I've spend years deciding on what exterior door handles i wanted. iv always wanted frenched door handles, iv found a few i like but none I'm 100% happey with so im building my own. i started with the door looking at how the handle works and the room i would have to work with between the window glass and door skin. i started to draw on note book paper as to how i wanted it to fit and look. then i made a 3d model out of thin cardboard its just rough draft so i could see what it may look like 10 mins in this is what i came up with. There are a few things im going to change but the look will stay close to the same im thinking. I have more testing to do such as the mechanical side of things and the operation of it. I plan to make it all of it from 16 or 14 gauge steel.

 

i do however plan to make these smaller and sleeker looking

 

Looks like a pretty cool idea.

 

i think the cardboard will get soggy in the rain. j/k

but seriously, that a pretty cool idea, i would like to see the finished product

 

Seems like it would be easier just to do this:



https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...decisions.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...oorhandle.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...le-change.html

Mathius

 

How were you planning on building a spring mechanism, to pull them down & not be floppy. And al the linkages inside? Then a key cylinder assembly......

These would be much easier than building your own.

or

 

I think it's great trying to make exactly what you want, but door handles are a very, very complicated part. See if you can maybe find a rear door handle that you might like without a door lock for a cleaner look, heres mine for a suggestion.

 

I'd like to do that one day...when I get some $$

 

Dude what's up with all them F-Body's layin around??

And fueled i agree with the majority. Just installing my new handles was a PITA i can't imagine MAKING them from nothing!

 

Its not that hard when you think simplicity

 

but will wait and see. iv looked into the ones above a lot these where my number 1 pick out of all the ones iv seen and found out of the years iv searching, i found that there close to stock looking on a 3rdgen and there nearly frenched in that's why i liked them but iv gone to yard i cant find any yard that will let me cut a handle out with out charging me a full door even freckling doors that have huge dents in them and you know no one would buy a door thats all f'ed-up still though the metal used on the GM doors of that handles era was super thin just judgeing by the globs of fibber glass tape on the inside of the door skin around the door handles it probably be worth it to fab my own mounting for a handle like that

 

I think this is the same guy who is about 90% of the way through building a complex Sub frame connector, so my guess is that this post was more about " Check out what im doing" rather than " help me figure this out" . I'd guess that his name is "fueled soul" for a reason. I say "it would be difficult, but if you can pull it off, sweet... if not .. document the failure as it may be someone else's victory some day.

 

I think your the same guy that has posted in that subframe thread.

 

The handles are done hahaha. now they have to make there way onto the doors
and then i need to bend up some door rods

 

Wouldn't a more squared off handle look better? These are so square to begin with and you want a oval shape handle? Is it really going to look that good?

Major props to you for doing it, but I can't help but question the shape of it. Maybe it's just me.

 

I think its cool to make your own, but if i was going to change them I'd just go with a shaved kit..

 

Ive wanted to do something similar to the C6.

Modify the back of the door and 1/4 to have a door handle that you reach into and pull.

 

Like what Neil did to his Camaro, but with electric door poppers? Instead of a mechanical handle in there, its a large electric button/switch.

 

wow id like to see pics of that. thats something id look into. that or shaved if u have pics or a link post plz





and idk if i like the look of those oval handles i think i like the stock more but post pics to show. id like to see them as well.

 

 

Stephen, that looks awesome. Kind of a C6 Vette feel. I plan to shave mine and get poppers.

 

wow those things are sick stephen prolly alot of work but well worth the look in my opinion.

 

Don't thank me.....

GM thought of it, Neil had it done & Vintage Rest actually accomplished it. I just put up Neils pics from Omnipotent-gokus website.

Just keep in mind, that since they are electric, a track wouldn't let the car run, because of no mechanical way of opening the car in case of Rescue.

 

well im not thanking you lol just thanking you for the pics. i really like them.

 

IMO aside from "Stephen's" handle idea, the handles above look tacky. Out of all the handles why a truck door handle/grand am? The best I have ever seen was a guy on here who put Late model Grand prix/C5 vette/impala ,etc handles on his car.

This one to be exact

 

I got the truuck handle idea from Hot Rod magazine, when they did it to a 3rd gen Camaro years ago. It turns out, the S10 handles are the same, just a smaller scale. Like 80% the size.

To me, rounded handles don't belong on 3rd gens. I think the squaresh-ness matches our squared body lines very good. Unlike the oval ones The Wraith just posted.

I like mods to look like they are stock. To only have a keen eye pick out the changes.

 

Heh Heh, that's my car at Hawk's.

I agree with stephen that squared handles look the best on 3rd gens. A C5 type handle would be best on a 91-92 car with the more rounded GFX, but they still don't look 100% the best to me. As a stand alone handle, they look great. Just not on a thirdgen.