TimRobins60

Well, the latch is still jammed! The door will move back and forth very slightly on the striker plate, but the latch seems to be completely jammed in the closed position. The lever on the latch is in the release position, but the rotating latch within the mechanism seems jammed. I am wondering if the spring on it has broken and is jamming it. Running out of alternatives now! It has been suggested that the striker plate fixings screws could be drilled out from within the car, so that is the next thing I will have to try.

Having fiddled, pushed, pulled, thumped etc, I have ordered a replacement door lock in the hope that it may help me to understand what is going wrong with it! Will keep you posted

OK, I have managed to open the passenger door. I undid the hinges, luckily the door strap/stay on that side is missing, so was able to pull it far enough out so that I could then fiddle with the internal lock and the catch released. So, one problem solved. On the drivers door, there is a door stay, so I do not think that the hinge method will work. We have tried pushing, pulling, tugging etc on the drivers door, while moving the handles, but it will not budge. It is a 1970 MK4, so basically the same body as the 1500 ... I think!

Someone else has suggested drilling out the screws that hold the striker plate in place from inside the rear quarter panel, but I am not sure that there will be enough room to do this?

1379 wrote:This set me to pondering - how you were going to take it back if you couldn't get inside to drive it???? Lol, good point! 2157 wrote:Undoing hinges is not an option, the door will hang on the lock plate. However, it's usually possoble to push the window down a bit, turn it fully down when the handle is in reach and then it´s fairly easy to use a hook to grab the release handle. I may be able to do this with the passenger door, but it still leaves me the problem of the first stuck door, the drivers door. The door card is off and the mechanism has all been checked, but it still will not open!

Yes, the hard top is still on, having only just picked it up. I think I will try the hinge option and see if I can get the catch to release/break! Just couldn't quite believe it when the passenger door jammed as well as the drivers!! Time to find some new locks and strikers I think.

Thanks for the quick reply! I did think about undoing the door hinges, but I am worried I will end up with a door that is still stuck on the striker plate/B post!

Hi, I have just bought a very nice MK4, 1970 Spitfire. After viewing it and just before picking it up, the guy selling it rang me to let me know there was a problem with the drivers door ... he could not open it! He had checked all the linkages and they all appeared to be fine and working correctly, but the door catch would not release. He did offer to get it sorted, but it would probably take a few weeks, so I decided to still pick the car up and have a fiddle with it myself, as that is what the car is for, a weekend fiddle. I have had a good look at the inside of the door, and it feels like the return spring has broken within the latch, but the door still will not open. To make things worse, the passenger door has now jammed!!! So I cant get in the car at all now. Any thoughts and advise - other than taking it back! Many thanks Tim