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Interior Door Panel removal with door closed?

KenW

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
8
Location
Sterling, VA
Only had my 2002 AV for 2 months and already someone has hit it. Hit and Run while parked on city street. The passenger side is scraped/dented from the rear wheel forward. It had to have been a truck or SUV cause the damage is higher than if a car had hit it. They knocked a piece of cladding off, the front passenger door has a good sized dent and now won't open. Of course I'm a cheapskate and only carry liability. (kicking myself HARD :E:)

I always wanted to learn how to do body work, so now I guess I will.

Question: How big of a PIA is it to remove the door panel with the door still closed? Can it be done? If not, How else to get the door open?  If I can get the panel off, I'm hoping to push the dent out enough for the door to open and close again.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
Not sure if you can get to all the screws with it shut but here is the instruction
 

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Figure out on your drivers side door how to remove it, it is simple. Then figure out if it can be done with the door closed.

I think I had to remove the triangle trim piece near the mirror as well. As a minimum you need to remove these two screws and then lift up on the door panel.

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Does the door catch release or not.  If it does then there is some sheet metal binding around the edge maybe, you might be able to free it at that point.  From the description the door might of been pushed forward under the front fender.
 
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