Customs Alternatives to Shaved Door Handles

Just about every custom looks better with shaved door handles, but they can be a pain to live with.

In the fifties, Packard integrated the handle with a body line moulding, so it almost became invisible. Ford Thunderbird, '61-'63, did something similar.

By the sixties, lots of customs were showing up with custom, flush lift-up handles, something Detroit wouldn't pick up on for years. I remember seeing some "how-to" articles in a mid-sixties magazine.

The Italians used a chrome, flush, blade handle on lots of their cars in the fifties and sixties; very slim and elegant. I seem to remember at least one US manufacturer used this, but I can't remember who. Continental, maybe?

 

1954 Packard

 

1962 Thunderbird

 

I don't know that Lincoln had a flush mount door handle. Maybe they did but I don't remember seeing one that way.

Lincoln buttons are real simple and work well. They come off of like a '46-48 lincoln.

 

1959 Ferrari California Spyder (sadly, none in my local junkyard )

 

Yes, they do look good, if you can find them. I remember seeing a custom which used a chrome push button from a '70s or '80s hatchback lid to the same effect.

 

I did a power door on a '53 Ford one time with the solenoid and a micro switch on the original door lock cylinder. The doors were smoother all except for the one lock cylinder in the pass door.

Not what you are looking for in this thread but it is an option.

I am trying to remember there was a '50s American car that had flush mount door handles. I just don't remember what it was. Maybe a Kaiser or a Packard?

 

Here is the 1955 Continental I was thinking of.
Slim handle, but looks like there's a push button underneath.

 

1953 Chrysler D'Elegance by Ghia.

There were about 10 Chrysler Corp show cars designed by Virgil Exner and bodied by Ghia in the fifties. Several used the blade door handles. Probably what started me on this track, come to think about it.

 

I had flush mounted, body color painted door buttons on my 55 Olds, if you remember it from the "old Gettysburg" days. Pretty easy to make, with a freeze out plug, a piece of tubing, a bolt, a spring, and a fender washer. I did a how to with a drawing on it, a LOOOONG time ago. Chromed rat also did a version, where he used my idea, but changed it a bit.
I can give you more details if you like.

 

Yes, I do remember.
In fact, I think we even discussed it one time at the show.

 

I would certainly like to know more, I can't quite picture how to do this...

 

Ditto. Very interested.

 

Pontiac about '64-'66 had one you pushed one end and other swung out i line with slim chrome molding. Only 1/2" wide.
Latest one is Fiat from a few years ago.

 

From Popular Customs magazine, Summer 1965
George Barris' shop, on Gene Coons' 1963 Cadillac
page 1


Handles01 by DaveTartaglia, on Flickr

page 2

handles02 by DaveTartaglia, on Flickr

 

Pontiac! I wouldn't have thought of that.

Yes, Fiat, and Alfa, too.

 

AHA! 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix
This is the one I remembered.

 

1969-72 Grand Prix and 1974-79 Jaguar XJ6 are both cool. I have used the Jag handles before, easy deal and they look good.

 

someone on here was producing a lincoln style push button. try a search thru the classifieds. I know i saw them not too long ago.

 

The flush handles from Kindig-It are pretty cool, especially if they were painted for a custom.

http://www.kindigit.com/store.php

 

I like the Ford probe style.

 

x3!

 

Several nice ideas but for daily drivers beware of icing up in the winter.

 

personally, the only alternative that i like is 46-48 lincoln pushbuttons, and they only look good on a late 40s-mid 50s style custom.

 

Was thinking the same thing. Lincoln buttons were cool.

 

i use a crowbar.

 

Some people are fine with electric opening doors. But, I know of several cases where the owner got tired of the down sides and re-installed handles.

 

Yep, and if it's something that only gets driven once in a while, you may find your battery (under the locked hood of course) too low to trigger the door solenoids.

 

Automobileaddiction.com sells a Cal Spyder Replica, and the door handles appear to be the same. You could contact them and see if they'd sell the parts.

In fact, I might do that myself....

 

there are no alteratives when it comes to a custom car you can have a bad ass custom car and leave the handles and it makes the car aper stock any type of door handle brakes up the lines ( like gas doors ) and suck just like most of the ones pictured in this thred , if door handles looked good do you realy think folks would be shaving them off ? the push button idea sounds good to me as well as the lincoln push button type ive had 10's of 20 cars with shaved door handles that were never a pain and worrie free door handles are like raidial tires they suck period some times "the look " over rides the hassle thats what hot rods and customs are all about , the only time i see handles work on a custom is in 40's cars but even then I would shave them shaved door handles should be at the top of your custom to do list
DOOR HANDLES SUCK AND LOOK LIKE CRAP PERIOD