I'm replacing the passenger side mirror on this 72 ES. It's one of those mirrors with posts that screw down from the inside. I have the window winder, the armrest thing, and the door opener handle off. To remove the door panel, the instructions in my manual state to pry out with a screwdriver until the clips loosen, then lift upwards to remove. Before starting, I thought I should ask if there is anything I should know in advance. I don't want to break any clips or damage the panel. Thanks.

Hi
I did the job a few month ago an my 73 ES to adjust door opening mechanism. What the manual says is in general right. To pry out the clips you can use a large flat head screwdriver, use tape to protect the paint on the inner door edges during work. An alternative is to use a wooden putty knife or a special designed panel remover, this tool looks like a large flat head screwdriver with a cut out on the blade. Pry out carefully so that you do not break the clips, the door panels are made of wood fiber material. Than lift the panel upwards, it is fastened with some claps on the upper edge of the door, to do this operation wind the window down.

Between the panel and the window winder mechnism you will find a spiral spring, which pushes the panel towards the window winder. The spring has small and a large diameter end, the side with large diameter side has to look towards the panel.

On the hole inner side of the panel should be covered with a plastic foil to protect the door panel against water. This foil is often missed but is quite important to protect the wood fiber material, so refit it or replace it when it is not there.

After removing the door panel you have full access to the inner side of the doors, use this opurtunity to:
- Adjustment and lubrification of locking mechanism and window winder
- Adjustment of window and ventilation window
- Cleaning and rustprotection of inner sides of the doors

Regards from Denmark
Marco

The door panel removal turned out to be pretty straightforward. The clips pulled straight out. Reinstalling the panel was straightforward also. A bigger challenge for me was getting my hand through the hole in the metal panel and the contortions needed to access the studs and fasteners for the mirror, working blind. Mirror is now replaced. Thanks for your post.

Thanks for the detailed response. Should make this job much easier. Takes the guesswork out.

Good post!
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Can you back up and tell me how you got the Window crank and door handle off?

Have done it on my '67 P1800S but not my '72 1800ES. They are different.

oh yeah - After seeing what others have done before me, I always use a panel removal tool. That prevents any more damage to my panles than was already done! I have not had a problem removing a good panel with just a screwdriver, but why take the chance any more since I have the right tool:-)

Good information in the post below. Those links go to pages copied from the green Volvo manual for the ES. The instructions are pretty accurate. For the window crank, pushing in on the round black trim and sliding it against the clip hidden underneath it releases the handle from the post. For the door handle, look for a little hole on the base, knock the pin in it out the other side, and pull the handle off.

Hi

have a look on the following to links:

http://www.1800philes.com/docs/files/?chapter_id=38&file_id=1350

http://www.1800philes.com/docs/files/?chapter_id=38&file_id=1351

God luck
Marco