88Intl Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Went to the U-Pull-It junkyard, and the '89 coupe was missing both door handles. Pulling on actuator rods with pliers, and prying on doors didnt work either. Asked the guy at the counter if there was another way besides smashing windows, he said to smash the rear quarter windows first. Window glass is stronger than it looks, I had to whack it HARD with one of the diagonal fender braces under the hood. Even thru rear quarter window, using fender brace to pull on inside door handles, it wouldnt open, I had to smash the passenger side window too to reach the lock rods in the disassembled inside door locks Shame to expose the interior to the elements, even if it's a junk car. I wonder how a locksmith would open a 2-door with both handles broken? Pulled an OEM fog light switch, glove box lid, climate control, power window/mirror switch and digital cluster while sitting in broken glass. How much are digital clusters with tach & gauges worth? Not sure if I can afford to buy just to keep as a spare, anyone looking for a cluster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 well, I hate to break it to ya, but you're supposed to PUSH those actuator rods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 BTW no pun intended LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeZ34 Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 I've been thinking about installing a digital cluster in my cutlass.. this isn't the base digital cluster is it? It's the one with all the gauges on it? problem is I don't have the money right now to splurge on the car.. =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drache Rott Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Luke wanna get rid of that cluster?... I was wanting the one with all the gauges...my olds only has the base cluster..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Intl Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Yes, this is a cluster with gauges and tach from a Cutlass Supreme International Edition, built in '89, with console shifter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Intl Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 well, I hate to break it to ya, but you're supposed to PUSH those actuator rods! Pretty sure I tried pushing, but was mainly pulling on them. The driver's side rod was already missing, and then I yanked off the passenger side with pliers, which left little alternative. W-bodies in junkyards are likely to be missing door handles, hopefully there are less destructive ways to open the doors. At least now I know the W-body side window glass is pretty tough. Glass strength's important because I got charged by a deer in my old 1973 Cutlass Supreme coupe. Was doing 5 MPH, honking the horn to try and scare it away from the road, and it charged me. Its antlers or hooves smacked the driver's door glass next to my head, no breakage. On my old 1982 F*#d Escort, I smacked the door with my fist when it was pissing me off, not even hard enough to dent the metal, and the glass shattered inside the door. Had to directly whack the W-body glass HARD to break it. First few tries, the fender brace just bounced off the glass. That's the difference between a real car and a P.O.S. tin box on wheels. The W-body windshield angle looks like it would deflect flying objects, too. Didn't test it myself, but that's important when objects fall (or are thrown) from bridges. A teenager was arrested for throwing a chunk of ice off a highway bridge here, which went thru a van windshield and killed a woman passenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeZ34 Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Luke wanna get rid of that cluster?... I was wanting the one with all the gauges...my olds only has the base cluster..... My analog cluster? Is that what you were referring too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drache Rott Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 you say it's the consol shifter?...was the consol intact?... I am trying to convert my car to that setup from the colum shift....colum shift makes it hard to race ( I can't spell so dont complain)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drache Rott Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 sorry luke I misread your reply. it was 88 that had the dash cluster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 well, I hate to break it to ya, but you're supposed to PUSH those actuator rods! Pretty sure I tried pushing, but was mainly pulling on them. The driver's side rod was already missing, and then I yanked off the passenger side with pliers, which left little alternative. W-bodies in junkyards are likely to be missing door handles, hopefully there are less destructive ways to open the doors. Pretty much every w-body Ive seen in the junkyard has missing door handles, or broken, but yah if you just push down on the actuator gently, if the door is unlocked it will always open, never had an issue (yet) except with wrecked w-bodies. Makes me wonder how cheap the door handles really are I've got to get a steel one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musthavemuzk Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 pretty sure it is known that i recently washed my car in this cold MN weather and broke the drivers handle and was just plain unable to open the pass door. even after a tent was built and heated. i finally got a metal coat hanger and with the door unlocked pushed the coat hanger through the top of the door and was able to grab the inside handle with the coat hanger and it opened pretty easy once i was able to stay hooked on the handle without straightening the hanger. Monty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Intl Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 pretty sure it is known that i recently washed my car in this cold MN weather and broke the drivers handle and was just plain unable to open the pass door. even after a tent was built and heated. i finally got a metal coat hanger and with the door unlocked pushed the coat hanger through the top of the door and was able to grab the inside handle with the coat hanger and it opened pretty easy once i was able to stay hooked on the handle without straightening the hanger. Monty After washing, there was a sudden temp drop and I was unable to open the drivers door. Was able to open the passenger door, but still couldnt open the driver's door even from inside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Intl Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 well, I hate to break it to ya, but you're supposed to PUSH those actuator rods! Went back to the yard today. Tried opening the doors on 3 W-body coupes with missing handles, using firm finger pressure on the rods, but none would open that way. How much pressure is needed, are tools required? Maybe in the process of removing the handle, something is disconnected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 grab the end of the rod with pliers and push it down about 3 inches, that usually does it, if the rod keeps slipping, I've used the end of a normal sized flashlight to push it down. Also, make sure you're pushing on the correct rod, not the one for the lock cylinder. They look almost the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I'm shocked they let you break the glass!!! My local JY sells the quarter glass and also the door glass (if the door is bad). They'd sic the pit bulls and sheep on me if they caught me breaking the glass (yes, there are sheep at the JY I go to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Intl Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I'm shocked they let you break the glass!!! My local JY sells the quarter glass and also the door glass (if the door is bad). They'd sic the pit bulls and sheep on me if they caught me breaking the glass (yes, there are sheep at the JY I go to). I was surprised too. When I asked, I assumed there was no way they would let anyone smash windows, and they would open the door some other way. For the $10.00 they charge for window glass, they must not want to bother with the labor time to send someone out to the yard and open the door by other means. The other CS coupe also had missing door handles, and the driver's side window was smashed since I looked at it last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 I'd be more scared of the sheep.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 Junkyard sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 A place I went to a few times has llama's and a bunch of fat ass ducks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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