Hello everyone. 1st post, but have owned my ss/rs since '79 so went through most of it in the 80's.
Anyways it has set quite alot over the years in my garage under a cover.
This morning I drive it to breakfast. Push the door lock **** down, hold in the door button and shut the door.
Come out stick the key in... Won't unlock.roll window down so I can use door lock **** and key together...nope. Seems to be trying to lift the **** with the key so it is connected.
So crawl over the console from the passenger side and drive her home.
Go to pull the door panel (not near as much fun with the door closed) and after removing all the things I remember having to remove.
I discover it looks like the deluxe door panel needs the door OPEN to remove the panel.

SO you see my dilemma..need to remove the panel to open the door....can't remove the panel with the door closed...

Update: got the door open with a screw driver. Door panels off. Lock works fine with key and **** now so I'm guessing it's something to do with locking it while closing with door button pushed in. Found a thin spring laying in the bottom of the door in two pieces. Probably not how it was originally ).

So anyone know where this spring goes and what it does? Could this have caused the lockout?
Also laying inside the door was a black square spacer looking thing with a hole in the center. Seems like it's made of hard black rubber or plastic? It's thin and is 1-1/8" square with a 1/2" hole in the middle?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

With any kind of luck, it might just be the latch mechanism needing a lube job. Grab some PB Blaster, and put the little tube hose on the nozzle.
With the window down, you can shoot down through the window slot and soak the latch. Then try to work the mechanism free.

 

Thanks. Any idea about the spring?

 

Didn't see you snuck in an update!
What type of spring is it, coil (twist), compression, or pull?

 

I'm sneaky like that .

Camaro Door Latch Assembly Return Spring, Left, 1967-1969 - Rick's Camaro Parts

One of these. Says "NOTE: Latch assembly will need to be removed from the door before the spring can be replaced.

That sounds scary...is it? So hard to work inside these doors through the access holes.
And what is the function of the spring? My button does not stay pushed in.

 

The button on your door handle has a shaft that pushes against the latch lever that rotates on the latch assembly. That spring (when it isn't broken) rotates the lever back out against the button so that you can unlatch the door. With the spring broken, it's kinda hard to trip the latch when it's already pushed in. The door handle button has it's own spring, which is why it pops back out. It's not scary to remove the latch, but then I don't know how easily you scare!

 

Not easily. Scary to me is having to remove something that has bee riveted or welded in place for 45 years. Nuts and bolts no scare me,