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Finding, making, or adapting slider door handle?
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epowell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:00 am    Post subject: Finding, making, or adapting slider door handle? Reply with quote

Hi Folks

I'll soon be returning to Vancouver to begin work on my new '82 van I now have there and probably the biggest headache I will have right off the bat is somehow getting a replacement slider door handle (affordably) or even making one... or perhaps just using a LATER (shorter) version, or even a BayBus handle or whatever. . . .

...I can not seem to find them available (EARLY or LATE) models.

When I was looking for front door handles crazyvwvanman suggested an alternative part number. My parts guy could not find anything, but when I gave him this alternative part number he found excellent new handles for $7 each!! ....maybe wishful thinking that some alternative company is also making slider door handles. Question

I still have a broken old one - maybe that can be fixed.
...or maybe a visit to Vancouver junk yards might yield a nice result?

Otherwise I would even consider making one. Recently in Albania I saw a van with a ghetto-fix handle. And later saw the exact same ghetto fix on a T3 in Montenegro also!

Any help or suggestions would be highly welcome, Thanks
Ed

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dobryan
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:13 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Does this help?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1915576
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:17 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

The Google-fu is weak in this one.

Try this search: vanagon handle|handles pts site:craigslist.org

If you want to get fancy you can use the tools button to time-limit it to only posts in the last week or month.

There's also one on ebay. Search: vanagon cargo outer handle

Of course, that ghetto handle is unique and one may consider the absence of an outside slider lock/unlock feature as a security upgrade.
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Last edited by sanchius on Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:23 am; edited 1 time in total
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epowell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:20 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

dobryan wrote:
Does this help?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1915576


It might...

...foolishly I should have looked in the Bosnian junkyard while recently there. However Vancouver is full of Vanagons so I might get lucky there.
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epowell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:25 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

sanchius wrote:
The Google-fu is weak in this one.

Try this search: vanagon slider handle|handles pts site:craigslist.org

If you want to get fancy you can use the tools button to time-limit it to only posts in the last week or month.

There's also one on ebay. Search: vanagon cargo outer handle

Of course, that ghetto handle is unique and one may consider the absence of an outside slider lock/unlock feature as a security upgrade.


Thanks I'll try those searches also.

Regarding the ghetto fix - both that I saw obviously had used the U-shaped piece that is part of the sliding door mechanism... I wonder if this particular piece is particularly easy to adapt to make a door handle... here on this foto you can see part of it.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


THIS is all I have existing now on my van.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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epowell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:51 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Here are some better views of the U-shaped piece. It actually looks like all it would need would be for once end to be ground down to a square shape, and then in the end of that square shaped part, a hole drilled and tapped so the screw from the inside can secure it.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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mikemtnbike
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:54 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

I'm thinking about what was going on when I last removed my door handle and I don't think this is going to be too hard to rig up Ed if you can't find an insta-replacement. If you have to, why not bring the Czech van handle with you to Canada, look at the fitment, and figure it out then?
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epowell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:59 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

mikemtnbike wrote:
I'm thinking about what was going on when I last removed my door handle and I don't think this is going to be too hard to rig up Ed if you can't find an insta-replacement. If you have to, why not bring the Czech van handle with you to Canada, look at the fitment, and figure it out then?


Actually.... good thinking. A short term solution can be just to remove my brand new Czech van handle, bring it to Canada and use it while I'm there... then when it's time to return to Czech, just remove it and bring it back with me. Nobody is using my vans when I'm not there... so this could work. It takes me all of 2 min. to remove a handle.
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mikemtnbike
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:05 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

You're probably starting the new wave in theft deterrence, just remove all the handles every time you park the van.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:09 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Smaller, durable van parts are usually available from Way Out Salvage, in Kingston, AR, (Bigger or softer, like seats, not so likely.) at 479-665-4126, email at salvage1@madisoncounty,net. Even if you settle this search via one of the suggestions above, do put WayOut into your Van-aid list for future searches.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:07 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

So far... what I think is the best solution is to take my Czech handle to Canada to make sure that IT works fine. Then, if by then I have not found a replacement, I can get a cheap local machine-shop here in town to either make me a new one, or repair my old broken one...
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:52 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Are you asking about the outer handle on the sliding door? The pictures above are throwing me off. The reason I ask is that I believe I have seen the later outer handle on the early vanagon sliding door. It's noticeable because the later handle is shorter and the indent for the handle is larger. Maybe someone can chime in. The later version of the handle is still available, but I don't think they can be rekeyed to work with the original van key.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:21 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

MarkWard wrote:
Are you asking about the outer handle on the sliding door? The pictures above are throwing me off. The reason I ask is that I believe I have seen the later outer handle on the early vanagon sliding door. It's noticeable because the later handle is shorter and the indent for the handle is larger. Maybe someone can chime in. The later version of the handle is still available, but I don't think they can be rekeyed to work with the original van key.


Yeah, this is what I am wondering. Why not just use a later sliding door handle on the early van. I don't give a crap about re-keying. I tried re-keying all my old locks and ended up with locks which can be opened by practically any VW key (my bad of course)... but now I have a different (and original) key for every door lock on my van. I have no problem with that.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:32 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

It looks like the new style handle sells new in Germany for 20 Euro or so.

Mark
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:45 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
It looks like the new style handle sells new in Germany for 20 Euro or so.

Mark


Really? I was searching and couldn't find that - are you using this part number: 251 843 704 ?

Mark, do you know if it is possible to use the later handle on early vans if re-keying is not wanted?
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:11 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

The early handles break more often and lots of people use the later handle on early vans. The later tip curves closer to the paint so a slight nipping of the tip is probably a good idea.

This photo from the Gallery shows both handles and a nipped tip later one. Less nip is ok I think.


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Mark
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:28 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
The early handles break more often and lots of people use the later handle on early vans. The later tip curves closer to the paint so a slight nipping of the tip is probably a good idea.

This photo from the Gallery shows both handles and a nipped tip later one. Less nip is ok I think.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Mark


This is great - then most likely I'll just use a LATER handle.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:33 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Another question: I'm confused about "left" side or "right" side. I would guess that the sliding door on American vans would be RIGHT side, and on UK vans LEFT side >>> am I correct?
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:43 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

Does this look like the right one?
https://www.ebay.de/itm/123876672302
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:25 am    Post subject: Re: Finding, making, or adapting SLIDER DOOR HANDLE ? Reply with quote

To add to the post above. Old-timer will ship to the US if you ask. I have bought a few things from them in the past.
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