Hello -

I'm a new third-gen owner after wanting an IROC since they were new and I was just a little too young back then to afford the insurance. Anyway, I now own a 77k mile 5 speed t-top car. It's in great shape but I notice that when you unlatch the doors from from inside the car you need to lean into the door to actually get them to open. Unlike my other cars, when you pull on the door handle they don't "pop" open and spring open a bit. Hope this makes sense. Anyone have ideas what I need to look for to make them open easier? Thanks in advance

 

It could be something as simple as having a dirty (possibly dry) door latch. I'd clean em up real good and see what that does. Also, there are metal rods inside the door that actually actuate the latches. I've had them get slightly twisted inside to where they unlatch the mechanism, but don't pop like you say. It's kinda hard to explain it, but once you've been in there and see what they do, it's actually pretty simple. It's pretty old school tech, lol. I've used a little white lithium where they attach to keep them from binding. Unfortunately, ya gotta get inside the door/door panel to do it.

Either way, it sounds like the latch is being released, but isn't moving all the way allowing the door to pop, and it requires a little nudge from your shoulder. Try cleaning it up and see what happens.

Welcome to TGO!

 

Door sag, bad pins/bushings, gummed up latch... Part of it is just being a thirdgen. The doors are HEAVY, so they droop a bit. The door latch is buffered by a plastic coating on the latch. The coating wears off and the interface is metal to metal, which drags a bit.

Lots of possibilities.

 

I’ve noticed on all my thirdgens my passengers always think they are stuck. I think the doors feel much heavier than new cars. Much heavier than my Tahoe doors..

I had all straight, low mile thirdgens and you had to pull the handle and push the door to get out.. I had forgotten until I got my most recent one..

I also forgot how slow the windows went up until I got my current one..

I remember in 1994/95 when I got my 87 with 26k miles I thought there was something wrong with the power windows until I got in my buddy’s 87.. I think it takes 8 seconds or so for the windows to go up.. They always worked even after 100k miles..

 

That was going to be my guess.

I notice mine will do it if I have the car parked on an uneven surface, and I've twisted the body of the car...it binds the door and makes it hard to open. I need sub-frame connectors.

 

Hmm, so this is "normal" then? When you pull the latch nothing seems to happen and the door seems stuck. In order to open the door you need to lean into the door card to open it. I did check the doors for sag by lifting the end of the door and feeling for slop. I can't feel any slop and the car (not the door) lefts when I lift the end of the door.



I just recall the doors beig so hard to open back in the day

 

Check your big rubber seal around the door. When I bought my car the seal was so deteriorated that the door would move inward when closed and rattle. I replaced that seal and now it puts pressure outward so when you open the door it does "pop" outward. Funny thing is because the passenger side gets less use it "pops" better then the drivers side. I did the seals 3 years ago.

 

I wouldn't point immediately to the pins and bushings. The doors shut like brand new on my '87 with 75k miles, and they don't pop open. The door weatherstrip is getting rather old though, I think the issue lies in that.

 

my passenger door needs an NFL shoulder slam from the inside just to open it, went to open it the other day and the handle snapped off lol

 

Beat me to it.
If your door is not sagging or hanging on the door pin when it's closed then old, compressed door and window seals/weatherstripping can contribute. With new weatherstripping the door and window has to compress the rubber when closed so it will push it a little when unlatching. Old, worn, compressed factory rubber will only touch the window/door/frame when closed.

 

All my thirdgens were this way.. had to push the door open.. I never had one that “popped” like a new car.. never rode in one that popped like a newer car either..

I never had a brand new one, but had some low mile cars and they were all this way..