OEM Black Door Handles Options

[pfreiburger]

I am now quite certain that the factory did install some black door handles. I came to this determination in a roundabout (and expensive) way, starting when my inner hammer mechanic escaped and broke the driver door handle.

As no black ones exist, I picked up a new chrome (Sierra Madre) handle and was surprised to find that my old lock cylinder (after removing the black paint) would not fit the chrome handle. The length was fine, but it fit so tight it could not be turned. At all. Measuring the ID of the handle bores confirmed that the black handle was larger, even with paint on it. The used chrome-handle lock cylinder I bought on line later fit and turned in the new chrome handle just fine. And that used chrome handle cylinder definitely had more clearance when inserted in the old black handle. Measuring the cap ends of the lock cylinder confirmed it – the cylinder from the black handle was larger in diameter.

Dissimilar sized handle components are almost certainly no customizer job, and damn sure no hot rod job. The only conclusion I can draw is that Porsche had a supplier make a run of black handles, and for whatever reason some components were made a little different. This fits with what I found when I scraped some black paint from the broken handle: no evidence of chrome ever being applied to the casting. Lastly, there are factory pictures (albeit poor ones) of black A pillar cars that look like they have black handles also.

Am I missing another explanation?

[wonkipop]

strangely porsche appear to hold an unmolested 74 1.8 in their collection.
looks like it came straight off the production line.
(makes you wonder if they have any more from other years like that you never see).
a mate shot these images in mid noughties.
no surprises with black trim.

[bbrock]

strangely porsche appear to hold an unmolested 74 1.8 in their collection.
looks like it came straight off the production line.
(makes you wonder if they have any more from other years like that you never see).
a mate shot these images in mid noughties.
no surprises with black trim.

This is very close to the trim my car came with. Mine is a 73 2.0 that came with the "sport package" that included Fuchs 4-spoke wheels, front and rear sway bars, and center console; but black bumpers, black targa trim, no fog lights and no sail vinyl. Note that the door handles, windshield and window trim are still bright. My understanding is the sport package was offered after they dropped the appearance group from the base price sometime mid-73 model year and it does not appear to be common.