Since the day we picked up our Montane Cat (1970) I found perplexing the fact that I had to PULL DOWN on the door handle while depressing the latch button to open the door. Expecting to find door sag on such an aged vehicle, and there was none, I would expect the opposite to be true - needing to LIFT UP. I suspected I just needed to raise the striker (whose screws have not yet yielded).While I’m in the midst of refurbing the passenger door interior (post to follow) I noticed that the latch actuating rod retaining clip was not “clipped” to the rod. In the process of fiddling with it I realized that the rod was actually holding the release button lever “up”. Ultimately I wound up threading the actuator rod into the latch barrel about 6 turns before I got the hook end just below the door button lever hole (sorry for the non-official nomenclature). The manual will show 1/64" - 5/64" between the lever and the bellcrank. The door now opens like a brand new vehicle would; I am nearly amazed.
Way to go! It’s always very satisfying to figure out and fix something like that! And our Cougars seem to present dozens of these “opportunities”.
Amen! The simple pleasures of life; even if only momentary!