I hear you ask, “when are you going to make a door handle escutcheon for a pre-86 Vanagon?”
Oh, get a life…
Those original style doors had longer handles (the door mechanism is so much more clunky than the ’86 and up models) and it seems a different style escutcheon. This time its hard plastic with a little tab that keys into a notch in door skin. So onward to the pictures… this is handle from my ’82 westy (the one pictured in the blog header.
shooftie 
#1 by mike south on March 9, 2010 - 8:30 am
“I hear you ask, “when are you going to make a door handle escutcheon for a pre-86 Vanagon?”
Oh, get a life…”
No Way! I was JUST THINKING this today! Specifically I was wondering if there was anything I could send you from Texas that would be worth you making me one of those and sending it here. Or alternatively, how much money. Or maybe a part from my ’85 parts van that’s in pretty good shape.
mike
#2 by albell on March 9, 2010 - 8:59 am
Mike,
gimme a week or so. I’m sort of tied up this week on another project (refurbishing a lab sized flume we made a few years ago, adding a wave maker too).
I’ll make one for you out of dark Delrin if you like. Couple of gotcha’s I can see though:
1. getting the size right for hole in door – I wonder if this hole is same size in every year.
2. handle shaft diameter – Being less than professional, I just machined out inside of plastic bit to make what I thought was a nice sliding fit on handle, ie I had handle in hand! As in the hole in the door, i wonder if handle diameter is consistent.
3. the part I made has no tab to locate it in door. I bet that a little bead of caulk would do the trick.
You know fussing so much over a trivial vanagon part sort of makes me both smile and grimace 🙂 The end result is nice though, when most, if not all of the slop is removed from handle. it feels great in action.
God, now I really do sound like a wingnut.
If you can measure the critical areas, door hole and handle shaft diameter (diameter right where it passes through door skin)….
cheers
alistair
#3 by Jake de Villiers on March 15, 2010 - 10:29 am
Hey Al, make a few would you?! Of both the early and late types?
Let me know if Mike doesn’t send dimensions – I’d be happy to provide them.
Seeya, Jake
#4 by albell on March 15, 2010 - 10:43 am
Jake,
send me dimensions and I will make one for you.
ab
#5 by albell on March 15, 2010 - 10:51 am
my last comment about dimensions… I am not sure if every handle and every door hole (from year to year) are the same dimensions. Would be good to get more data… hint hint