1990 Honda Accord driver door update

I posted a while back about my 1990 Honda Accord. The driver door
wouldnt open. I found someone to fix it. They took off the door
panel and destroyed the old latch mechanism with hammer and chisel
to get the door open. Then it was easy to change the latch.

$250 labor + 250 parts

G

 

How was the interior door panel removed? That's the important thing! Once
you have that off the job is easy.

 

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I'm in the wrong business. Gonna get me a HAMMER and a CHISEL ! !

Any AAA tow truck driver would have opened your door for CASH $ 20.

'Curly'

 

I dont know how he got the door panel off. I will ask.

A tow truck driver could not have gotten the door open. The problem was
in the actual 'thing' that holds the door closed. pulling the levers etc
did not open the door.

G

 

On a Repair/Replace Analysis, considering that $500 is a healthy percentage
of the total value of the car, I'm not sure I would have done the repair....

 

That's the main thing. It's the one thing everybody asks how to do in here
when they complain their door won't open.

So you're saying the latch internals had broken?

 

That's not really a fair comparison. More realistic would be to compare the
costs of fixing the car to what it would cost to replace the entire car
with something known with certainty to be in better condition. It's that
comparison which has me hanging on to my '91 Integra.

 

Well true-- it's usually cheaper to repair than replace. But the repair
costs do add up.

Not to mention the inconvenience, lost time, frustration, or safety
issues--- as in you (or your wife/kid) get stranded at night in the wrong
side of town or have Old Betsy crap out while going 75 mph on the
interstate...in the rain/snow....or two states away from home...or on your
way to an important client meeting...or on the way to the ER....

Me? When I lose confidence in my ride, I buy a new one.......

 

They certainly do. But they're still cheaper than buying new.

That's what happens when the car's not taken care of. If you're going to
own an older car, you have to take it there from new, and be fanatical
about maintenance on the way.

As will I. If that ever happens.