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?

[JeffBowlsby]

That is purportedly 4702900001.

Its an oddity as mepstein described and also has the pressed sport wheels produced beginning in 1974.

Id say that its been customized somewhere along the line.

[wonkipop]

That is purportedly 4702900001.

Its an oddity as mepstein described and also has the pressed sport wheels produced beginning in 1974.

Id say that its been customized somewhere along the line.

think you would be right mr. bowlsby.
VW's idea of a restoration a few decades back?
creative updating done.

there are older photos of what i am sure is the same car held in VW collection.
i'm guessing it led a hard life early on as one of the test cars - so it might have been looking a bit worn sitting in the museum. or perhaps it got damaged and required restoration - and some liberties were taken.

wonder if its the same car that appears in test track footage running with other VWs. ] was also a red car with painted bumpers.
(maybe there was a batch of test cars and all the same).

in older photos the trim is chrome and the wheels are earlier vw standard wheels.
no hood badge either. in old photo it appears as if rear targa bar trim is red body color, as per photos above of its updated condition. also the body color painted headlight moulds are interesting.

oddly the test track photo is dated 1973 but i think that must be an error.
the footage i have seen relating to the b/w photo shows 411s not 412s on track and the photo has a 914 with a K70 which was introduced in 1970. i think the photo must date from early 1969 when both cars would have been in testing.