Help! My Door Handle Broke!

[Human]

So, Friday evening, I was out in the convertible, enjoying the relatively cool weather, and stopped at my favorite used bookstore. When I went to leave, my driver's door handle broke Fortunately, I could still get in the passenger side and open the driver's door from the inside. When I looked on Rock Auto's website, I found they only had the passenger side handle, so I then checked eBay. There are plenty of aftermarket handles available at prices ranging from about $46 to $56. The cheaper ones are all the same brand, Brock, and come with a one-year warranty. The more expensive ones have better warranties, but the fitment lists are inconsistent regarding whether the handles will fit the convertible. Some, mostly the cheaper Brock handles, which have a 'paint-to-match' finish, which I interpret to be just primer, say they will fit the convertible, but the more expensive ones, which are available in the appropriate gloss black finish, typically say they won't. So this begs the question: Are the door handles for W-body Cutlass Supreme coupes and convertibles the same or different? Or to put it another way, just how screwed am I?

There's a Pull-A-Part yard about 40 minutes away that shows a '93 Cutlass Supreme coupe in inventory that's been on the yard since mid-July. I'm struggling with whether to go see if it has what I need. I'd be gambling the gas and a $2 gate fee to find out if a) the door handle is still on the car, and b) if it's broken or not. If it's intact, it would only cost me about $16, including the gate fee, but I'd also be buying 30 years of metal fatigue on a handle that would have a 30-day warranty. My gut tells me to pay the higher price and go for the brand new one.

I welcome your thoughts

[rich_e777]

Anything aftermarket is going to be hit or miss, I bought one from Autozone awhile back made in Taiwan and it seems better quality than some others in the past from Mexico or China. They still offer both sides.

As far as coupe vs Vert handles they should be the same. 

[bluecalais79]

x2 on the AutoZone product, I got one from them as well. It really is hit or miss with these door handles. I actually had to bend mine to fit the contour of the door. Now that shouldn't be, but it is. 

[Human]

Thanks for your input. I would expect an aftermarket part to have a slightly imperfect fit. That's just the nature of the beast. I've had some frustrating communications with various sellers, one of which simply referred me back to the eBay listing, apparently assuming I hadn't read it in its entirety. I also got into a lengthy text conversation with a rep at another site (I assume it was a human being, but you never can tell these days) who didn't even know where the door handles are located on these cars. Be that as it may, I'll give them credit for at least trying to be helpful, even if they just parroted what was on the product description, without adding any new or useful information. All that said, I think I've pretty well decided to order one off of eBay that has a gloss finish and a 10-year warranty, and is the same price as the paint-to-match units. The listing does not show that it fits the convertible, only the coupe, but I'm with you, Rich, I believe it should fit either, since the convertibles began life as coupes before their tops were chopped off. Question on the AutoZone handles--Did you have to bend it to give it more of a curve or straighten it to reduce the curvature? I'm guessing probably the former. I've also decided against the salvage handle, even if it does cost only a third as much, simply because of its age and likelihood of existing metal fatigue. As much as I enjoy picking parts off of junk cars, it just doesn't make much sense in this case.

 

[Human]

So, I just found a thread in the Cutlass Supreme Convertible section that I wish I'd seen earlier. It is a pretty comprehensive list of parts interchanges between 'verts and coupes. It seems the door handles are identical. My door handle should arrive sometime between Thursday and next Monday, so we'll see for sure then. I'm hoping it will arrive on the earlier end of that time frame so I can install it this coming weekend.

Here's the link:

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Human

[rich_e777]

I didn't have to physically bend the replacement but the way they should be installed will form the part to the contour of the door. Tighten the lower self threading nut about halfway down the door first then as you tighten the top one it should pull the handle into place. Then swap the lock over and the anti-theft clip if equipped.  

Also on the small piece that is riveted on that pivots freely at the bottom of the assembly, where it slides up and down on the other lever portion. Ive rounded that edge off with a file and smear some grease on it every once in awhile and its not broke since. 

Also its all in the way you open the door too, only pull enough to pop the door open, grab it somewhere else to pull on it. 

[Human]

Rich,

Thanks for those insights. I'll be sure to keep them in mind when I install the new handle, hopefully this weekend. It's scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, but they're calling for rain on Saturday, so my first opportunity will likely be Sunday. I'm hoping the forecast is wrong and I can get it done Saturday.

Knowing the fragility of those door handles, I've always tried to be gentle with them, but the driver's door got out of adjustment last spring and I found myself tugging on the handle harder than I should have to get the door open. I eventually figured out how to adjust the rods and things went back to working normally, but I guess the damage was already done by that point and it was only a matter of time before the thing gave way.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Human

[Human]

So, the door handle arrived today, right on schedule, and despite eBay's fitment guide showing that it fits only coupes and not convertibles, it fit my ragtop like a glove. Installation took a little more than an hour, including time to figure out just what the hell I was doing. Surprisingly, my two-volume factory service manual does not include instructions for replacing the door handle.

The only issue I'm having is getting it adjusted properly. Right now, it takes a couple of pulls on the handle to get the door open. I'm going to have to take everything back apart so I can get everything adjusted properly. I think what happened was, despite my best efforts, the nut at the top of the rod that operates the door latch got turned a few times while I was trying to free the old handle, leaving the rod too short. I won't be able to do anything about it tomorrow, because we'll be experiencing the fringes of a tropical storm off the Carolina coast. Sunday might be a better possibility. I'll keep you updated.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Human

[Human]

The door is fixed!

The weekend's rain and a busy schedule on Sunday kept me from adjusting it, but the weather was nice today, so I made it a priority. The whole process took less than half an hour, including gathering tools. Taking things apart the second time went a lot easier since I knew what I was doing. I couldn't get the rod separated from the handle, so I took the handle off of the car, except for that, and then gave it a few turns raise the position of the 'nut' that attaches the rod to the handle. It only had to go up a couple of millimeters, and now it opens smoother than it ever did before.

Now, it's time to go out and take a little celebratory ride. Tomorrow, I'll be driving it to work, weather permitting, so I can take it for its annual state inspection on the way home. The registration expires in a few days, and I need to get that in the mail.

[rich_e777]

Now clean the inside of the door where the hinges are and wipe the door seals and window sweeps out real good. The hinges and door check Ive always used a bit of grease from the gun thats used to pump up ball joints and tie rod ends. Typical high pressure grease, a little dab smeared all over the contact point seems good enough after the door is worked back and forth a bit. Rubber seals, weather stripping and window sweeps take silicone based lubricant to keep them for as long as possible.

After they`re cleaned I spray a rag with the silicone lube and wipe just the rubber, it`ll damage clear coat and paint.

[Human]

Just a late postscript to this thread: When I informed the seller that the door handle does indeed fit a Cutlass convertible, even though the fitment guide says it only fits coupes, they replied that since I had used the part on a non-approved vehicle, the warranty would be void. Never mind the fact that the same OEM part is used for both. Fortunately, the door handle is working perfectly, and given how little I drive the car (barely over 1,000 miles in the past year), I do not anticipate another door handle failure in the near future.

[rich_e777]

You told on yourself, next time you need a handle dont even bring up the mention of convertible. But thats also a piss poor seller as well and it should be reflected in your feedback.

Theres no other place in the world with more info on the Cutlass Verts than the people on this website or possibly FB group. Ive never had to second guess the advice from here, even from Breakdown.