4kq door handle play-abnormal & 4kq for sale?

[WAUFX at aol.com]

Hallo-

After receving a nice functional door handle for my 4kq _for free_ from
lister Michael Gough (mdg3369 at mac.com) (thanks again!), I set out to change
it.

What a mistake!

While installing the new door handle went well enough, there is now a
problem. The damned POS door still does not open from the outside. It's
really odd. The rod that pushes down on the latch and connects the handle and
the part that gets pushed down to open the door seems to have too much play
in it.

I tore the door apart in order to change this handle b/c it's so much easier,
for me at least.

So I have access to all of the door handle and lock's innards, and I can grab
the latch rod and push down and this will trigger the button (on the gold box
bolted to the side of the door) to retreat into the box and open the door.
And I can watch the black part that you squeeze on the door handle go down
when this happens (on the outside).

But trying to use the door handle normally, from the outside, will not push
the latch rod down far enough!

I can open it from the inside, no problem.

I am really losing patience with this car....anyone wanna buy it? New rear
tie rods, ball joints, starter, FP relat, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, fuel
lines, accumulator, exhaust cat-back, driveshaft, RF tie rod.. q script
seats! It's fast too, ask Huw or Brendan. : D

Comes with h4 eurolights! And a shitload of spare parts...

Any advice is appreciated.

I took this car to my mechanic, and he told me that I switched the lock and
latch rods, which I did not. I am 100% sure of this. <groan>

what to do *now*?

Megan