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Fast Low Buck Shaved Door Handles

8K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  joefirebird 
#1 ·
I am working on my 49 Chev Fleetline, and I am thinking of shaving the door handles. I talked to a guy some years back who had a 49 Ford. He shaved his handles, and instead of using solenoid switches, he had a mechanical means. I forgot what it was actually, but what he did was he used the original door handle hole. He had or did something where you could just open the door through that hole. I think it was a mechanical means and I was wondering if anyone knew how it is done or any ideas on how to do a simple mechanical version of shaved handles. Speed and cost real important issue on this one, just want the smooth look on the cheap.
 
#2 ·
ron, I'M try to find the same thing, it is a kit you weld in your door you had a "hidden" door handle which work like a gas cap door. flflush with the door when the handle is down , you pop it it up 7 twist it to open the door. the door lock is hidden behind the door handle, if you find the vendor let me know who it is, I had the # but lost it. if i get a lead on it i will let you know. hey you might ask the guy who already has it who he bought it from!!!
 
#4 ·
no kevin, what i am looking for is a kit that you install into your door , you cut the opening for the new latch system and weld it in. the new door handle is shaped like a " L" laying on it's side when "closed" lays flat with the contours of the door. when you flip it up (like a gas tank lid) you the "L" shape piece as the handle, twisting it to open your door. behind the new handle "inside the door" is the outside door lock. As I said the guy advertised in a auto trader type magazine, but i don't remember which one, I had even had the info send to me, but i have lost it, that is way i am hoping some has this kit , or knows the vendors name or number.
 
#5 ·
I use to do a lot of VW bugs back in the "Cal Bug" craze twenty years ago. I had one guy who had a very cool setup. He ran a cable from the latch out a hole in the front of the door thru the door jamb into the wheel well. It had a simple loop on the end that you pulled to open the door, couldn't get any simpler. :)
 
#6 ·
Kevin,
Yes that is what I was talking about. I think the guy just popped the door with his finger through a hole. I am not sure how this works though. How could he have popped it from the back side of the latch?
Martin,
I have been telling people that I may do the door like that!!! How ironic! I must have gotten the idea some years back and forgotten about it thinking it was a new idea I had. Anyway, my Chevy is the perfect candidate for that. It has a channel in the door and through the front of the body that I think may have been for wiring. I was thinking of getting some stainless wire (small cable) from the hardware store and run it through to the underside of the front fender. I was planning on putting a spring on the fender side with a washer and cable tie with a loop. I was thinking a soft wire spring would keep a small amount of tension and pick up the cable from hanging. The only concern I had about doing this was my Chevy has the lock system built into the handle on the inside of the door. It reminds me of some of the trucks where you could lock the door from the inside by moving the handle forward. What would be the odds of this happening to both at the same time? I suppose I could always open the trunk and go through the rear seat if worse came to worse. I am also thinking of doing my trunk with a cable system.
Right now I do not have the latch mechanism for my trunk and I have not had much luck finding one. The trunk lid has a U shaped catch made out of rod stock. The bracket for the latch has slotted holes for adjustment. Can anyone recommend a possible replacement latch I could modify, maybe one that would be in a bone yard or similar. Any ideas appreciated. So far you folx been very helpfull.
 
#8 ·
are these what you are looking for?

HI, I was wondering if these were close to what you were looking for, I found them when I was looking for some shaved door kits for a hopefully upcoming project (1951 mercury-custom), and I personally thought that the solenoid ones looked a little complicated, especially for me im 16, and these caught my eye. Hope it helps.


http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=2982
 
#11 ·
MARTINSR said:
I use to do a lot of VW bugs back in the "Cal Bug" craze twenty years ago. I had one guy who had a very cool setup. He ran a cable from the latch out a hole in the front of the door thru the door jamb into the wheel well. It had a simple loop on the end that you pulled to open the door, couldn't get any simpler. :)
I know this thread is kind of old, but I was looking around for some shaved door handle ideas and came across this post by MARTINSR.

I am looking to do this on my 69 Bug, but to be honest I do not really understand how the door handles work.... I want to keep it mechanical and this sounds like a really cool way to do it without a selenoid etc.

Where does the cable hook to inside the door? I can figure out how to route it after that.

Maybe a drawing would help....

Thanks!
 
#13 ·
On my 49 Chevy, you can hook a cable to the pawl (IE small lever) that operates the door latch. It is part of the door latch assembly. Take out your latch and look at it. On mine, they had a cable that ran to the inside door handle. The handle has about an 1/8" hole in it. The place to hook the cable on mine. Then run the cable through the door cavity. There should be a hole for wiring. Then run it through that hole and into the hole in the door jamb. See where it could exit to the front fender well. That's how it goes on mine anyway. By the way, you can get Stainless Cable from the hardware store with cable stops. Just make a loop to grab the end with your finger under the fender well. The hardware store also has large SS rings that would work well for something to grab on to.

Almost forgot. Use multi strand wire for flexibility.
 
#14 ·
VWFAN, he simply used a throttle cable and ran it to the lever that the inside handle actuator rod hooks to. That is all there is to it. That cable ran out the front of the door thru a hole and then thru a hole in the door jamb and then thru a hole into and out of the cowl side under the fender. You stuck your hand in behind the wheel under the fender and grabed the knob on the end and pulled, pop, the door opened.
 
#15 ·
Ahhh I see said the blind man..... Some of this stuff is too easy!

Thanks again MARTINSR - You have some really good knowledge on the Bug stuff...Nice to see a (maybe former) enthusiast!
 
#17 ·
It's possible Joe, never did it myself but I have seen them. Of course something like a high quality bike or motorcycle cable may be a better choice, the hood release cables are usually pretty stiff and not designed to be bent so much.

Brian
 
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