wulfgar the pen

i've seen a few third gens with shaved gas cans antennas and door handles.

i just wanted to know if people know how its done. i understang the gas can and the antena but how do you "shave off" you door handles and how do you open your door once your handles are off

any ideas?

also show me some pics so i can see what it looks like
please

Frozer!!!

iTrader: (11)

Most people have a button underneath the car that pops the door out enough so you can open it.

BluFBdy

iTrader: (1)

it was my understanding that shaving something just makes it look as though it was never there while still retaining the original use.

so the antenna would be simple, you can just remove it and have acrappy reception or you can use a new style box type antenna and mount it somewhere out of sight, mines in my back window, and then do a bit of body work to the fender to make it look seamless.

Doors are goofy on our cars when theyre shaved, it doesnt fit my tastes plus who wants to reach under their car everytime they want to get in? thats more of a honda trick than an fbody deal IMO

5678TA

i have a remote.. check out autoloc.com.. had my kit for over 5 years and still works.. but i barely use my car (3 months out of the year) so the solenoids freeze up every once in a while.. and the relays are exposed to sunlight since i dont have a dashpad either so that doesnt help.. but when i first got it, it worked like a charm.. the kits also come with an alarm..

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I have a remote for my shaved door handles as well. It works great, autoloc knockoff brand. I also have the remote set up to trigger the hatch release on my camaro and I can set it up to control up to 4 other functions. Haven't had a solenoid freeze up on my yet, but its my daily driver in the summer and I just put them in last winter. I haven't wired up the button yet and so I have had to crawl in the trunk a couple times since I was a dumbass and left the keys in the ignition and one time when the battery in the remote died. Luckily I was at home that time and just grabbed my spare remote.

I shaved the antenna and the little "finger lip" on the gas door as well. The radio reception is pretty crappy with the antenna under the dash, but I will eventually put a computer in with all my mp3's so it's not an issue for me.


The relays and control box I put inside the center console and ran the wiring under the radio then through the dash and into the doors alongside the factory power window wiring. I added a small fuse block in the engine bay to provide the needed power connections/fuses for the control box, relays, and solenoids.

In the doors, I first removed the power lock solenoids and their actuating bars along with the outside handles, lock cylinder, interior lock lever, and all the associated actuating bars. I didn't want to run the risk of accidentally locking the doors and having to tear them apart to unlock them. Then I drilled the mounting holes for the solenoids and bolted them to the doors and ran the steel cables that came with them from the solenoid to the lever that opens the door. I think I used the same spot that the outside door handle connected to on the latch mechanism. After that came the power and ground wires to each solenoid and testing it.

Then I had to cut patch pieces for the outside door handles and lock cylinders and weld them in place. A little bit of grinding (actually a lot of grinding since these were the first welds I ever laid and they were messy), then your typical bondo work to smooth the door skin.

The antenna is similiar, just remove the antenna and wiring(mine was already gone due to the condition of the car when I got it) and weld in a patch panel in the hole. Grind, bondo, primer paint and your done.

I haven't had my Camaro painted yet because I still have a lot of things I want to do to it and I consider paint to be the finishing touch in a project. I do have all the bondo finished and painted over now though. Besides, I have always preferred power over pretty. I meant to take pics of the process, but somehow always forgot to take the camera into the garage with me.

EDIT: Oops, posted the wrong pics the first time. Also, I got my kit on Ebay. There are always kits on there for a decent price, just search "shaved" in Ebay Motors.

wulfgar the pen

ok i just had a couple more questions. on the button ones it says it disables the opener while the engine is running.. does that also disable the interior handles as well? and the ones without the remote? how/ where could you install the buttons to open your door

also what kind of remote kit did you get? the autoloc ones are a little pricey

Brennan

ive heard of people putting the buttons in the front wheel well and if you wanted you could probably stick it on the bottom of the side mirrors

1985WS6transam

iTrader: (4)

5678TA how do you pass inspection at the track? good looking (and performing) car you have btw

wulfgar the pen

the button idea kind of screams "rob me" though
unless they were well hidden

92RSsleeper

iTrader: (6)

even with them well hidden, don't you think after one time of opening your doors someone could easily figure out where they are and how its done?....

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Instead of shaved handles, I preferred the smooth handle. Tracks won't let shaved handle cars run. There has to be a manually way to open the door, in case of emergency & the electrical system doesn't work.

wulfgar the pen

thats what i mean, and as it is camaros are easy to get into

still it does create a kind of edgy look without the handles

5678TA

about that.. the track i go to is not very strict.. they are barely running so they cant afford to turn people down.. i havent gone fast enough to need a thorough inspection and my pit neighbor is a tech guy as well as a very good family friend so he just signs my card.. i'm looking at getting doors with handles for the upcoming season though.. and since my solenoids freeze up all the time from not being used, i was looking at going back to handles anyway..


thanks for the compliments too..

92RSsleeper

iTrader: (6)

those look really slick.. whats the donor car on those? easy to install?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Wulfgar - The kit I have is Protocol Performance's PPP35k. Their site is www.protocolperformance.com. Like I said, I got it on Ebay. IIRC I paid $75 shipped. It's basically an Autoloc kit that's been renamed. I have been watching Ebay as my wife wants one for the restomod of her 74 Beetle and they were going for around $75-100 shipped the last time I checked.

The remote is disabled when the car is running by a relay that is connected to a +12V source that is only on when the car is running. What it does is it breaks the ground circuit for the control box so none of the remote's functions work when the car is running. It prevents you from accidentally opening the doors while your driving. This only disables the door solenoids. The interior handles will still be connected to the stock actuator bar linkage so they are not affected by the kit. You can use the solenoids to open the doors to get out as well as long as you have the car off, but I left mine intact because I like having a mechanical backup if necessary.

The kit I have, and I believe the Autoloc ones as well have a "backup" button. Basically is the same button used on the kits without the remotes and you can wire it up to the car's electrical system in case the battery in the remote dies or something happens to the control box. I haven't installed mine yet, but I am going to put it in while the car is parked over the winter. I don't like the idea of having it on the outside of the car either so I am going to mount it inside the locking box in the back corner of the trunk. That way you don't have a button on the outside of the car, but you will need to have a key for the trunk. It's only a little more secure, but with a car alarm installed as well it's better than nothing. You could also put it behind the license plate. I have read that people used to put them under the rocker panels, that way they could tap it with their foot so it wasn't as obvious where it was, but I think you might have problems with road dirt/water ruining the switch.

wulfgar the pen

yeah i definitely like the backup button... and the idea of putting it behind the license plate is pretty neat......

do the kits come with the installation manual and all that? i wouldn't want to connect it wrong

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, mine came with an instruction sheet showing what wires needed to be connected to what and how to wire up the relays. The kit came with the solenoids and mounting brackets/bolts, the relays, 2 remotes, the control box, and the steel cables and crimps to connect the solenoids to the door latch mechanism. All I had to add was the wire and the labor to install it and finish the outside of the door. You will almost certainly need access to a welder to weld patches in place of the door handles and locks. There really isnt a good way to patch over the holes without one. You also need to be careful welding them in, the sheet metal in the doors is thin enough to warp if heated too much. I ran into that problem with the driver's door and had to do a LOT of hammering and bondo work to straighten it back out. I learned my lesson though and the passenger door just needed a little bit of bondo to cover the patch and smooth things out.

wulfgar the pen

so if i were to do this i'd basicly buy the kit, weld some scrap peices of metal over the old handles, smooth bondo and paint it out, and install the kit.....not exactly in that order but thats the basic idea?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

In a nutshell, yeah. There is a lot more involved than that of course, but that's the basic idea. If I were to do it all over again, I think I'd install the kit first, then remove the outside handles/locks and do the welding/bondoing/painting last. I kinda did it in the reverse order, and it worked, but I think I made it harder on myself doing it that way.

RS Reaper

That is pretty sweet.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I was looking for another file on my Camaro and happened to come across the install instructions for my shaved door kit. Figured I'd post it so you can get a better idea of what is involved with the wiring of it.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Oh yeah, I can't believe I forgot this part. Since the doors are so big and heavy, you'll need something to pop them open with. My kit didn't come with the fancy spring-loaded poppers and I didn't feel like spending a ton of $$ on them. I went down the local Autozone and picked up some replacement exhaust springs. They are the cheap "Help" brand that they carry. Cost me around $4 for a pair I think. I mounted them right above the dome light switch on the door jamb. I just drilled a hole and used a bolt and washer to hold them in place to the door jamb. I had to remove the kick panels under the dash to install the nut. They work great, I didn't want something popping the doors open too far in parking lots. They only push them out about 12" or so, more on a hill of course. I would recommmend putting some kind of rubber cap on the end that hits the door though. They have started to chip the paint on my doors. Not that its a big deal right now, the whole car needs painted anyhow

wulfgar the pen

hmmm i never thought of the springs, can't be too hard to install those though

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

The Autoloc ones are even easier to install than the ones I used. You just have to drill a large enough hole in the door jamb for the body of the spring to fit through, then its just 2 self-tapping screws to hold them in place. I may actually switch to them at some point. The only reason I didn't use them was because I had run out of funds and patience for the rebuild of the car to get it roadworthy again and wanted it on the road RIGHT NOW. It was the end of June, and since it's only intended to be my summer driver, I wanted to actually have some time to drive it before I had to put it right back in the garage.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

88+ C/K 1500/2500/3500 trucks, or the S10/S15 trucks (which I believe have a BIT smaller handles, same design).

My body shop did it, not me, but it didn't look hard at all. They pull in the same direction, so the stock rods were used & just attached to those handles.

ecdpres1

what about doing the shaved handle kit but leaving the handles in place????? that could make for a really safe way to do the door pop kit, leave the stock handles in the doors and mount the back up button under the handle that way it looks like you are still using the stock door handles to get in the car and no one that's watching you is aware of what you are actually doing ????

wulfgar the pen

i'll definitly be looking into this process, and for the buttons under the handles..... what if someone wanted to see if your car was unocked? theyd find the button and be in...

i had heard that eventually the bondo and such over the handles causes the paaint to crack, is this that true or just someone trying to talk me out of it?

jimmyj2000

You are not supposed to fill the handle recesses with Bondo, you are supposed to weld new steel into them.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Jimmy's right, you don't fill the entire recess with Bondo. That WILL crack. Ideally you weld a patch piece of sheet steel in to the recess to cover it over, then grind the welds smooth and cover it with just enough Bondo to be able to smooth everything out so you can't see the patch. If done right, it will be just a very thin coat. If a thin coat of Bondo cracks the paint above it, then it most likely wasn't done right in the first place.

Try searching on Popular Hot Rodding's web site. IIRC they have an article on there showing how they shaved the door handles on a project car. They usually have great pictures and descriptions of the projects they feature.

wulfgar the pen

i knew that you didn't fill the entire recess with bondo, i guess he was just trying to talk me out of it, he thinks thridgens should never be moddified

88camaroluvr

My setup:
1 - hooked the solenoids to the latch inside door panel
2 - ran braided cable from latch to the inside handle so that the handle doesnt flap open when the solenoids are activated (able to use inside handles just in case that the electricity goes out when inside the car)
3 - hooked up a pull latch to the rear "glove box thingy" If electricity gets lost, then just pull spare hatch key out of wallet and open hatch and rear box and pull lever
4 - also hooked drivers side lock/unlock button on inside to open passenger door even if the car is running. so i dont have to turn off car and use the key fob. but do not hook the passenger side up to open drivers side

looks great. impossible to get into/get locked out. girls love it!

freestylzz

Cut, weld, bondo, paint.....

For what?!

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

Maybe consider just shaving only the locks and not the door handles. I think the locks are an eyesore (like the antenna). Just an option I thought I'd throw out.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Just me, but I wouldn't shave just the locks. That would leave no way to lock the car. If you did lock it, you wouldn't be able to get into it then.

88camaroluvr - Just wondering why the braided cable from the latch to the inside handle? What was wrong with the stock bar? Not knocking your setup, just curious.

88camaroluvr

i had a place put in the solenoids and do all the adjustments and i did the rest and they way they did it the inside door handles would flap when you activated the solenoid to open the door. but if the cable was there then it couldnt push back on the door handle and make it flap. works fine and easy to do.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I see. That makes sense, but I don't know why they did it that way. Sounds like they connected it to the same lever on the latch that the inside handles operate. I used the lever that the outside handle operated so I haven't run into that issue. When I first went to hook everything up, I almost set it up that way myself but I didn't want to hassle with using a wire for the inside handle.

I like the idea of being able to pop the passenger door while the car is running. I'm gonna have to look into changing my setup to do that. It would be a lot easier than trying to lean over to let my wife in.

wulfgar the pen

yeah i'd like to be able to pop the doors while the engine is running, if you find anything out about that keep me updated

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I think what I'm gonna do to be able to pop the passenger door while it's running is to just set up a button to do it. I can add a button that has a constant +12V that switches a relay to activate the passenger door solenoid. I attached a crude "paint" wiring diagram so you can see what I mean. If you want to be able to pop both doors open with the remote while the car is running(not recommended) then all you would have to do is skip connecting the safety relay. Just connect the ground wire of the control box directly to a ground instead of through a relay.

88camaroluvr

I'm telling you, use the existing door lock/unlock button. It's really easy, safe, and clean looking. Of course I cant really remember how I did it now and can't just go look because I'm deployed overseas.

Either way, good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Do your handles like Niel did his, C6 style. Shaved but track legal.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I was considering using the factory lock/unlock buttons to pop the passenger door, but I'm eventually going to remove the radio for a pc to play mp3's and movies and put a panel in there with multiple buttons. I figured it would be easiest to just make one of them pop the door. I also already bought the door handle covers for the lock delete and have them installed and I like the way it looks. Gives the door handle a cleaner look.

I do like what Neil did with his handles with the C6 look. I forgot about that possibility. I didn't think it was track legal though. Didn't he just install a button there? Not an actual handle? I'll have to look back through that thread, it's been so long since I read that part of it that I forget.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

my old s10 was a show truck and had everything shaved. Handles, locks, tailgate handle, antenna, bodyline, hoodline, wipercowl.

Then the day my battery died I hand to go thru the bedcover, remove my speakerbox that was in my bed and crawl thru "blow thru". I quickly learned to rig my hood to open up from outside.

I will never go that far on a daily driver. To much risk.

My camaro has the passanger lock shaved because sometime in its previous live the lock was punched and didnt fit right. Figured "how often do I use this lock?" and filled it in. Heh, it would have gotten used alot if it was still there. Now how am I to unlock and open the door for my dates ?

wulfgar the pen

how would you use the unlock/lock buttons to pop the door?

Phishman92

has anyone seen a C6 corvette handle swap??

http://image.motortrend.com/f/854348...d_Gas_Door.jpg

They would allow for a mechanical handle but have a much cleaner look since they're at the back edge of the door. The one in the picture is black, but newer vettes have them painted to match. and in theory, you'd be cutting out the cove for your fingers so it can be shallower/less noticeable than the GM safety lawyer approved ones

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I suggested that, a few posts back, like Niel did to his car.

relaxedbeast

I like the shaved door handles and i am state certified in auto body colision repair.so the job is esay,but i don't think i would ever put them in because there is no possible place to hide a button on the car that someone else can not find.lol ive had my car broken into several times where i work so i'm a little sceathy about what i do.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

Who's Niel and which thread can we see pics of his handles?

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...tml?highlight=

http://www.omnipotent-goku.com/iroc/gallery/album03

Brennan

dude have you been living under a rock?

crazyblue92

Ive been thinkin of doing this but im still scetchy on if its worth doing because of the manual button prob. there isnt a place that you can put it where no one else can find. now on the other hand the vett door handle looks sick on a Fbody i dont know. is there anyone else with some pics of shaved doors? or even the fender with no antenna?