Hi,

My daughter who lives half way across the state has a 144 Volvo which she is trying to replace a door handle on. She is having trouble removing the door panel. Can anyone give us the steps in order of how to remove the door panel on the interior of a 1974 144 Volvo? Please :-)

Clarification:
I am replacing the "door catch," which apparently needs to be hooked onto a spring that is inside the door. I can see no other way of doing this without taking the door panel off, which I'm not sure is even necessary. I've removed all of the hardware except the door handle, which I can't seem to get out, but the door panel still isn't even budging. Anything I can do without breaking something?

Oh, "hi mom!" Thanks for posting this.

Hello,

Before you start, I strongly suggest you buy a door panel tool to save the plastic door panel clips when you pry up the door panel. You can use a wide blade screwdriver, but you risk damaging the panel and the clips if you are not careful. If you need to remove the door panel on your 1974 Volvo, you need to:

1. Remove door lock knob by unscrewing.
2. Remove the 2 plastic plugs in side of the arm rest.
3. Remove the 2 screws from the arm rest under the plastic plugs.
4. Rotate the plastic bezel clockwise 2 times on the forward end of the arm rest to loosen.
5. Slide the forward end of the armrest up and slightly forward to remove.
6. With a small screwdriver, pry up on the plastic screw cover on the window winder handle. You should see a seam towards the center pivot point opposite the knob. Pry up there.
7. Remove the screw and pull gently on the handle to remove. Retain the inner plastic bezel.
8. Remove plastic door handle bezel and trim. There are 4 tangs, 2 upper and 2 lower that you can pry on. Be careful as the plastic can be fragile. I remove the trim by pulling up slightly on the middle of the lower section of the trim and then pull out. The door handle will remain when you remove the door panel.
9. Remove any screws that hold the door panel to the door that someone might have added and if possible remove any speakers. Factory speakers have to be unplugged after you have removed the door panel.
10. Separate the door panel from the door by CAREFULLY prying up the plastic clips that snap into holes in the door using a suitable tool.
11. Start at the bottom and work you way up each side evenly.
12. If necessary try to remove speaker wires from the back of the speaker while the door panel is still supported by the top of the door. If you can not, you might have to support the door panel if the wires are not long enough to allow the door panel to rest on the floor.
13. When you have popped all the clips along each side, slide the door panel up a little and then remove, as it hangs from a lip on the top of the door.

Do not worry if you break some of the plastic pieces as they are easily available from the junkyards.
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502

There should be a large plastic "washer" under the crank handle--push it in slightly and offset to the crank handle pivot--wiggle the crank handle a quarter turn or so and the offset washer should push a "U" shaped wire spring clip from the grooves in the handle allowing the handle to pop off. There are plastic clips holding the panel in place--all along the perimeter and across the top a couple of inches down from the top edge. Pry these straight out carefully--pressure on both side of the clip and you won't tear them out of the panel itself.