[Vwdiesel] HELP getting rear doors open

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

>PROBLEM: Both of my 85 Jetta TD rear doors can't be opened from either the 
>inside or the outside, using the door opening levers.
>
>BACKGROUND: I just took apart the door handles on both front doors and 
>lubricated them so they will work all winter. So, I am recently familiar 
>with what they look like inside, and how the mechanisms inside the front 
>doors work. When I started on the REAR DOORS, I couldn't get either of the 
>EXTERIOR handles to release the latches. The driver-side rear door felt 
>the most promising.  It's MANUAL LOCKING POST moved up and down and 
>produced clunks at the latch, so I know the post is connected. But nothing 
>much happened when I tried the inside release lever , except is seemed to 
>glide over a little bump about halfway through its travel.

>OK, sez I, the CHILD-PROOF LOCK was probably working on that side and 
>would explain why it couldn't be opened from the inside. But why can't I 
>open it from the outside, with the locking post in the up position?

Forget the passenger side door right now. Its even worse off. The locking 
post isn't connected to anything in the latch, The inside door opening 
lever doesn't feel like it is connected to anything either.

How do I get a rear door open?

I could spend an hour trying to take off the inside panel, to get at the 
mechanisms, or I might drive the pins out of the hinges that hold the front 
edges of the door to the frame....if indeed those are pins that can be 
driven out.

ANY ideas will be greatly appreciated, and magical incantations will be 
considered. I'd like to get those doors working by this evening. It is a 
grand day and I'm working in my driveway. Tomorrow it gets chilly and may rain.
HELP!

Doyt Echelberger