Door Panel Removal (Continued)
IV. Handle Removal (Cont.)
6. With the arm rest and seat switch out of the way you can remove the door release lever by prying it up (see pic)
7. Now slide the door handle left (towards the back of the car) then pull it out
----WATER BREAK, GATHER COURAGE----(Trust me you'll need it)
V. Panel Removal
1. Basically the panel is held on by inverted "J" clips so you just need to push it up and then pull it out
2. I found it quiet difficult to push it up because there are no good grip points - it can be done though, I used a fist to tap/pound up from the bottom of the panel and the bottom of the door handle.** I also used the arm rest handle to pull up - be careful.
3. With the panel off you can celebrate - the hardest part is over. Set it somewhere safe so that it won't get dirty/stepped on etc.
**I ended up breaking two of the clips (just above the speaker) by pounding too hard on this region. I JB-Welded them back on for reinstallation and they worked fine.
NOTE: It is a good time to tighten the wood trim (green circles) -- one of mine was loose but not rattling.