Door latch not opening on 81 Firebird

All of the sudden my door on my passenger side won't open. I took off the door panel and attempted to get to the latch but its too far in there and after looking at the drivers side, it looks like i'll have to take the entire door apart. Any suggestions or workarounds? I took pictures of it, but its a standard door for this model so I doubt they would help at all.  

Try rolling the window down and looking through that gap. Maybe you can hook onto something in there to unlatch it with a long tool. I've opened quite a few that wouldn't unlatch and its never easy. Generally end up bleeding a little but I always win. Those door handles like to bend and break. Does it feel loose?

This may sound too obvious but be sure its unlocked, the mechanisms get stiff, especially in winter. Check the inside lock as well as the key lock.

You may end up taking that driver's door apart just to see how to get the passenger's open. There really isn't a workaround.  

Yeah I did like you said and opened the window to try to get in there... maybe i need a different tool to get deeper in there... one way I opened the door when I locked myself out is used a metal ruler through the side of the door to lift the latch, but today that didn't yield any results.

The door handle on the inside and outside seem solid, I think its just the latch on the inside thats not responding.  

Hi I've been there bleed that!LOL the latch on the door should push down,get a clothes hanger(stiff)and with the panel off you should have holes in the rear of the door(with the seat up)reach thru the lowest part of the door and pull down.spray it with P.B blaster(works great)and u should be able to open it.There should be a small square clip that slid's on it find it at the bottom of the door.I take a small pce of speaker magnet and tie a string to it and drag it.once open grab the blaster and soak it.Hope any of this helps ya  

Gave it another shot today... I got a coat hanger and messed around inside for about an hour. got as far as to be able to unlock/lock it from the inside, but not luck getting the door unlatched. I'm going in through the top of the mechanism, should I be going in from underneath? Haven't bled yet, maybe thats the problem...
Also not totally sure what you mean with the speaker magnet. would it help to PB blast the inside? or is that after i get it open?  

coat hanger is not strong enough to work or properly catch the latches...

stop by a welding supply.. pick up a piece of 3/16" welding rod...   bend one end so you have a one inch long L at the end..  bend the other end the other way... in an L... so it will let you control the angle of the one down deep inside the door...

you can use the rest of the welding rods to make things.. like slim jims.. hang mufflers...  caliper hangers for when you change brakes.. so you don't stretch the hoses...  as they will probably make you buy a pound of them...

you also might want to push a bunch of straws together...  so you get about 2 feet .. a little tape to hold them together.. then you can direct wd40 or other lube sprays right onto the latch...

the use of a magnet...  there is a little clip over the end of the latch levers... that the control rods latch through... when you drop it...  it will take a magnet and luck to get it out of the hidden recesses in the door...  

Finally got it to open... yesterday no luck, today I got in there and instead of an "L" curved the end of the metal rod into a "J". Coming in from the top was the trick and sprayed the *** outta it with lube. unfortunately after all the tinkering the inside door handle no longer opens the door and the door lock molding came loose... but I think those are minor fixes...  

Sometimes bodywork is like opening a can of worms...its all you can do to get all the worms back in and the lid back on  

+1, I had a few early Trans Ams where it was easier just to crawl through the window.