I need to work on the inside of the door, but first how do you remove the door panel? I don't want to tear anything up.

What year? Manual window cranks or power windows?

Thanks for the reply. I have a 81 with manual windows. I have the handel off , but haven"t figured out how to get the panel off.

you'll need a puller for the palstic pins that hold the panel onto the door frame. You can get one at any auto parts store. You could pry them off but I just did this last fall and would suggest the $3 tool. It looks like a screwdriver with a flat pancake tip with a groove cut out .... someone help me with the name here. Anyway, very easy just pull on the panel and you can see where the plastic pins are and slide the tool in and pry, they'll pop right off.

http://www.elcaminocentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7418&highlight=door

fellas - would someone let me know how to get the door panels off an '86 please electric windows and remote mirror

EdontheBeach

Did this for the first time a few weeks ago after 7 years of hesitation on my '87 and putting up with a door pull that flapped in the breeze and some miscellaneous rattles, plus I wanted to lube the window regulators. As the previous post said, GET THE TOOL to pry the pins out. Before you do, you need to remove the large screws for the pull strap retainers - pry off the rectangular covers with a tiny flat-blade screwdriver to access these. Remove the door lock knob. Remove the armrest pad by taking out the two retaining screws, then slide the pad forward. If you're lucky, you may find some spare change lying under it - the source of rattles that have been driving me nuts since 1997. :?

The upper panel's bottom edge is held in place by the lower panel - logic would dictate prying off the lower panel first, then go after the upper panel, but you can do the upper panel first. It may require some wriggling around to get it to come out of the door. Don't forget to unplug the power window switches. The remote driver's side mirror joystick/bezel can stay on the panel if you don't mind it hanging from the door while working on the windows, etc.

You'll probably find that the nylon pins will break very easily, and may even pull out of the door panels. Be prepared to buy some replacement pins from one of the vendors who support ECC, or if you're impatient you can check your local auto body supply store or better-stocked hardware store (I found these at my local ACE hardware store in one of the little yellow bins in the hardware section).

Word to the wise: check your window switch bezels for cracked housings. The single-switch bezel is no longer available from GM, but can be found with a new switch in the HELP! section of your favorite parts store (O'Reilly's here in Kansas City, for instance).

Now, can someone tell me where the round spring I found inside the door came from?...