Topic: Can this door handle be repaired?


jim5618    -- 06-22-2011 @ 8:02 AM
  The door handle itself is ok, it is the thinner metal that attaches it to the body that is shot. I have no idea if they seperate and therfore I can get one off antother briken handle? Also, I have the correct window crank that I thought I was mising but it has broken where the square hole is that the shaft goes in. I am assuming you can't rebuild that part? Cant the knob be daken off and transfered ot one with a lost knob?

Last question. I am trying to leave it as found as much as possible, but I am afraid this transmision cover will deteriorate further. I am thinking of putting a por 15 repair on the under side only. If I do that is it just going to continue to rust from the top?


jim5618    -- 06-22-2011 @ 8:03 AM
  this is the pan. I don't have a photo of the window crank


supereal    -- 06-22-2011 @ 10:06 AM
  Most door handles are readily available, and not terribly expensive. You will find several pages of them in the C&G online catalog. www.cgfordparts.com Usually, it is better to replace than repair handles because the plating is often bad, too. As for floorboards, if they are rusted through, painting will seldom help much. I'm not a big fan of POR. It is very expensive and even with POR primer, we have found that it often peels away from rust, anyway. There are lots of special coatings at eastwood.com


trjford8    -- 06-22-2011 @ 7:19 PM
  Jim, as I recall you are working on a 32 Ford. If your photo is the door handle off the 32 it is not a correct outside handle. You need to find a good used handle. They are stainless steel and you can find them at swap meets. If the inside handle has a chunk broke off the square it is really not fixable. It is potmetal and not a good grade of potmetal. There are some people who can weld potmetal but it is very difficult and expensive. Save the knob and look for another good used handle. The transmission cover can be saved. Get it good and clean and then use the POR-15 cloth to cover the holes and then coat with the POR-15 paint.


jim5618    -- 06-23-2011 @ 4:03 AM
  The outside door handle is an extra I found in the spare parts bowl (ford deluxe Hubcap). I am making sure before I dispose of them that they are not any good. I did plan to at least hold on to the window crank knob as I have seen handles for sale with out the knob. The transmission plate is decent other than the one hole. The question is: is it a waste of time to only do one side? I was going to leave the top weathered the way it is, but don't want it to deteriorate more.


TomO    -- 06-23-2011 @ 7:16 AM
  If you leave any rust on either side, it will continue to rust, even with POR.

Tom


ford38v8    -- 06-23-2011 @ 3:27 PM
  TomO is right about the hole and rust. This is the same as rust holes in the body being repaired on the outside only. Rust from the inside goes through the hole and undermines the repair on the outside. Bodymen used to drill holes and use a slide hammer to pull out dents. Now they use the weld-on studs with the slide hammer for that reason.

If you want to preserve the cover in an arrested state of decay, use Rustmort. This will convert the rust to iron oxide which will in itself be a preservative. Rustmort is available from Eastwood, and I believe is also available from some paint shops. It will leave the panel a natural darkened color, and is also paintable if you wish. The only requirement is that loose rust scale be wirebrushed off. Don't wirebrush to shiny metal, as the chemical process needs the rust to activate. Use it with adequate ventilation.

Alan


jim5618    -- 06-23-2011 @ 4:13 PM
  That is what I thought. The floor boards are new so I might as well strip it down repair it and paint it like new.


51f1    -- 06-23-2011 @ 5:36 PM
  My experience has been that these old cars and trucks rust from the inside. They get wet inside and don't dry out.

Richard


jim5618    -- 06-25-2011 @ 4:38 PM
  mine hasn't been wet is 50 years....LOL It also seems to have the oil and grease and sand "rustproofing" underneath.


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