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Classic/Antique Car Repair/1955 Buick Inside Door Handle Removal

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 2/9/2009


Question
Paul:
Attempting to remove door handle/widow handles for a 1955 Buick Super coupe.  Door window handle has a spring loaded bezel but I see no clip under it.  The vent window/door handle are mounted on the upper door against a metal trim plate with no give in the bezel and no room to slide any tool between the bezel and the plate.
Any help in removal would be appreciated.
Thanks

Answer
Hi, Greg!

These handles are held on by a "C" type wire clip. This clip is flush with the door panel, and cannot be seen without a good space between the panel and the handle, and an inspection mirror. However, sliding the proper tool behind the handle itself, between the handle and door panel, will remove the clip in record time.

Here's the proper tool:

http://www.hpcworld.com/Tools/t_ast3.htm

Good luck! It does take awhile to get the hang of it, but once you do, it's a snap.

--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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