Follow up: yup, finally got around to getting in there and the white piece of plastic is broken around its ring.
Unfortunately, so is one of of the pot metal arms that actuates it. Crap. Found the missing arm in the bottom of the door.
- How do you replace the plastic part? Do I have to drill out the roll pin where it pivots?
- And I'm hoping someone has a decent source for a replacement driver's side door handle? Driver quality. I don't need the lock barrel but I do need the spring, it's missing.
I also found the inside of the door is bronze (it's a red car) so this thing has been through the ringer.
I've given thought to re-keying the car so I can dump the VW ignition key, but I've seen asking prices for re-key sets and I'm not that motivated. My (black) Porsche key opens the two doors and the trunk, a VW key works the ignition, and nothing I have works the glovebox or front trunk cable. I don't have a valet key (I'm OK with that).
Though I do have a Porsche ignition barrel in the parts box (wrong key wafers though). Must be the later style, because
per this link I can put a punch in the side and the lock barrel will slide right out (chrome ring). Is someone able to re-key that to my key, and if so, will that barrel fit in my 1974?
Yeah, it's a mongrel. But it's my mongrel.