Door Panel Disassemble

[72and86]

For a couple reasons I need to take apart the 73 Cuda's drivers door panel. Does anyone have a video or help to do it? Or is it painfully easy? Noob here.

[Cuda Cody]

Welcome @72and86     Thanks for joining us.  You can find the factory service manuals and parts catalogs here if you need them:

https://www.e-bodies.org/resources/service-manuals-parts-catalogs-tsb/

As for door panels, they are pretty easy.  They have clips that snap in.  The door panel has little metal brackets that are glued (melted) to the door panels with some clips the go in them.  See the first photo.  The sides should just be simple screws.  Once all those are out all you have the door handle and lock.  Then it lifts right up and off.  I'm sure you can get them off if you take your time and go slow.   

[71vert340]

If it's like the Challenger panels, there's also a couple of large screws in the bottom of the pull cup and the mirror operator nut if it has remote mirror. Been a lot of years since I looked at a cuda door panel.

[303 Mopar]

It's fairly straight forward, and I believe the order is (please correct me if I'm wrong):
- If remote mirror, remove nut on panel
- Remove screws that hold the door handle and remove handle
- Remove screw for locking lever, and remove lever
- Remove all screws holding panel on
- Pull lower part of panel to pop "frog leg" clips
- Remove panel

Reverse order to put the panel back on, but be sure to line up "frog leg" clips in holes before giving it a firm hit with the heel of your hand.

[dougdel]

Be careful popping off the bottom clips, as sometimes the metal brackets may come off the panel.  If that happens you will have to remelt them back into place. I had to do that on one of mine, I just heated the bracket and pushed it into the panel until the plastic started to ooze through the holes in the bracket, then flattened out the melted plastic to cover the holes and quickly cooled it off with a wet rag I placed in the freezer for a few minutes.

[72and86]

Thanks.

BTW: I learned from your youtube video how to polish trim now. My beltline trim came out awesome after much experimentation, trial and error.
Thanks
Steve

[72and86]

Thanks everyone.
(I cringe when I hear the term "clips" on any car.)