Functional Version of Armrest and Door Handle

Good old cardboard does it again!

Due to lack of aftermarket parts and some of my grandiose ideas, I 've had to design and fabricate many parts for this car, I don't know how I could have created anything in three dimensions without a supply of heavy, corrugated cardboard. I prefer using corrugated plastic for mock-up work when closer accuracy is required, but for most jobs, cardboard box scraps work just fine, including for my current  armrest/door-handle prototype.

I just finished what I think will be the basic armrest design and it looks functional so far. Since I'm installing electric windows, there is no need to match interior door handle and window crank styling, so instead of the original door handles, I'm making my own that will mount on the front of the armrest and will look somewhat like those used on some Imperials and Chryslers from the sixties. My handles will at least be simple to remove and install, unlike the OEM '56 parts with the annoying spring clips that require a special tool and loads of patience.

I received the 14 gauge metal I ordered to build a more rugged version of the latch actuator. It will also be used to create the arm rest base. I also  received the twelve-dollar box of small coil springs, but they are all very light duty. At least there are several lengths so I can use them to build the prototypes and determine what physical sizes and features I will need when I choose heavier springs for the production part.

Here's what should be the final configuration latch-actuating mechanism. Final termination will require clamping the cable inside the door to clear the electric window hardware. Seems there is always something that has to be accomplished before other things can be finished.

Yes, my design is probably crude compared to what others might come up with, but I didn't want to modify the bear claw mechanism. It can now be replaced independently from the actuator if needed. It functions quite nicely and the light springs work better than expected. It only needs minor adjusting and a couple of bolts and nuts replaced by better fitting parts before I can install it in the door. Then comes the difficult part of figuring out how to make the outside handle operate the cable!

Open Sesame!

With the aftermarket ignoring the Forward Look era, there is a huge amount of study and contempaltion involved when stubborn restorers choose different methods to resurrect cars that should have been scrapped. NOS replacement door latches are rare to non-existent and most of the original star-wheel parts are severely worn in high mileage cars, so we clean, lubricate, adjust and then try to get by with worn junk...while a few do like me and adapt modern systems!

The bear claw latches themselves proved easy to install, but I was on my own to design a method to open them using the stock door handles. The first job was to choose a system that functioned while incorporating readily available parts from current vehicles and trying to keep most of the car appear close to stock. Original latches had complicated hardware to open the doors, but newer cars almost exclusively use cables with bear claw latches, so I chose a cable from a Ram truck that would help keep the project Mopar. Since it’s been used on trucks for several years, replacement parts should be available for many more, if needed. It’s about the right length, and the ends terminate in a very common way with a crimped barrel on one end and a ball on the other. Since there is more room on the latch end, I'll use the larger barrel-end inside the door, so I'm in the process of designing and fabricating a prototype that will actuate the latch from both outside and inside.

I need a system that will allow the latch to open with either handle, and will be robust enough to survive daily use while having a tactile feel somewhat like an original factory part when operated from both sides of the door.

This picture is the first prototype. It requires springs to retain the latch actuating lever and cable arms in a retracted position and also keep them from rattling. I would have liked to use the homemade  torsion spring visible in the picture, but they twist the arms too much. For the next version,  I ordered a box of extension springs in different sizes that should allow me to select better parts. They will be here today.

This version also used thinner metal to form the bracket, but I have 14-gauge sheet metal on order so the next iteration will be sturdier and simpler to make.

'56 Fury Finally Recognized!

On this fifteenth of August, my favorite sixty three-year-old gold-trimmed muscle car will finally get its due when Rodney Crowell releases his new album..."Texas". One of the songs will be "56 Fury", along with 10 more Texas related songs featuring Crowell and other artists, including Ronnie Dunn, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, and yes, even that famous old Texan, Ringo Starr!

Hanging Doors and Fenders

Now that the wheels are aligned as best I can until the car is closer to road weight, I switched my efforts to installing and fitting more sheet metal. The passenger door received s a new bear claw latch and I had a lot more confidence after doing a mockup on the parts car.  I learned with the test installation to pay special attention to the pin alignment so I could remove the wide, thick washer and secure the pin against the door jamb. It loses a little bit of support and adjustability, but it looks and fits a lot better. If needed at a later time, I can retrofit with an adjustable plate for the pin to strengthen the support.

The passenger door installation and adjustments went reasonably well, although the original tolerances were nowhere near today’s computer designed and built cars, which meant I made compromises in fit. The door has a slight twist in it that can’t be adjusted to match the rocker panel, but the fender and quarter panels look decent. After paint and weather-stripping, there will likely be more tweaking to take care of.

The driver’s door fit is much worse. The door opening is slightly narrower than the other side, and the fender won’t move far enough to create the proper gap. I need to find another quarter inch fore and aft clearance, so I’ll have to remove bolts and probably slot some holes where the inner fender attaches to the radiator support.  Another challenging problem that will require more thinking!

I decided that I’m going to install power windows in the doors, and after researching the various manufacturers, I quite sure I’ll be ordering from Specialty Power Windows. They get mostly good reviews and claim they are made in the USA, but I’m betting China made the motors and switches. My original window parts were in bad shape, and re-plating pot metal cranks is expensive, so I’m choosing to spend the money on new parts instead of fixing the worn and very rusty hardware. Since that means more wiring and adding another fused circuit, I want to run the cables while I still have easy access to everything, and before I start testing circuits.

Sorry I don’ t have many pictures, since my camera has again chosen to randomly malfunction.

 Weather report: In the twenty-three years I've lived in North Texas, we never had a July when the temperature did not get above 100*F, and in 2007 we suffered more than forty days in a row over 100*! Compared to that hellish year, this has been a rare and wonderfully cool summer! However, August is our normally hottest month and the highs are expected to reach 100 to 104 for a few days beginning next week. Not sure if my little window air conditioner will make the garage comfortable enough to work in the afternoons, so I might have to retreat to the house.