> not sure about the center rollers, they should be the same, I've never tried fitting older door on newer van.

Thanks, Paul. I'd think (and hope) so, but manufacturers have been
known to change things for no apparent reason.

> The main difference is the rear latch in center of the door (on the C pillar?)  84's and earlier have a crappy little stub perpendicular to the body, 85's and newer have a meaty stub at a 45 degree angle which make it much easier to open and close the door.

Ah yes, my 84's slider needs a good hard yank to open or close, much like a Bay.

Japanese vans lack a rear latch, which makes them easier to operate
but they often won't stay open if the van is parked on a steep
downhill... and NEVER drive one with the slider open (though it make
it easy to shut the slider from the driver's seat... just move off
aqnd hit the brakes, the door'll slide shut).

> 85's and up also allow you to lock the door before closing it, a nice convenience.

Very!

> I think the windows are slightly different sizes too between old and new style sliding doors.

That wouldn't particularly bother me.

So what I assume, then, is that the doors' inner and outer skins are
the same, but the later doors have different latch mechanisms and
perhaps a slightly different window-hole punch.

Would a later door fit into the early door opening? (say if all
latches, rollers and guides were removed)... and are latches etc
interchangable between early and late doors? If so, it would cut the
cost of what I want down a bit... no need for a body cut.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut
Temporarily in Calgary, AB, Canada
<goose1047@gmail.com>