How to fix a door AC vent

The AC vent on the driver's side door of my Z has been looking a bit disjointed since I got the car.....repair of this critical piece was in order.

Here's the vent before, looking all jacked up......not knowing which way to blow the air:



The problem: The three slats are no longer connected because the link piece has disappeared. It's supposed to look something like this:



The repair requires removing the vent, which begins with removing the door panel:



Start by removing the screw inside the door gripper (yes, I know that panel desperately needs refinishing.....it's on the list):



Next, pop off the switch panel:



Disconnect the switches and set the panel aside:



Pop this arm rest off....it just snaps on there:



Pull open the door handle to reveal this little panel that just pops out:



See that bolt in yellow way back there? Remove that:



Grasp the lower part of the door panel to release the body snaps along the lower part of it, then remove the panel.....be careful not to yank it too far off, the door and lock cables are still attached:





Look behind the panel and you'll see how the vent and door handle trim assembly are simply screwed on, undo those screws to get the vent out:





Here's the door vent assembly on the bench, viewed from its backside. Remove the little screw in the center of that grill:





And here's the simple problem.....nothing to link those three slats:



Let's make a simple linkage out of some .019 aluminum.....we can't have this piece be too bulky or obtrusive, since it can be easily seen from the front of the vent:



Set the alignment for three holes. The easiest way is to line up on the three pivot holes across the top:



Rough cut......making sure to eliminate unnecessary material during a test fit:



Drill three holes to the size of the bolts to be used.....I think the old Atlas / Craftsman will work nicely:





Part smoothed, and painted flat black, I'll touch the bolts up later:



Done and installed: