EL CAMINO Exterior door handle help

[James Griffith]

Oh, forgot to add this too. Pic of the passenger side handle, the one that fits in the door. The rod doe NOT fit through the hole. Can I drill this out a little bit to get it through, or is that a bad idea? and clearly I figured out the pics thing lol...I'll edit the above post....

 

[Mike T]

The handles for my Malibu were like the ones you have. I got at Auto Zone several years ago. I think i paid about $14 for the pair. the Camino handles look exactly the same.

 

[Mike T]

If the hole is too small it probably means the the handle goes on a different GM model. If making the hole bigger doesn't leave the metal around the hole too thing (so it won't crack or break) it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[James Griffith]

Great, so I have two different door handles for two different other GM vehicles? lol......sweet!!!!!

 

[Clutch]

Get some rusty junk doors and strip them

 

[Mike T]

James, that just means you will have a very cosmopolitan ride. Just make sure the wheels and tires all match.

 

[James Griffith]

Ha!! Yeah, I am still planning on doing a junk yard search, but I don't want to get into the habit of doing that because I am going to end up with a whole other car here, but it'll be scrap, money I could be spending on new parts!!

 

[Mike T]

LOL, I actually did that. I had a 76 Camino that somebody hit. It still ran but some of the front end body pieces were ca-ca. I found a 76 Malibu in the paper (Yes, I am that old) that some guy was selling for parts. I went to look at it and it was the whole car. He left me alone with the car for about 1/2 hour and I figured out why he couldn't make it run. Paid him $200 for the car, signed the bill of sale and title, went home and brought back some tools and starting fluid, started the car and drove it home. HE WAS PISSED AND MAMA WAS EVEN MORE PISSED!! I actually drove that car for over a year and then traded it an $400 for a 68 Camaro 350/4 speed. Best $200 I ever spent.

 

[Mike T]

Ok, some pics of what I have here.......

The two door handles were ordered by an old friend, and they mismatch. the passenger side fits, the driver's side does not. I can make it fit, but I'd have to cut a small piece of the door off so that the arm will clear for installation. Not excited about that AT ALL!!

side by side, driver's handle on the left:
View attachment 85543


driver's side door, you can see the paint chips where the handle hits, and also it looks like someone tried to bend the metal to make it fit:
View attachment 85544

Driver's side, you can see it hitting on the bottom right:
View attachment 85545 View attachment 85546

Passenger side, the one that fits:
View attachment 85547

Thanks for the info on the hardware, I will try to scare some up. I also need to find clips for the rods and a small screw for the gauge cluster bezel/face, the short one right by the vent on the driver's side. That's another thread......

Again, thank you all for the help!!

JL

I can still buy most of that kind of stuff right down the street at the auto-parts place. If you have a hard time finding something let me know. If I can get it here local, I can always send it to you.

 

[James Griffith]

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I am talking to a guy in Kennewick, WA who, along with his business partner, have a car business and they pretty much are El Camino doctors. I sent him a pile of pics and he is helping me work through them.

Interesting nugget - he said there is a gap in GM G body parts designs. everything says 78-87, but apparently 84, 85 & 86 have a few mismatches in the door handle and some other parts from the rest of the G body cars of those years and different from the rest of the 78 and up El's. He is trying to help me get straight on what I have in hand for parts (again, an old friend ordered "everything I'll need"). Whatever I find out I'll post here!!

~JL