"New" Door Handles

[Silverback]

My new project came with, well no working door handles or locks, so I ordered some new ones from Mustangs Plus, and they just don't look right. To start with the details are just not as nice as the ones on the broken ones that I found in the car, but I don't think they look right/line up right and am looking for some input.

Here is one sitting next to one of my broken ones and you can see how the original has sharper, better defined lines, but that's not my big concern, look at the left edge of the handle, see how the original sits flush with the surround and the new one sticks up:



Here is another angle, I'm holding it in because my hinge points are broken/missing and the handle literally just flops out without it, the big gap around the top and the sides are what I'm wondering about (not thrilled with the not so sharp details either):



Same thing at a slightly different angle, really obvious here:



Here it is sitting in the door... I guess the frame fits OK, but the handle sticks up about 3/16-1/4", I'm wondering if they're all like that with fresh springs and rubber bumper or if this is just wrong:



Either way I'm not happy with how they fit... I'd rather have ratty worn ones that fit right as long as they work well than shiny ones that stick out like elephant ears.

 

[Wolverine]

Should have called Don OMS.

 

[Valhallo]

My originals don't have the Mustang lettering on them and they stick out a tad, but not as nearly as much as the ones you have there. If you like the handles that were on previously then I'd see if I could fix them up. What's busted on them? It looks like you now have yourself a pair of handles for parts if necessary, albeit expensive new parts.

 

[Silverback]

I think that the mustang logos were just stuck on there at some time.

That is the much better of the 2 old ones, that one has broken springs and a broken hinge pin and one of the pivot arms is cracked. The other one is missing the actuator arm, missing a hinge pin and the pivot arm that the hinge pin goes through is broken off and missing. If I was _really_ ambitious I could probably strip the chrome off, build up the broken pieces with some braze and then machine them into new arms and use the rest of the parts off the new ones (though I'm not sure that I could do anything with the pins), and then maybe re-chrome them, but that would be a ton of work and $$$ to put into these things.

OMS? any pics of their stuff?

Does anyone sell decent reproductions for reasonable money?

 

[hyena429]

Ya..i agree with you...i wouldnt like that much of a gap either..while on your car...It almost looks like a broken or bad one...not a new one you just replace....I would maybe call mustang plus about it or talk to don oms...He would be able to tell you if they are all made like that...or if you just got a bad one.

I think that the mustang logos were just stuck on there at some time.

That is the much better of the 2 old ones, that one has broken springs and a broken hinge pin and one of the pivot arms is cracked. The other one is missing the actuator arm, missing a hinge pin and the pivot arm that the hinge pin goes through is broken off and missing. If I was _really_ ambitious I could probably strip the chrome off, build up the broken pieces with some braze and then machine them into new arms and use the rest of the parts off the new ones (though I'm not sure that I could do anything with the pins), and then maybe re-chrome them, but that would be a ton of work and $$$ to put into these things.

OMS? any pics of their stuff?

Does anyone sell decent reproductions for reasonable money?

Im sure he will key in...He is on this site alot...And works for ohio mustang supply...I plan to order a few things threw them my self...Cause they are easy to get a hold of if any issues."like the one you have above" Im sure he will chime in soon..or in the morning...good people to talk too.


http://www.ohiomustang.com/ there website...they want 51 bucks for them..How much threw mustang plus? http://www.ohiomustang.com/store/order_page.asp?itemid=4

 

[gpierce]

I have some new ones that are just like that. If I take the rubber out, they are more flush. Pretty sre the ones on my car now are repros as they look pretty much the same as the new ones. I'm sure all the repros are like that.

 

[OMS]

Look on the back

KOA would be the manufacturer ID

They do sit up when new, rubber will seat after a while or shave the rubber down .

You might even try using your old rubber stops.

Don

 

[Silverback]

Don, so you're saying that the ones on your web site are the KOA ones? I think that is what's on the back of mine, but I'll confirm when I get home tonight. I guess if yours are the same that at least answers that question. Thanks.

Honestly, I'm unhappy enough with these that I'm thinking I might try by a few sets of used stock ones and see if I can get enough parts to make some "good" ones.

BTW, I've been poking around both your web site and your ebay site looking at parts I know I need and noticed that there is some difference between the 2, mostly wrt to shipping. Like I noticed that you had the '73 front valance for the same price on both but $15 less shipping on ebay (unfortunately I need a 71-72 valance and you don't list it on ebay ). I get the feeling that I'm going to be getting to know the various vendors pretty well since my car is a bit of a basket case missing tons of parts... (what the heck did I get myself into?)