late update: Sorry for not replying back for a while but I have been working on the door. I'll try to tell all that has happened. Nevermind, I was going to go into all the gorry details but instead will just tell you a summary. Inside the door, there is a rod that connects to the ddor handle that broke off. You probaly know what I am talking about, when you pull up an the outside door handle, this thing pushes down into a little circly thing (searching for a better word) that opens up the door. At first I was very scared because I knew that they don't make these parts anymore. But then my neighbor/ dad's friend stopped by whose builds his owns parts for cars and motorcycles and said that he can make one for me. So I got it back today and it looks exactly like it is supposed to. So now my question to you is: How am I supposed to get this back on? Do I have to take out the handle or something? Thanks for any information.

Derek

Turn the plastic piece that fits into the circly thing(push the circly thig down, put the part in it, and snap the short part of the "L"(looks like a bullet connector into the white plastic piece that is stuck into the door handle!

If my attempt to use your words didn't work, or you are missing some plastic pieces you don't know about, I will try to find a scan of the door mechanism to post.

Will

Yes you used all of my words correctly, thank you. I am not quite sure what the thing that looks like an "L" is. Is it the thing that is connected to the opposite end of the rod, has a circle on two sides of it (has a plastic peice on it), and spins around a lot? If so, all I do is snap it onto the door right? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to get everything right so I don't screw up my door.

Thanks

By Jove, me thinks he has it!

Your door will be secure in no time!

I am hopeful that I helped!

Will

I thought I had it, too. But everything that could go wrong...did. I don't know hot to word any of what I want to say so I'm going to try my best, and please bear with me again (I'm still fairly new to cars). I stuck the rod (with the plastic thing on it) into the circly thing and was ready to have this thing fixed. Here you are going to have to bear with me: I just found out that when the door broke it wasn't a part of the rod that broke but a part of the door handle. I originally thought that it was the rod that broke, because the metal part of the door broke straight down the middle of the circle. So thinking that, I had my dad's friend make a new piece (I know this is probally very confusing). But what I'm getting to is that I am either going to have to order a new door handle or tweak the one that I somewhat have. I'm just really depressed right now.

As HLS30.com said, yes just snap on the circly thing onto the rod. It looks like it won't work but it will. You'll have to use some elbow grease to get it to snap on probably. If you're unsure, grab a VB or MSa catalog and you'll see how it snaps together thanks to an exploded chart. Or get a microfiche of the Z and check out that illustration.

The piece extending off the inside of the handle is what breaks the most often-which means the l shaped plastic thingy will not attatch to it. What you need is a replacement door handle.

Will

I went to my auto garage, which is really cool because the guy that owns it pretty much only works on Zs and they have been in business for over 30 years (about as long as the Z has been around) abd they really knowq their stuff. but anyways, he has a donor car just for me and he is going to give me a new door handle for cheap. Also, I got in a wreck about three months ago and my hood got pushed in about an inch or so, so he has a new hood for me. So it looks like something good came out of this after all.

ahhh, yes, ... the tab on the door handle is broken ... a common z malady.

if your friend has one for you, get the one from the driver's door.

the handles are identical. they swapable from passenger door to driver's door, part numbers are the same.

if you use the handle from the same side, you are getting a worn tab.

if you take the one from the other door, that tab hasn't been used ( you'll see what i mean, when you hold it in your hand ), it'll be like getting a brand new one.

if you think you need a brand new one, i think that they are 25 bucks at vics. but, i've been hearing the rattling of dissatisfied customers. try Les and see what he has ... http://classicdatsun.com/

Sorry I didn't see this posting earlier.

Here's my 2¢:

If the OTHER door is operating properly, then open that panel up to take a look at how everything connects.

Since you've already figured out what you need, here's another tip. Again if the other door is operating properly, then just swap handles. Again, as Wayne mentioned, the raw original parts were interchangeable. They become sided once you put the little rod thingy on. Just remove that rod thingy thing, and swap handles and remount. The rod thingy IS sided as I recall.

Hope this helps.

Enrique