Grandprix door handle

[justacruzr2]

Need help. Bought 2 doors from Desert Valley for my 86 GP. Everything looked OK until I noticed the door handle stamp out and the lack of a lock cylinder hole. Anybody have any idea what heck this is? The only door handles I have ever seen on any Gbody are the chrome rectangular ones. The door is correct but where that door handle cutout came from is a mystery. It doesn’t look like the door skin was ever replaced and the door handle cutout looks factory stamped. check out the pictures.

 

[pagrunt]

Look inside for welding marks. Who knows what that door handle spot came from. Might need to contact Desert Valley about them if they were bought with out seeing the exact doors you were buying cause you will have to figure out what door handles are needed & how to get them to work.

 

[86LK]

looks more like a door panel from a modern vehicle, like an '08 Silverado, where the front is hinged and the rear pulls out, with a recessed pocket for the fingers to slip-thru

but.....

1986 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 5.0L 305cid V8 Outside Door Handle | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

BUICK	CENTURY	1976-1981
BUICK	ELECTRA	1977-1979
BUICK	ESTATE WAGON	1977-1979
BUICK	LESABRE	1977-1979
BUICK	REGAL	1976-1987
BUICK	RIVIERA	1977-1978
CHEVROLET	CAPRICE	1977-1979
CHEVROLET	EL CAMINO	1976-1987
CHEVROLET	IMPALA	1977-1979
CHEVROLET	LAGUNA	1976
CHEVROLET	MALIBU	1976-1983
CHEVROLET	MONTE CARLO	1976-1988
GMC	CABALLERO	1978-1987
GMC	SPRINT	1976-1977
OLDSMOBILE	98	1977-1979
OLDSMOBILE	CUSTOM CRUISER	1977-1979
OLDSMOBILE	CUTLASS	1981
OLDSMOBILE	CUTLASS CALAIS	1981-1984
OLDSMOBILE	CUTLASS CRUISER	1981-1983
OLDSMOBILE	CUTLASS SUPREME	1981-1988
OLDSMOBILE	DELTA 88	1977-1979
PONTIAC	BONNEVILLE	1977-1986
PONTIAC	CATALINA	1977-1979
PONTIAC	GRAND AM	1978-1980
PONTIAC	GRAND LEMANS	1976-1981
PONTIAC	GRAND PRIX	1976-1987
PONTIAC	GRAND SAFARI	1977-1978
PONTIAC	LAURENTIAN	1977-1979
PONTIAC	LEMANS	1976-1981
PONTIAC	PARISIENNE	1977-1979

 

[justacruzr2]

looks more like a door panel from a modern vehicle, like an '08 Silverado, where the front is hinged and the rear pulls out, with a recessed pocket for the fingers to slip-thru

but.....


That's what I thought too. There's also the possibility that it was some kind of custom door skin or maybe a Canadian, Mexican or European version of the Grand Prix. Anyway, I going to see if I can return them. Without knowing what year and version? of a Grand Prix this is from, I can't find the necessary parts to make these doors work. Would also consider changing door skins if anyone made door skins for the GP's.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Looking at the expanded pics, look how thick the skin is and the material buildup on the edges of the door. Those are full of bondo, likely for blending in the donor handle area. Sure hope you weren't sent pics beforehand, because I think they're going to say you own them if they did. I'd guess you're going to have a fight over freight either way.

 

[pagrunt]

There was only one exterior door handle used for the entire run of the '78-'88 A/G's, same as the '76 & '77 A's & '77-'79 B's along with a few other that was listed earlier in this thread. Full custom & full of headaches to make it work. It's cost prohibited for GM to just do different door handles/door skins for different markets unless that local market required by regulations. But I'd say GM would of skipped out that market.

 

[ELCAM]

That cutout and pocket looks very similar to some Toyotas.

 

[86LK]

There was only one exterior door handle used for the entire run of the '78-'88 A/G's, same as the '76 & '77 A's & '77-'79 B's along with a few other that was listed earlier in this thread. Full custom & full of headaches to make it work. It's cost prohibited for GM to just do different door handles/door skins for different markets unless that local market required by regulations. But I'd say GM would of skipped out that market.

I looked at what was available in RockAuto, and '88 had some kind of a vertical door handle, while these went all the way back to mid-70s. now they had external handles that stuck out in the 60s (like my 65 and 67 Impalas) but there was no "pocket" they designed in that I'm aware of . that was a later design trend that came about due to streamlining I think. and that square pocket looks like one for a truck so a gloved hand can fit in.

 

[pagrunt]

I looked at what was available in RockAuto, and '88 had some kind of a vertical door handle, while these went all the way back to mid-70s. now they had external handles that stuck out in the 60s (like my 65 and 67 Impalas) but there was no "pocket" they designed in that I'm aware of . that was a later design trend that came about due to streamlining I think. and that square pocket looks like one for a truck so a gloved hand can fit in.

The '88 vertical door handle would be for the W body Grand Prix, Cutlass & Regal. I remember my '72 Monte was like your Impalas & didn't have the pocket.

 

[86 Salon]

Are you sure that it's the correct door?