shaving door handles

[Guest REX STALLION]

can anyone walk me through shaving the door handles on my `64 ? :confused:

[steelman]

Do a Google search. Several videos on YouTube, but nothing specific to our cars, but the same principle applies.

[oldstyle]

You'll need to be able to do body work to fill the holes. Welding, fiberglass/bondo, and paint.

You can buy a shaved handle kit (autoloc makes them) with solenoids and instructions. Solenoids and remotes can fail so that's something to consider. Nothing like getting locked out of your own car...

[Guest REX STALLION]

You'll need to be able to do body work to fill the holes. Welding, fiberglass/bondo, and paint.

You can buy a shaved handle kit (autoloc makes them) with solenoids and instructions. Solenoids and remotes can fail so that's something to consider. Nothing like getting locked out of your own car...

Thats what concerns me, on other cars you can access the solenoids by taking off the door panel... I don`t really want to take off the door skin if I run into trouble. Hmmm.

[RivNut]

You might want to consider an auxiliary cable of some kind. I've seen articles in the past that show running a cable from the latch through the door jam boot and into the inner fender well.

At least with the Riviera, there's no internal hood release (unless you've made this modification as well) that will prevent you from getting to the battery if it dies. Plus, the chances of both remotes going belly up simultaneously are probably pretty remote; you'll just have to open the passenger door first.

Are you planning to use a remote to trigger the solenoid or use a hidden button that's tied directly to your battery?

There's no reason that you can't cut an access hole in your door to access the remote. That way you would only have to remove the inner panel, not the skin.

Don't forget, you'll need something like door poppers to push the door open once you trigger the solenoid. New door seals will help with this as well.

Edited March 19, 2011 by RivNut (see edit history)

[tim63riv]

Rex,

I guess it would depend on the look that yo want; are you down on door handles like the Riv has or looking for that custom smooth look? There are quite a few late model cars and trucks that have a smooth, flush door handle that would allow for a custom look and still have a mechanical linkage and the ability to open the door with the handle.

If you truly want a custom look with no door handles, I would recommend a type of mechanical back up to the electrics or just do what a lot of the custom car drivers do, leave the windows down!

Tim

[bb1970]

I thought about shaving the door handles on my '65. I really wanted a smooth look down the side. But I didn't want the hassle of how to get in if I had no power. I even considered just deleting them and as suggested above leaving a window down and reaching in to open the door. I always park a shows with the windows open anyhow. I'm rarely out in bad weather in the Buick. But I left the door handles alone. Instead I filled all the Riviera emblem holes on the sides and the rear. I really like the Riv emblem gone on the ass end. I took the the trunk emblem off and took it apart. Re-painted the shield and put it back on. It looks good all alone back there. I know you '63 is not the same as the '65. I just got to ramblin' on a bit.