914rubber door handles, Any experience with them? Options

[horizontally-opposed]

Did a search and didn't see anything, but perhaps I didn't do the search right.

Specifically interested in fitment and how close they are to factory NOS...as well as any design improvements? Mine work okay, but the chrome is tired and the thought of rechroming fatigued metal is unappealing. NOS means a search, while I wonder about the quality of later factory parts given what we've seen. The 914rubber pieces could be a nice alternative, but I'd love some pics and feedback from those who bought them.

Thanks in advance!

pete

[saigon71]

My doors get a lot of use and I've been through several door handles in the past 5 years - all flapper related failures, specifically, the "lifters" that run along both sides that operate the plastic actuator. Tired of getting a year or so out of a $40-$50, 50 yr old part, I went with one of these for $92.

I'm a fan of these handles. I like the fit and finish and found the price reasonable. Thanks to 914rubber for making these available.

As others have mentioned though, it's not a perfect fit, but I didn't find the required modification too bad.

In all the pictures below, the OEM handle is photographed 1st, with the aftermarket handle 2nd. The lock cylinder didn't fit quite as flush in the aftermarket handle. It was pretty close though, so I didn't worry about it:





On to the lock cylinder. It is indeed too long. When you install the lock and tighten the screw on the end of the lock actuator, it binds and wont allow you to turn the key in the lock. I took some measurements and found this recess in the aftermarket lock to be about .012 deeper than the OEM lock:









I worked the edge down on a flat surface with some emory cloth. In a few minutes, I was where I needed to be:





Installation was smooth after that. When my passenger side handle breaks, I will probably go this route again.