap out! Dip it in degreaser, brush it, rinse it out. That way you'll be able to "see" all its parts more clearly. Make sure all tabs and springs are there. If it all works properly (opens, closes, locks), grease it all up and reinstall it. Worn out and/or missing tabs/springs may require replacement of the whole thing. Good luck! 8)

Wed Jan 28, 2015 11:31 am

65Bugsmasher wrote: Hello All!

I just got my first bus this past weekend and have been cleaning it out. However, I am
to get the drivers side door open. I removed the outer lock, and have attempted to lift and pull when using the inner door handle and still will not budge. It appears that it is stuck on the lock somehow. The bus in mention is a 1965 standard. I have read and searched and have soaked it with pb blaster religiously and nothing. Any help is greatly appreciated please! I have includes pictures below for reference. Thanks!

Can you push the tab in shown in the first pic above? If it does not push in the door is locked. I think it may be locked.
Unlock it by pulling the inner handle counterclockwise, which should pull the piece under the tab down. That is probably confusing.

Then check if you can push the tab in.

With the tab PUSHED IN, get in the bus and kick hard with the heel of your foot at the door RIGHT AT THE MECHANISM.
Don't kick it by the inner handle, unless you want to dent the door. :(

This technique requires a helped with trust.

Wed Jan 28, 2015 4:25 pm

I may have what your looking for?since all I could do on my bus today was circle it seeking focus[which never came]I dug this up for you.pm your mailing info if this will work .the rubber wedge is long gone.jeff

Wed Jan 28, 2015 5:17 pm

wedv907 wrote:
I may have what your looking for?since all I could do on my bus today was circle it seeking focus[which never came]I dug this up for you.pm your mailing info if this will work .the rubber wedge is long gone.jeff

I believe this is what I need. I am unsure whether the driver side and passenger side is different? I am in need of the driver side striker. PM sent!

-Ben

Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:05 pm

Thanks for all the help with the door situation everyone! As promised, this will now be turned into my build/ restoration process thread. I almost have the whole bus gutted so far and continue to find terrible surprises from mice and critters. Pics below.

Passenger side of bus:

Nice surprise I mentioned:

Walkthrough shot

Does anyone have any idea how to get off those interior Seat Cards off the back of the walk-through seats in the pic above? I got the ash tray and the grab handle off, but cant figure this out.:x Tried to search and nada...

Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:11 pm

They are riveted in, drill out the rivets.

Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:19 am

GTV wrote: They are riveted in, drill out the rivets.

Thanks! I am assuming that WW or someone sells the replacement rivets when the time comes?

Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:58 am

Good luck in your build.

If you find that you have a bad smell in your bus from the rodent urine.....you can use a product called Natures Miracle Urine Destroyer. Spray it on every surface, it will eliminate the bad odor. You can get it at Petsmart.