Everyday, I do custom body modifications for cars since I work in an auto body shop. There was one day when I need to pull out a Limo out of a Ford Taurus. There have been many kinds of modifications which I do, including one of the most common ones, shaving door handles.
What is exactly you do when you are shaving your car door handles? Shaving your door handles means that you eliminate your outer door handles and then fill the area to create a smooth appearance. If you do this in the right way, then the result will last for a long time. However, if you do it incorrectly, it will come back and haunt you in no time.
When you shave your door handles, start with removing the inner panel of the door. The details maybe different for each car, but it will definitely contain removing screws and clips. In special cases, you will need to use special tool to remove the hidden screws and clips. They are usually attached in door handles or window crank handles.
After removing the inner panel, pull up the window fully so you are be able to get inside of the to the inside of the handle of the outer doors. When doing this, you will need a flashlight and a very skinny pair of hands. Most outer door handles in cars are attached to bolts that can only be accessed from the inside. You need to detach all the rods that are attached to the door handle so they will not interfere with anything inside the door.
Remove all the parts that may interfere with the movements in the inside including your door lock key cylinder. This will make you to put another extra key since the remote popper unit will be useless. Some people choose the cheaper way by modifying the door handle rod and attach it to the door lock cylinder. With this arrangement, you now can use your key to activate the door latch instead of the lock.
Whatever way you choose, the full shaving option or eliminating the handle and cylinder, you will have at least one whole day to work on. If you want the result to endure, then you should use metal and weld in some metal patches before. If you cannot do it, then you need to go to someone who can. This rule will not be applicable though, if the car has fiberglass body panels.
Next, you need to grind up the metal around the area, eliminating the paint, and roughening up the area. You can buy the products which are available in spray cans and apply the products on the metal. The products protects the metal from rust and fire during the welding process. After you have your metal patches applied, it is time to fill the area you already ground and cleaned before. Sand the fiberglass and use plastic body filler in thin coats when you want to do more shaping. You need to do this over and over again until you are sure that there are no more air bubbles trapped in the filler.
After all is done, then you need to apply a good quality primer to the repair area. You can use 220 grit sandpaper to make sure that the primer is smooth. When you finish with this step, then the next thing is to apply the last primer to the surrounding area and sand it with 320 or 400 grit of sand paper. Remember not to leave your car in primer for a long time since it may catches rust. Paint it immediately.
Painting is a very delicate matter, so if you never paint before, you will need to get a professional do it for you. Ask the painter you hired too whether the repair is good enough to be paint. If the answer is no, then ask your painter if he can do the final prep work and how much it will cost.
After the shaving is done, now you need to buy a remote popper kit and install it in your car so you can get in. The kits usually include complete instructions, yet if you are not good at electricity, you may want to pay an expert to do it. Since the popper is electronic and gets its power from electricity, you need to install a cable which manually activated and leads to one hidden point that only you who knows just in case the battery goes out.
Now after you understand all the steps, it is the time to decide whether you will shave your door handles or decide that it does not suit you after all.
By: Judith Burke
About the Author:
Judith Burke is a great admirer of classic and antique cars.
Her writings on classic and antique cars can be found here.
Her writings on classic and antique cars can be found here.
