Modern door handles are often made of nice metal. The 928's door handle certainly looks and feels not like the quality item the rest of the car oozes out. Are there any good upgrades? The plastic ones of my '78 feel like they could break any moment from now.

 

Not at the miment.

 

I don't think there is actually much history of the inside handles breaking. I have never had one break, anyway, while I have had something like 5 of the outside handles break. If you don't like the look Jager engineering sells overlay kits. I was thinking of trying to cut some out of Koa but I doubt they would be as strong as the stock.

 

I think the plastic inside handles are probably less troublesome than the metal outside ones... so its probably more of a cosmetic thing than anything else.

I do think I recall billet handles offered at one time by somebody... but they looked too !Bling! - anodized black might work...

Alan

 

Is this what you're recalling, Alan? Not sure what a billet overlay is, but whatever. Agreed that black anodized would be a better look, brushed aluminum has no place in a 928 interior.

http://www.jageng.com/garage9/produc...roducts_id=298

 

Most modern door handle that look like metal are in fact plastic,

911s have the same flimsy light interior door handles and the 911 is also made like a Rolex. There has to be a reason it is Porsche after all.

I have also wondered why this is so, and aside from keeping things light, i believe there is an engineering reason behind it.

In looking at both models 928 and 911 w/o the door panel on.

I think the door handle is supposed to flex so it cannot damage the inner latch mechanisms (rods and bushes) if pulled too hard.

 

Rob - yes - those were the ones! Billet overlay - humm - interesting terminology indeed!

Alan.

 

The overlay is a sticker. I have some but decided against them. It doesn't look like billet anything.

I would love a set of aluminum handles anodized black. I was going to try to CNC some once but the project died before I got started, I'm too busy!

 

There are so many areas of my very clean 928 that I'd like to give attention to, renew and improve, your cars must be museum pieces to care about the interior handle. If the handle is re made from aluminum and anodized black, it would essentially look the same but have a cold more solid feel? A lot of effort for that, then what about the rest of the ***** in the car?
Seems like a waste of time to even worry about it. Besides, the handle must have a slight give to it for a reason.

 

My car is far from clean or museum piece. It's just that the interior door handles are accesible while the panels are off now and it seemed like a good time to make it better. I just thought that this great car deserves better than these flimsy things. They don't relect the high quality standard the car was positioned at. And for the early 911 there are aluminium replacements because the original ones break easy when they are old. I guessed for the 928 there could be aluminium ones as well.

 

I remember a decade ago thinking the same about my '86 911 door handles.
I will try again,
They are supposed to have a little give to not overpower the mechanism inside.
Porsche understood not everyone has finesse when pulling the lever..you know when in a rush or just a mechanical twit.
It is not just a cheapo designed lever.
It's Porsche after all. But if it still bugs you i say make it the way you want it
it is your car.
Matt

 

Make some out of wood... LOL, be easier than machining a billet piece, no CNC machine needed, just loads of attention to detail, a good eye, and a bunch of dremelling...

More DIY-able i should say...

 

If there are no easy bolt-on improvements, it will remain a " don't fix it it isn't broken" issue. It just seemed the right time with the door panels off. I hate taking them off again.

 

Wood sounds appealing, and it doesn't need to look like wood either, but wood behaves kind of like strong plastic. Wood CNC is pretty common now too if somebody works out a recipe. Maybe wood handle with a metal hinge portion?

 

I don't think wood is really as practical as plastic, it would likely break quite easily since it isn't really stronger than plastic at the thicknesses required - yet it has less flex... Might look good for a while though!

Alan