Door handle (exterior) mod?

[hotrod1]

Not quite sure that I want to shave the door handles and go with a popper.

What handles have you guys seen (other than stock) that not only looks cool and works to open the door? C5, Prosche, custom, handles? Any Pictures?

[mr48chev]

At one time I was going to put some flush mount handles in the 48 and cut the pieces out of a pair of doors on a donor rig that I scrapped out. I don't even remember what the car was now but probably have the handles in the middle shed somewhere.
One problem now is that a lot of the cars that have really nice looking door handles like the early 70's Pontiac Grand Prix are pretty well collectors items in their own right.
On most handles you are also going to have to cut the section around them out of the donor car's door and that is something to think of. It really isn't as easy as buying a pair of handles off Ebay and bolting them on the truck most of the time.

Another thing on some of the newer cars now is the shaved door handle look with the indent behind the door in the jamb to slip your fingers in and push a button and then pull the door open. That is real clean and you don't have to fight with the solenoids like regular shaved doors usually have.

[sgtusmc]

Kindig has a nice set. http://www.kindigit.com/store.php

[hotrod1]

Originally Posted by sgtusmc

Kindig has a nice set. http://www.kindigit.com/store.php

Yeah, those are nice just a little pricey.

[Speedbumpauto]

So what neat stuff for this hobby(insanity?) isn't pricey? If you like the look it will probably end up cheaper than any fabrication stuff you start on. At least that's my experience. I've got $500+ brackets, etc. I made that just had to be the look I wanted and nothing available was right. And that's if I just pay myself minimum wage and don't count the cost of the machine I used. It makes the $650 billet hinges that a I love(and bought) seem like a bargain.

[magicoolbus]

One of my favorites came off of the 1969-1972 Pontiac Grand Prix's. Did a quick search on Ebay and found a set. I am sure you could find some cheaper or find some in a junk hard with all of the interior mechanisms.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/69-70-71-72-...sories&vxp=mtr

[Yukon 400]

Here's some clean ones, I'm not too sure who makes them, may someone else may know

[OKGMC4]

Mazda CX9

[1project2many]

AMC, back in the day, made "real" flush mount handles. One of these handles mounted vertically in the door below the major curve could work well depending on the look of the truck:



An early C3 Corvette handle could be worked into the top of the curve at the rear of the door. These handles push in to release the door:


Viper used the same idea:


I wonder if this Jaguar handle works an electric actuator:


I think this Fiat Barchetta handle would look very cool:


After this there's no need to look behind the curtain.

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[MARTINSR]

PLEASE NOTE, I KNOW NONE OF YOUR TRUCKS WELL ENOUGH TO BE SPEAKING TO ANY OF YOU PERSONALLY. I AM TALKING IN THE OVERALL GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.

I personally don't get the whole door handle thing, removing them, or changing to another, I don't get it. Unless it's fitting in an OVERALL theme, why do it? If the grille is being changed and lights and dash, stuff like that, an OVERAL theme is being followed then by all means change the handles to fit that theme. But only of course if the handles are wrong and stand out as wrong with the overall theme.

But if the truck is overall basically stock appearing outside of wheels and engine and stuff, why the heck go through so much work when it isn't adding a thing? If anything it's taking away from the basically stock theme.

Every nut and bolt on the truck should follow a theme for best looking truck.

Brian

[OKGMC4]

Oh I agree. But I'm building a chopped unibody with halo headlights, a 6.0 ls, flush glass with no rubber surround, a 62 dash, and power everything. Plus the handles actuate the bear claws better than the stickers do.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

Oh I agree. But I'm building a chopped unibody with halo headlights, a 6.0 ls, flush glass with no rubber surround, a 62 dash, and power everything. Plus the handles actuate the bear claws better than the stickers do.

Oh hell yeah, with that the mods to fit the theme shouldn't stop.

Like my disclaimer said, I am just tossing out a way to look at it, NOT referring to anyones truck.

Brian

[jocww]

Brian/ MartinSr are you the one and same that had a chevelle?

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

Oh I agree. But I'm building a chopped unibody with halo headlights, a 6.0 ls, flush glass with no rubber surround, a 62 dash, and power everything. Plus the handles actuate the bear claws better than the stickers do.

That sounds totally cool, I'd love to see some pics of where you are at with it. I agree with Brian on following a theme, but if you aren't making radical mods I don't like the look of removing the handles, drip rails, trim, etc off of an otherwise stock truck. Just my opinion, but different ideas are what makes the hobby interesting.

[mr48chev]

Well my truck is going to be chopped, sectioned and stretched though the doors so a door handle swap would be no big deal.

I was going to use the AMC door handles that 1project2many posted up above and paid 10 bucks each for a pair of Javalin doors that would probably be worth 200 each now and cut the area around the handles out of them and hauled them off for scrap. Then plans changed and those handles don't fit in with the total look of the build. That is the key to anything you when you do body or interior mods on your truck though, those mods have to jive with the total build theme or you end up with a rig running in several directions visually at one time.

[OKGMC4]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

That sounds totally cool, I'd love to see some pics of where you are at with it. I agree with Brian on following a theme, but if you aren't making radical mods I don't like the look of removing the handles, drip rails, trim, etc off of an otherwise stock truck. Just my opinion, but different ideas are what makes the hobby interesting.

The hard part is making a tasteful change and not just making a change simply because you can. I feel like all the successful shops like Roadster Shop, Ironworks Speed, and Ring Brothers build these super modified cars but they are well thought out and each piece is fabricated with a purpose. It’s also difficult to go completely stock on a car several decades old. Lord knows if someone gave me an “all original numbers matching” car it would take me about a week to ruin it. I like them all. In fact, as long as the car gets completed and DRIVEN I’m happy. Can’t stand garage and trailer queens. I’ve put 5k miles on my 56 this year.

My crazy Chevy longbed to gmc short unibody build is in my signature below. It’s taking twice as long and costing twice as much as the 56 did. But when it’s done I hope it makes sense and draws a crowd.

[mr48chev]

[QUOTE=OKGMC4;8092547]The hard part is making a tasteful change and not just making a change simply because you can./QUOTE]

The man said it all right there. Any change you make on your truck needs to be part and partial with the complete build and not just because that is the part you found or had, or just because you think that is what the cool guys are doing.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by jocww

Brian/ MartinSr are you the one and same that had a chevelle?

I have never had a Chevelle but I have a Buick Gran Sport (also an A body) and post on Chevelles.com site.

Brian

[jocww]

Yea I use to remember seeing you at team chevelle. Along time ago when I use to DD my 65 Elco.

[mobileortho]

Old tread, but I like the way he used the 90-97 Miata handles. Wondering if they can be modified to work with a set of Bear Claws.

[GeronimoApache]

Late 40's Lincoln push buttons

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by mobileortho

Old tread, but I like the way he used the 90-97 Miata handles. Wondering if they can be modified to work with a set of Bear Claws.

I'm thinking that the Toyota latches he used will work as well as well or better than a set of bear claws. I don't see why you couldn't use that handle with bear claw latches though. You may have to get creative with the linkage but it shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

They still have to work with the whole build theme and not look stuck on as an afterthought though.

The 40's Lincoln push buttons are beautiful but expensive and near impossible to find and the guy selling the reproduction ones he makes gets a fortune for them. https://logic80.com/product-category/buttons/ I might see if I can haul a trailer full of left overs to the next swap meet to afford a pair though as I really like the look of them and they fit my build plan.

Still about half of what Kindig wants for his and I am not a big fan of his. Big fan of the show but not of the handles.

I think I still have the Javalin pieces out in one of the sheds along with the actual latches and panels around them that I cut out of those doors.

[mr48chev]

Reading though the http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/DoorLatch.html again for about the third time in 20 minutes has me thinking that I am going to go out and take a serious look at the 92 Geo Prism GSI I have that a garbage truck totaled for me and almost did me in in the process. It's a Toyota Corolla with an attitude. Even though the Car is crumpled on both ends all four doors still open smoothly. The engine is going in an OT rear wheel drive sporty car project If I can get the Model A body I have sold in time. The good thing is I don't have to spend any money for those latches and they aren't going to bring me an extra nickle from the scrap yard when I haul the hulk in.

[mobileortho]

I found a pair of the Miata's with some of the surrounding metal from the doors on Ebay for $40. I figure it should be simple to trim & tack it in. But, sometimes the simplest things to do turn out to be nightmares!

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The 40's Lincoln push buttons are beautiful but expensive and near impossible to find and the guy selling the reproduction ones he makes gets a fortune for them. https://logic80.com/product-category/buttons/

Still about half of what Kindig wants for his and I am not a big fan of his. Big fan of the show but not of the handles.

Just clicked that link and I really like those!! How do you lock them?

I think Kindig's are over priced!