DefendingLancashire
Member
- Posts
- 23
- Location
- Lancashire
Hi All,
Want to vent a bit so story below, but then a specific question at the end...
Sunday night someone tried to half inch my pride and joy ('96 300 TDI 90). Monday (yesterday) noticed my missus' evoque had a totally flat front nearside tyre, which after a minute or two I realised had the dust cap basically totally screwed off. All the others were done up tight and noticed finger marks in the crud on the alloy. Seemed suspicious. It was flat enough and had been used recently enough that it wouldn't be a slow, pressure gauges would have picked it up. Couldn't have been a blow out, would have noticed that when driven. Given the situation, and as it's a nice vehicle on a road of alright but not amazing cars, thought it was perhaps a local kid / drunk idiot being an arse.
Fast forward to 6pm, finished work, go to borrow a compressor to get it blown up. Reach to open the door on my 90 and... no door handle. Torch on, see a hole in the door (no broken or bent metal), forward bolt + a stub of plastic still hanging on. Handle was sitting right underneath the door, spring from the button still on the push-rod coming out the back. No damage to the snorkel which sits proud or body work, so doubt it's been sideswiped by a vehicle. First thought perhaps drunk idiot / vandal, but then realised therear cab door had been tried as it was locked but very slightly pulled out, which started the brain cogs turning.
I reckon they let the tyre down on the missus's so either a) we couldn't follow if we heard mine start up, or b) making it underivable so my landy stays out on the road, they've done half the job, and were planning to come back the next night and finish it off and drive off. I don't think the alarm on mine went off as the door was still locked. Perhaps they got disturbed halfway through the job.
Sorted missus's tyre out and it's holding pressure so even more convinced of the above. Moved mine behind hers on the drive so it's totally blocked in, couldn't get it out without a crane / moving hers first. Parked right up close to the call so you can't even access the driver side door.
So, whilst I'm massively lucky in one respect, I'm reet annoyed I've now got to replace the original 27 year old door handle. Not had a chance to pop the door card off yet and check it out, but the internal door locking tab still works and the interior latch to open the door still works. So at least it's lockable and says to me the locking mechanism isn't too broken / most of the parts are still in shape.
Question is this then: I've attached a few pics of the handle - I want to get one as close to the original patina as possible, so no gloss etc, but most pics on bearmach, jgs4x4 etc are bad quality or only show the front of it so can't tell how in keeping they will be. Also unsure if I need to get any other fittings or attachments etc.
Any advice on a good replacement that's as close as possible to the original?!?
Cheers in advance all. And if you live in the south Lancs area, keep a close eye on your old girl!!!
EDIT: for some reason the upload image button isn't working... bear with
Want to vent a bit so story below, but then a specific question at the end...
Sunday night someone tried to half inch my pride and joy ('96 300 TDI 90). Monday (yesterday) noticed my missus' evoque had a totally flat front nearside tyre, which after a minute or two I realised had the dust cap basically totally screwed off. All the others were done up tight and noticed finger marks in the crud on the alloy. Seemed suspicious. It was flat enough and had been used recently enough that it wouldn't be a slow, pressure gauges would have picked it up. Couldn't have been a blow out, would have noticed that when driven. Given the situation, and as it's a nice vehicle on a road of alright but not amazing cars, thought it was perhaps a local kid / drunk idiot being an arse.
Fast forward to 6pm, finished work, go to borrow a compressor to get it blown up. Reach to open the door on my 90 and... no door handle. Torch on, see a hole in the door (no broken or bent metal), forward bolt + a stub of plastic still hanging on. Handle was sitting right underneath the door, spring from the button still on the push-rod coming out the back. No damage to the snorkel which sits proud or body work, so doubt it's been sideswiped by a vehicle. First thought perhaps drunk idiot / vandal, but then realised therear cab door had been tried as it was locked but very slightly pulled out, which started the brain cogs turning.
I reckon they let the tyre down on the missus's so either a) we couldn't follow if we heard mine start up, or b) making it underivable so my landy stays out on the road, they've done half the job, and were planning to come back the next night and finish it off and drive off. I don't think the alarm on mine went off as the door was still locked. Perhaps they got disturbed halfway through the job.
Sorted missus's tyre out and it's holding pressure so even more convinced of the above. Moved mine behind hers on the drive so it's totally blocked in, couldn't get it out without a crane / moving hers first. Parked right up close to the call so you can't even access the driver side door.
So, whilst I'm massively lucky in one respect, I'm reet annoyed I've now got to replace the original 27 year old door handle. Not had a chance to pop the door card off yet and check it out, but the internal door locking tab still works and the interior latch to open the door still works. So at least it's lockable and says to me the locking mechanism isn't too broken / most of the parts are still in shape.
Question is this then: I've attached a few pics of the handle - I want to get one as close to the original patina as possible, so no gloss etc, but most pics on bearmach, jgs4x4 etc are bad quality or only show the front of it so can't tell how in keeping they will be. Also unsure if I need to get any other fittings or attachments etc.
Any advice on a good replacement that's as close as possible to the original?!?
Cheers in advance all. And if you live in the south Lancs area, keep a close eye on your old girl!!!
EDIT: for some reason the upload image button isn't working... bear with
