How to make repop outside door handles work on rear doors

[cbarge]

Most of barge captians happen to have four doors so the whole family can join in the fun wallowing down the road in a C body.
As we all know,there is not a whole lot of schtuff out there that is marketed to our niche market--plus we tend to be a cheap bunch.
Between our limited funds and limited availabilty of parts,you have to be creative to make things work.
Take the rear outside door handles for example.
Nobody makes one out of the box for the rear doors of any Mopar
Strike one.
Nos originals are super expensive--when they pop up.
Strike two.
You search all across the country for good used ones only to fine pitted or broken handles.
Strike three--yer out of luck..
Not so fast.
Get a grab on this idea and hold everything Joe Jitsu 'cause I have a solution that will finish off your car to look great and the kids wont have to fight with that old door handle when they want to go cruisin' with the old man.

 

[cbarge]

Here is the original crappy,pitted rear door handle and a new offshore repop front door handle.
They are the same ones for A/B bodies and Dodge trucks/vans that Mopar used for years.
The rear door handles simply have a unique rod that directly pushes against the latch.Not unlike the front door ones that uses rods.

 

[cbarge]

Simply remove the rear door rod by removing the one phillips head screw.
Do the same to the new door handle.

 

[cbarge]

Now the button is next since most old buttons are just as pitted as the rest of the handle.
Two things are needed here.
you need the new button and the old rod to operate the latch.
Place the new button in a vise and use a rubber mallet to carefully remove it from the rod.
Also remove the old button so you can re-use the old rod.

 

[cbarge]

Here is where you need to be creative.
The offshore repops rods are thinner than the original rods.
So,you have to ream the new button just a little to fit over the original rod.
Do not ream it too big or your new handle is now a giant paperweight.

 

[cbarge]

Now tap the new button onto the old rod with a rubber mallett..

 

[cbarge]

Reinstall the button onto the new handle,and related hardware..

DONE!

 

[cbarge]

Now,there is a little detail I want to bring to light.
The cheapo repops have metric nuts and threads,and do not interchange with each other.Metric wrenches are needed to install the new handles to the door.

The gaskets are not the best,but they work and nobody will really notice or care and the end of the day.
I,personally,prefer using the original gaskets if they can be reused just for better fit.
Original on top,repop on bottom...

 

[cbarge]

With the handle installed,the repop gasket does not fit all that great.

Here is the original gaskets behind the same handle...much better,IMHO.

 

[cbarge]

Sometimes it is the "small stuff" that makes a car.
Fresh shiny door handles makes a difference when you have fresh paint.
They work well,and look good,so who care where they were made??

I hope you can apply this tech article to your car if you have the extra doors behind you.
Cheers,Leaburn

 

[Fratzog]

What's that old saying "Necessity is the mother of invention". Well done :eusa_clap:

 

[polara71]

Nice shiny handle on a dusty car.....

 

[cbarge]

Nice shiny handle on a dusty car.....

Yeah,yeah,I know I am putting the cart in front of the donkey,LOL!!
My car is not finished yet.....

 

[rapidtransitrick]

very informative. someone will benifit from this i'm sure