Type 89 Doors (getting into them)

The type 89 (and probably later type 44) doors are put together a lot differently than the earlier cars. I think they come apart better, with less chance of breakage and rattle producing wear. The front and rear doors are very similar so I won't treat them separately. Here is how to get into them...

Remove the small screw at the front and rear top of the door lining panel

Pulling the inner door handle "open", remove the screw hidden in its hinge area
Carefully and firmly slide the inner door handle assembly forward about 1/4"
Pull the handle assembly out of the door panel (unplug the rear window switch)
Reach behind it and remove the little metal clip that holds the bowden cable in place
Pop the cable out of its plastic keeper
Unhook the cable end from the handle assembly

Remove the little plastic screw cover in the side of the lower part of the armrest door pull area
Remove the screw under it and pop out the plastic bottom door pull insert
Remove the two screws that attach the door pull and door panel to the door proper

Now comes the hairy part:
The entire door panel assembly should be lifted straight up
The first 3/4" or so serves to unhook the half dozen or so big plastic tabs from the rubber covered holes in the door itself
Then the panel must be raised far enough to clear the lock knob
The drivers door panel will hang by the huge number of wires going to the switch bank unless you pop out all the switches. Most work can be done with the panel propped up out of the way but still wired up, if you undo, break, or otherwise interfere with the cable minders holding the wire bundle to the door itself.
You should make sure all the rubber bits that hold the plastic tabs firmly int he metal slots are placed in the slots at this point so you don't lose them.

This is enough access to do things like lubricate the window cable or door latch and handle parts.

If you need to actually access the door handles, the inner door frame which holds the window will have to be removed as well

There are four nasty bolts with captive self-locking washers holding the window frame to the door
The positioning of these bolts is important , they align the window, door, and body. You will need to be sure you can locate them in the same place when tightening them - since they will probably have left marks on the door frame you might just loosen them one at a time to see if that is the case. If not, make some marks of your own to relocate them on reassembly.
Confident about that? The undo them!
Now the inner door frame, window, and window motor assembly can fall off, restrained only by the window motor wiring, so be careful!
This assembly can be set aside carefully without disconnecting any wires if you want to work on the door latch and lock mechanisms

You should take advantage of this opportunity to lubricate everything in sight.

Reassembly, as they say, is the reverse of disassembly...