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]

much of the written material that has surfaced on the project in the last half decade draws on this article published in 1980 in germany by Dr. Rudiger Etzold. you need to be able to read german.

however there are extensive illustrations including blue prints.
the blueprints outline the alternative mid engined v front engine - rear transaxle possibilities from 1967-69.

https://sowirdsgemacht.com/articles/view/vw...in-serie-gingen


i'm guessing the 914/8 built by Pieche's team was more than just a demonstration of what the chassis was capable of handling - it was a proof of concept for the next generation of flagship car to replace the 911 - mid engined and not rear engined and with power somewhere in the vicinity of 250hp. at that time the 911S in top spec was i think still under 200hp max. Piech's proposed water cooled flat 8 reportedly derived from the in line flat 4 for VW probably could have mustered that kind of hp fully developed.
There was a 6 on the boards as well. I guess it was developed out of the flat in line 3 for VW.

I can't find anything much about these watercooled flat 6 and flat 8 engines - apart from mention that Leuling ordered the destruction of Piech's prototype 8 that had been built and was under testing.