The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop door handles

i have a 51 burb with pull down door handles and was woundering if i could put a push button type door handle? and what kind of handle goes on the barn doors? thanks

The 1951 barn door originally came with a pull down.

Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, but to go push button, you will need the handle, latch and striker. You would probably have to modify some holes, too.

Good luck with this modification. I cannot recall anyone posting they have tried it. Please takes photos, if you attempt to do this.

...fyi, the rear pull down handle is different than the front side door pull down handle. The stem is longer and the bezel is different than the front side doors.
However, the side door handle can be modified easily to fit the back door. There is a tech tip in the tech section to do this.

note: not sure but I have also heard "somewhere/someone" say the latches can be switched but so does all the other stuff. I'm with Tim, lets hear it from someone that has actually done it and what issues were found.

I made this modification a while back and the location of the handle, backing plate and latch mount cutout on the edge of the door ARE different. The handle moves forward and up slightly (about 3/4"), the mechanism on the edge of the door moves up also and its mounting holes are completely different.

The driver's door on my '52 half ton had the pull down handle when I bought it and the belt line did not line up at all. At first I thought it was just a door adjustment until I realized the handle was from an earlier truck. Passanger side was correct, driver's side was the wrong year (both door and handle).

Once I figured out the problem, I took measurements from the passanger side, transferred them to the driver's side and made a patch panel out of a VW bus roof section. I used the roof section because the curvature was a match for the door skin. Then I made a new plate for the door edge to receive the mechanism and welded everything in place. With a handle, latch mecanism, backing plate and striker from a salvage yard, the door works perfectly.

http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/DMarcB/library/#/user/DMarcB/library/