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After installing the modified latch mechanism I removed the door panel on the passenger side. The inner steel door liner was stamped for installation of a sliding lock but no D-nuts were installed. I obtained them (10-32 thread) from Snyders and installed them. The D-nuts or rivet nuts obtained from Snyder’s were not a press-in fit as I had hoped. Apparently the factory pressed them in and peined over the front edge to lock them in place. With an assembled door there is no easy way to accomplish this so I opted for good old Epoxy. I trimmed off the front edge of the nuts with a grinding wheel to make the installation seat properly and sanded and cleaned the backside of the inner door panel through the door latch slot. I needed a scoured and clean bonding surface. One by one I applied a bead of clear epoxy around the seat of the nut and guided it into place from the back side of the inner door panel. I secured each nut with a 10/32 screw and brace plate from the front side to hold the nut in proper position until the epoxy set. Mission accomplished.
When I went to install the sliding lock it seemed to begin to engage even when in the open position so I had to remove the door latch and do some bending and finagling to finally get the operation to act properly. Then I screwed everything back in place.
Next was to install the escutcheon plate on the inner door panel. I measured, marked and carefully cut the location hole for the sliding latch and installed it by bending the tabs on the escutcheon plate around the backing plate. Finally, the door panel was buttoned up. I never did completely remove the inner trim panel, just pulled it forward at the rear edge enough to gain necessary working room. I did the necessary cutting from the front using a new single edge blade and a fine tooth fret (jeweler's) saw from my days as an amateur banjo luthier. That way there was no question about the alignment of the slot.
Finally, a working passenger door sliding lock assembly. I hope this article is helpful to anyone who has ever thought about performing this modification.