Door handles...did you ever wonder?

[Spudz27]

Oh god I remember my XE. Door handles all the time. The classic was actually having someone go to open the door, only to have the handle break off. My fondest memory was the drivers door wouldn't open from the inside, no biggie, I couldn't be bothered to fix it. Just wound down the window and and opened it from the outside lol. That was until one day a cop asked to do a yellow sticker check. He looks over the car and compliments me on how well kept the old girl was, then asked me to step out so he could check indicators etc, of course I put my hamd out to open from the outside. Instant yellow sticker, but the bloke was nice enough to extend my date for inspection by 30 days so I could enjoy christmas.

[fordOwner]

Ive always noticed the door handle thing.
My XH door handles feel as if im reloading a Lee Enfield WW2 rifle.

On a side note, if you roll a new mercedes Gull Wing there are sensors somewhere on the car that recognises when the car has been rolled and it will activate tiny detonators in the door hinges to blow them off so you can get in/out of the cabin!

[Olbucko]

Originally Posted by fordOwner

Ive always noticed the door handle thing.
My XH door handles feel as if im reloading a Lee Enfield WW2 rifle.

You are comparing one of the more precise and solid examples of engineering from the 20th century with one of the most flimsy bits of dicast crap ever to be screwed to the side of a motor car!!!

[fordOwner]

Originally Posted by Olbucko

You are comparing one of the more precise and solid examples of engineering from the 20th century with one of the most flimsy bits of dicast crap ever to be screwed to the side of a motor car!!!

haha, im refering to the bolt action feel. But I see your point. Sorry if I have offended anyone.

[Olbucko]

Originally Posted by fordOwner

haha, im refering to the bolt action feel. But I see your point. Sorry if I have offended anyone.

Not offended at all, just amused. I had XDs, XEs and a ZL for years, got very good at changing handles in the end. The XE front doors were easy to do, but the handles on the rear doors of the ZL were a bit more of a challenge.

[2011G6E]

Our TE Cortina was also afflicted by those door handles as well, as was our XC Fairmont to a lesser extent...as you say, you get very very good at changing them, don't you...

[ltd]

Whilst it may be a good anecdote, there is an actual proper reason why companies went from the flush fit to the protruding.
Firstly, was security. The flush fit door handles require a large hole to be cut in the door skin, which means that any would be thief could simply use a screwdriver to pop one side of the handle mould as there were only 2 or 3 nuts, and then they have access to the lock and door rod actuators.
EF/EL's were notorious, as were all the commodores before VE.
FG handles only have two relatively small holes which require needle nose plyers for a thief to access.
Secondly (and unique to Australia) was the proliferation in the warmer months to find something like this under the handle:

[Till_Lind]

I like my Falcon's open-uppey-underneath style handles, and I love that Alfa Romeo still have the same sort on their cars.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by fordOwner

On a side note, if you roll a new mercedes Gull Wing there are sensors somewhere on the car that recognises when the car has been rolled and it will activate tiny detonators in the door hinges to blow them off so you can get in/out of the cabin!

HAHAHA I'd love to see Ford Australia to try something like that, with their engineering prowess you'd survive the the roll over only to be killed by the "tiny detonator" blowing your head off.

[12slotter]

.......and speaking of door handles, does anyone have a spare one of these jiggers or know of who sells them .

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by Till_Lind

I like my Falcon's open-uppey-underneath style handles, and I love that Alfa Romeo still have the same sort on their cars.

Wonder what the handle on the front guard does?

[Werd.]

Originally Posted by loftie

Wonder what the handle on the front guard does?

Switches the relay to turn the indicator on.

[Madaya]

Don't do this often, but - LOL -, even . Thanks mate, I needed that chuckle.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Our TE Cortina was also afflicted by those door handles as well, as was our XC Fairmont to a lesser extent...as you say, you get very very good at changing them, don't you...

Ive seen many XC variant models with busted handles,every handle in my XC had been replaced a few times in its life
After sourcing a factory black handle, i wasnt amused when on first trying the plastic threaded thing stripped the thread
Quick trip threw the parts bin,nissan patrol door supplied a heavier guage rod and a bit thatll never strip out
Dont even need to half lift handle now,sweet as

[Till_Lind]

Originally Posted by Werd.

Switches the relay to turn the indicator on.

Originally Posted by Werd.

Switches the relay to turn the indicator on.

Lol, nice work guys.

[Jastel]

I prefer the B series flat handles. Look at a FG taxi and the paint is nearly scraped off behind the handles from....yes, fingernails and rings.
Wonder if the fingernail lady thought of the damage she would do to the paint...

While it was scraped on the B series as well it was mostly hidden.

[DaveD]

Quoting a post doesn't seem to be working for me tonight so I'll do it this way. This is from the OP - first post.

"So she actually got her designers and engineers to all dress up as women, and then climb in and out of SUV's and see what they noticed...things like dresses getting caught on seat adjusters, door catches, high heels snagging on things, etc."

OMG, that is funny!

[Till_Lind]

I got another car based purely on my favourite door handle design


Not really, but they sure do look better than FG handles.