Have you tried squirting silicone lubricant into the lock?

Buying carpet kits will cost you an arm and a leg. Try using carpet
remnants. deeper pile for comfort and the low  commercial pile for
durability and easier cleaning.

As for carpet kits, I used carpet remnants for the front and someone on the
list (Harold Teer I think) recommended to me that we use those large floor
mats you see when going into retail stores and cut them to size. They cost
about $50 for the 4' by 6' size and you can cut it down and use the excess
for a house door mat. They come in several colors. I'm sure you have seen
them at supermarkets and other stores. Some people use carpet remnants for
the back also but the pile might be too thick for your tastes and also the
retail store entry  mat variety is easy to clean, and has a rubber backing.

William P.

----- Original Message -----
From: "blytz" <blytz@MIRAGETUNER.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 12:25 PM
Subject: Door lock ? and Carpet kits

Hello all, well, I made my way back to the junk yard today, I was going to
remove the door lock assembly (driver's side, 86 2wd Van) becuase I thought
mine was broken. Basically, I can't seem to lock it (tried various
combinations of closer door, lifted handle, etc, and the know will not go
down. However when I got to the junkyard, the 2 vans their (both Aircooled)
did the same thing... all of the other locks work great, but neither of
these would lock either.

Am I doing something wrong, or is it just a coincidence that all three of
froze?

Also, does anyone make FULL replacement carpets for 86 Vans (non camper, L
model?)? I've seen the pad kits, but I wan't to replace EVERYTHING, and
change the color.

Thanks,
Matthew