Yankee Express RestoMod Project

[Brandy]

Cut a paddle/ handle out of 3/16 plate steel. Marked the plate to cut out the slot it will set in. Drilled both ends. Will cut the slot in the morning. The plate with the slot will be about 1 1/8" wide and about 1/4" longer than the handle on each end. This resulting meat will give it rigidity and provide an edge to weld it to the door panel. Spacing is key so it ends up flush and not above or below the panel. I left the gap between handle and slot very small so the thing disappears into the paint job. I'm mounting it on top of the door in the valley along the window slot. When the handle comes up on a pinned fulcrum the wider end swivels down. That portion where it would be the outline of the thumb button gets a ball from the stock mechanism that the end of the rod clips onto. If the rod ends up too short i'll either make a longer one or put a adjustable sleeve in it. So, easy peasy. lol. And slick. All you will see is a 3/16" flat bar in it's slot once done and painted. The tail end of the 3/16" bar gets a small divit about 1/8" in from the end. That's for the small push rod that will be on my keyring. Just set the end of the rod in the divot and push down and the other end comes up to grab and lift to unlock the door. A return spring will go hanging from under the handle near the rear tab..I'll hammer and dolly the original holes and weld in new metal leaving them smoothed over. Power locks so that goes too..

 

[5.7 hemi]

You cheap bastard, didn’t buy a Kindigit door handle set! Lol!!!

 

[Brandy]

You cheap bastard, didn’t buy a Kindigit door handle set! Lol!!!

At $600 bucks! no less. lol. EACH. I'm having issues though. My 90amp wire welder doesn't have the zing to get good welds on the 3/16 plate. Or i'm doing something wrong.

 

[5.7 hemi]

That’s a bit small of a welder at only 90amps. It won’t get s get penetrating weld on that 3/16’s.

Wasn’t aware they’re that damned expensive.

 

[Brandy]

That’s a bit small of a welder at only 90amps. It won’t get s get penetrating weld on that 3/16’s.

Wasn’t aware they’re that damned expensive.

I'm not sure the force applied to the handle while pulling it will be well handled without flexing by anything thinner than 3/16". Although, I may be over thinking it. It really is just a tiny lever that has to move about 5/8" of so to actuate the lock. Perhaps I'll grab some smaller stock and give it a try...Yeah the one is $595 and the others are 695...but, patent lawyers and marketing aint cheap.

 

[Brandy]

Got the handles and lever mechanism worked out. Next up is figuring out the body of the surrounding cradle that welds to the door skin with the pivot point attached, or built in. Coming along...

 

[bearman]

Ghost you continue to twist my mind how you do what you do. Your amazing keep up the good work.

 

[Budnicks]

cool door handle stuff Ghost

 

[Brandy]

I'm considering a cradle sort of mount that has slots instead of holes, and a bolt/locknut with steel spacers in between with the handle axle hole sandwiched between those. This will allow the paddle to be adjustable in depth in relation to the door skin and adjustable tilting within the plane of the door skin. The only thing left to determine is what material is the sturdiest while also being the lightest weight/ thickness. stay tuned....experiments are ongoing...

 

[Brandy]

PROOF OF CONCEPT; I cut the plate out of 1/8" mild steel, which is thin enough for my welder to operate. So this is the proof of concept for my door handle design for the Express. It works just like it's meant to. Now I need to widen the slot on one side, so it's even spacing all around the handle, make the slot a tad longer on the tip end and locate the correct fine thread nut for that bolt. Tightening it up till the handle moves freely enough for a return spring to close it, but not be wiggly. Other than that, just some minor clean up and it's ready to go into the door. On to the 2nd one then.
COST: about $15 bucks.
Savings: $680 Bucks.

I'll take it...

Ghost.

 

[Brandy]

Made and welded I place the hood bumper plates.

 

[Brandy]

Completed the initial filler application to the quarter tail extensions in order that the shape match the 66 Thunderbird light lens and bezels. Finish sanding and primer is left yet to do. Also bolted on the bumper mount brackets and determined the spacing remaining between the bracket and the cross face of the car where they bolt up. It's the thickness of a sanding block. lol. So, now I need to see if I have a piece of square thin wall in that thickness to sandwich in there on both sides. Job for next time.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Great caesars Ghost looks great!

 

[Brandy]

Hmmm...this rear seat side panel with light gives me an idea...

 

[Brandy]

Hung the rear bumper one last time to work out the mounting brackets and spacing between the ears and the rear face of the bumper. Each space is different. Also needed to adjust and fiddle around till it was exactly where it needed to be so that I could drill alignment pin holes in each bracket face so when I put them on later they will be in the right place. Took each bolt out and removed the temporary spacers to measure each and record the numbers. So, that's done. Now I'm adding 1/2" to the top front edge of the bumper facing the trunk. I cut it earlier and botched it a little. Now that I have changed the way the tail lights mount up there's too wide of a gap along there. So I'll weld on a strip of 1/8" thick steel and massage it till it's perfect.

 

[747mopar]

The tail lights look SWEEEEET!

 

[Brandy]

The tail lights look SWEEEEET!

Thanks! I can always benefit from a little positive reinforcement! Went over to Rutland today to visit MAC Steel to get a 1/2" x 70" 1/8" thick strip of steel and a 38" x 36" 20 GA hunk. The strip is being welded onto the front top edge of the bumper and the 20 GA is a hood scoop in waiting. I used their 8' brake to put a rise up the middle. Also drilled the alignment holes for the bumper mounts..

 

[Fran Blacker]

Last 3 pictures?? Say what?

 

[Brandy]

Last 3 pictures?? Say what?

Last three? Ahh....a hunk of 20ga that will soon be a custom scoop and the rear bumper brackets with alignment holes drilled for reassembly after painting..

 

[Brandy]

I used the steel shops eight foot brake to put a slight rise up the center..