C2 Door Handles

[Donald H.]

Does anyone know if the current Trim Parts door handles (my car is a 66) have the correct profile under the grip area to meet judging standards? I know that some prior/early reproductions have a rounded area on the bottom side where your hand grips the handle. I'm debating on having my originals re-plated. I'm concerned with spending $100 plus to have them plated and possibly have the plater round of that edge anyway!Don

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Don,

Do you know if GM NOS service replacement handles also have the problem of being too rounded on that lower edge?

Gary

[Joe R.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Trim Parts handles do NOT pass NCRS judging because of the rounded off edge.

Have your originals re-chromed.

JR

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

JR,

What about NOS GM handles? Did the GM service handles change over the years, and, if so, are older GM NOS handles likely to pass muster compared to more recent GM NOS handles?

Gary

[Donald H.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Trim Parts handles do NOT pass NCRS judging because of the rounded off edge.

Have your originals re-chromed.

JR

I thought I read somewhere that more recent Trim Parts handles have a correct profile. Of course, I can't find that now.

Don

[Alan D.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

I have a set of 1972 GM service handles on my early 64 design, they have always passed and still have the sharp edges. A word of caution - remember that the 63/64early handles were different than late 64 on, so the ones I purchased in 1972 may have been real left over production parts.

[Ara G.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

IMO anytime an original part can be re-used, you should do it. Again, this is only my opinion but there won't be an issue (barring a peculiar nuance that is NTFP) with an original part. I'd rather see an original part in "survivor" condition than a sparkling repop part any day of the week and twice on Sundays....

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Alan,

This gets at the heart of my question. Is there any connection between one version of the Trim Parts reproduction part, that at some point in time did not pass judging muster, and the various GM, now NOS, handles that can be found in different vintage GM packaging? I suspect that if GM made correct 63/64 handles back in 1972, then they got the 65/67 handles correct back then as well. Whether that remained the case up thru the time when GM started selling the handles in the latest blue and white boxes in not known by me. But I suspect someone has looked into this.

Gary

Gary

[Donald H.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

If I knew I could get my original re-chromed and retain the correct profiles, I will certainly do that. The issue with re-chroming pot metal pieces is the typical blistering/bubbling of the chrome on these pieces. I had a good conversation with a chrome shop and he said that when the chrome is removed there is always pitting in the pot metal and that is why they have to put a heavy layer of copper to fill the pits then buff and grind the copper back down. In doing this, it is easy to change the profile of the piece, soften edges, etc.

I restored a 60 and had the windshield and door posts done by Paul's, which is one of, if not the best at re-chroming the pot metal pieces. I definitely noticed an build up and some lost of edge details on those pieces.

Don

[Joe R.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Alan,

This gets at the heart of my question. Is there any connection between one version of the Trim Parts reproduction part, that at some point in time did not pass judging muster, and the various GM, now NOS, handles that can be found in different vintage GM packaging? I suspect that if GM made correct 63/64 handles back in 1972, then they got the 64L/67 handles correct back then as well. Whether that remained the case up thru the time when GM started selling the handles in the latest blue and white boxes in not known by me. But I suspect someone has looked into this.

Gary

Gary

Gary,

When Trim Parts started many years ago (30+) they were given the opportunity to buy stock GM parts in the GM warehouses that were not moving and GM was going to discontinue. That may or may not meant they were getting ORIGINAL parts but they may have been getting replacement parts. Who knows as that inventory has disappeared! The parts they were selling a few years ago were certainly not original but replacement parts. Now maybe!!!! I have a set of 64L-67 Trim Parts handles in stock and they certainly aren't original. These were bought 5 plus years ago.

JR

JR

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Gary,

When Trim Parts started many years ago (30+) they were given the opportunity to buy stock GM parts in the GM warehouses that were not moving and GM was going to discontinue. That may or may not meant they were getting ORIGINAL parts but they may have been getting replacement parts. Who knows as that inventory has disappeared! The parts they were selling a few years ago were certainly not original but replacement parts. Now maybe!!!! I have a set of 64L-67 Trim Parts handles in stock and they certainly aren't original. These were bought 5 plus years ago.

JR

JR

JR,

I bought a set of Trim Parts handles for my '66 about 10 years ago. If I can find where I stored them I'm hoping to have a good C2 exterior judge look at them and tell me if I made a $150 mistake.

Gary

[Edward J.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

Don, The door handle,lock, bezel and gasket are worth 6 pt.s at the most the deduct should be one point. or not even depending how the judge divides the point up for each item(s). I really like the trim parts its a quality door handles I have a set on my 63. I still have my originals and you would be hard pressed to feel the lip or edge under the handles, maybe as time went on the molds wear.

[Donald H.]

Re: C2 Door Handles

I know there aren't a lot of points involved. My originals, or at least I think they are originals, are not in terrible shape. But I don't want to put them on a fresh restoration with the scratches and chrome blisters. If I can save the one or two points by having my originals re-chromed I'll probably do that.

That is if the Trim Parts ones still have the rounder underside edge. I do know that the older Trim Parts handles are very rounded on the underside. A friend has a set on his car that he purchased years ago.

Here are some picture of one of the handles I removed from my 66. They do have a nice crisp and somewhat sharp edge on the underside.

Don