Shaved door handles have been a popular modification on customs almost as long as customs have been popular. Removing the outer handles always adds a lot of impact, even on a mild custom. The simplicity of this modification is also an attractive feature; almost anybody can accomplish the basics with a few common shop tools.
If you have a mid-'50s and later custom, shaving the handles is pretty simple, as the latches are mostly rod actuated, with remote outer handles. This means the outer handle is not directly tied to the latch. A new solenoid cable can then be tied to the outer handle actuator on the latch and the job is done.
Older cars, however, are a little different. Most early-'50s and older cars use door handles that are tied directly to the latch via a square rod that when turned, twists the rod and opens the latch. An effective design, but using this style of latch when shaving the outer handles can create a problem when determining where the solenoid goes.
While it is possible to attach the cable to the latch at the same point where the interior handle rod mounts, this often leads to binding and excessive wear on the solenoid, eventually causing a failure. There is, however, a better solution. Using a section of the original outer handle square rod and a bit of scrap sheetmetal, the latch can be modified to accept the solenoid cable, leaving the inner handle as is.
To demonstrate the process, we modified a set of latches on our '47 Plymouth business coupe project. With a set of solenoids from AutoLoc, there is plenty of power on tap to operate the latches and the inner handles don't bind up.
The stock exterior door handles...
The stock exterior door handles and latches were unbolted from the door. Then the inner handles were removed so the latch could come out of the door.
The latches, although dirty,...
The latches, although dirty, were still in good working order; they just needed a little modification for the shaved handles.
The square stock fit right...
The square stock fit right in the latch hole.
We put the stock door handle...
We put the stock door handle in a vise and cut off the end. If the stock handles are not available or in the "to be sold on eBay" pile, square stock can be purchased at your local metal shop.
We used a die-grinder to clean...
We used a die-grinder to clean and add a bevel to each edge of the square peg in preparation for the weld. We then created a short lever using some scrap 16-gauge steel.
We welded the peg to the latch...
We welded the peg to the latch from the backside, being careful not to weld the rotating assembly to the outer latch bracket (otherwise the latch will not work).
We only needed a short section...
We only needed a short section of stock. We cannibalized one handle for both sides. If the piece is too long, it will put more stress on the latch and solenoid.
Once the two pieces were welded...
Once the two pieces were welded together, the bolt was removed and the hole was welded. It is important that these welds hold, so use a good welder. We smoothed the welds and test fit the new lever in the latch.
We were also shaving the door...
We were also shaving the door lock, so before the latch could be used, the locking mechanism under the small cover next to the spring had to be removed.
The cable was looped through...
The cable was looped through the lever and locked down with a ferrule. Some people only crimp these in the middle, but the correct way is to crimp both sides.
The cover was held in place...
The cover was held in place with four tabs (three on the bottom and one on the side). Once the cover was out of the way, the locking mechanism was removed.
The latch was reinstalled...
The latch was reinstalled using the stock hardware. (We'll adjust it later to get everything opening and shutting smoothly.) The placement of the solenoid dictated the need for this piece.
The solenoid was mounted low...
The solenoid was mounted low on the door. While it is shown on the outside of the door, it will eventually be moved to the inside once all the adjustments are made.