Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the welcome. Nice to be among friends. Posted some pictures of my Porsche so everyone can take a look. I am still in the honeymoon phase where every time I say or type the word Porsche I feel a bit of pride that I again own one. Front water-cooled and all but still a Porsche! WHOO HOO!

First question is -- how do you get the driver's outer door handle off? I have a copy of the manual on CD/DVD and understand what it says but there are portions left out. How do you remove the door window and window guiderail? The guiderail looks attached top and bottom and the glass is attatched to the lift. So, do you have to remove the glass totally out of the door? Just loosen and "get out of the way? Then what is really needed on the guiderial? Total removal or is there a workaround?

I could not find all that in the manual.

Cheers
Ed

Try www.clarks-garage.com

If you just want to remove the outer door handle, you don't need to remove the glass or guiderail, just the inner door panel. What exactly do you want to do? The rear guiderail is welded in anyway (at least on my early car -- what is yours?). If you need to work on the clips that operate the lock mechanism from outside, just remove the inner door card (panel) per Clarks or FSM. Pop the door lock plastic clip off the latch mechanism, the door release clip off the operating lever ball (this is NOT easy, and you may want to order spares before you try this) Take the screw out of the door jamb that holds the handle on. Push the handle forward a little, swing the rear portion away from the door a little, then pull it back to the rear to disengage the front.

It's also not a bad idea to put tape on the paint around the door handle area.

+1 on the tape.

+ 1 on ordering several internal linkages before you start the project.

I did this three times this past summer. Both handles on one of the cars and the drivers handle on the other. I broke one of the new linkages until I got the hang of it. I used the Clarks-Garage instructions. I did not remove the door panel inside the car once I realized for what I was doing it did not need to come off.

Depending on what you want/need to do, you may not have to remove the door panel at all.

I am a veteran at removing exterior door handles, have had to do them several times on both my cars and I repair/replace them all the time at the shop. First I remove the screw in the door jamb, pull the handle out a little ways, and then use a long skinny flathead screwdriver to pop the plastic pieces off the ball joints - one for the lock and one for the handle mechanism.
Upon installation it's very tricky to align the plastic pieces back up to the ball joints, but it can be done with much finesse and a screwdriver or strong finger to help you push them back in place.

Like I said it depends on what you need to fix though.

Man, you are far more patient than me! With the door panel off, it took me a solid hour to put my handle back in and hook up the clips! You can't see **** thanks to the rear window rail.

Thanks for the advice!

I need to re-key the driver's outer door lock. During all the years since manufacturer the car has been repaired and renewed. Not always done completely or correctly - this is not a slam on anyone else just fact (I have had slim times where everything did not get done properly but the car ran). With that said, the previous owners (I am at least third most likely fourth) have replaced various key'ed locks -- the driver's door handle and the ignition lock. I will live with two keys to operate the car as an un-intended safety feature; one key for the doors and hatch and another for the ignition lock. But the driver's door lock was re-key'ed or replaced and the key is not in my possession (asked the previous owner and he did not have it either).
Entering your Porsche by unlocking/opening the passenger door and climbing across is not 'cool', imho. So, I need to re-key the outer door lock to match the passenger door and hatch key (which is the only real Porsche key that came with the car -- anyone know where the original Porsche key blank can be bought?)

You see them on eBay sometimes, and Pelican sells them. Pretty sure a VW dealer would have the same lock cylinders, and any key shop will have "unofficial" blanks. I'd bet the PO replaced the entire driver's door handle, which would make it different than the rest. Boneyards don't usually let the key go with the door locks, only with the ignition switch.