> Question #1: Does a functioning door unlock automatically if opened from the
> interior?

I have an '81 and an '87.  To open the side door from the
inside or outside it must be unlocked.  That means the
lock knob "up."  The only difference in operation between
the two is that on the later ones, you can push the
lock knob "down" and shut the door, leaving it locked.
On the '81, the knob won't go "down" while the door is
open; it can be locked only when closed.

Richard