Shaving door handles

gunslinger

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
I've got a good pair of doors that are going to go on my GN at some point, and after seeing a GN at the World of Wheels with it done, I'm thinking about shaving the handles on mine.

Has anyone else done it? Any pictures?

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Do it. It looks great. My buddy did it on his Camaro and it really looks awesome.
Just that little thing really made his car different than all the rest.
Especially if it's not the original doors anyway.........why not?!
 
If you ever plan to drive the car more than once a week, don't do it, it's a real PITA. I did it when the GN was a DD for me & I went through a solenoid within a year on the drivers side. Since then I've had to replace the metal cable that connects everything together. When I first did it back in '01 or '02, the body guy had no clue what he was doing, welded in the holes and filled it with bondo:frown:. Lasted about 2 weeks after it was painted, then the bondo started to crack. The paint was great & I put off repairing the shaved handles for quite a while because I knew the black wasn't going to match (I painted the entire car with acrylic enamel "Super Jet Black"). So, when I decided to shave the rub strips off the bumpers, I went ahead and had the stock hood painted (Had a fiberglass cowl for a while) and the doors repaired along with moving the Monte SS mirrors forward to match the windshield lines (They look out of place too far back in the stock mounts). This body guy did it correct and cut out the entire portion where the handles used to be and welded in a piece of sheet metal. But, yeah, the black doesn't match 100%, if the economy ever comes back and the value increases to justify it, I will have a complete show quality paint put on the GN. Oh, & I use a Viper alarm with multiple channels for the alarm/trunk release/each door pop.
 

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Sorry, I don't really have any side only view of the GN to show the shaved handles, but you can see in the reflection here, that this body guy knew what he was doing:D
 

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Thanks for the info. The car is a DD during the summer, and I think I'm going to just run door handles. I can't imagine what a PITA it would be if the battery dies.
 
I was just looks to see if any one did this yet IM going to paint my doors soon and wanted to do it. What kit did you use when you did it ? do you have door popers or just solenoids ? I drive my car alot in the summer if its not raining Im driving it. Did you shav e the trunk lock too ?
 
No kit, just used some heavy gauge wiring from the relays to the solenoids, and from battery to the relays. I found some hot rod shop online for the solenoids, they are rated at 50# I think, not absolutely sure. Nope didn't shave trunk lock, I have a button hidden in the trunk to release drivers door in case my remote battery dies. Oh, no door poppers either, newer weatherstrip is enough to push the door open once the latch is open. Usually I only drive the car somewhere I can keep an eye on it, and usually just keep the windows down to use the inside latch when I come back to it. I try to not use the solenoids whenever possible.
 
I wonder if door popers would help with solenoid life. I was going to make my own kit to. do you have pics of how you monted the solenoids in the doors?
 
Sorry, no pix as of right now how they are mounted. The solenoids usually have a bracket that has room for 2 bolts. I positioned them underneath the door latch and drilled two holes, used aircraft (nylon lock washer) nuts on them. I'll get you some pictures of the end of the door next time I'm near the car (Have had it in my parents garage for almost a year:() It's really not worth buying a kit, you can have much better solenoids & maybe save some $ by buying parts separate. Just make sure you have good relays & the wiring connections are good for your remote &/or hidden release buttons
 
Do track officials frown on no handles? I would think that might be a saftey issue if someone had to open your door to get you out...
 
Do track officials frown on no handles? I would think that might be a saftey issue if someone had to open your door to get you out...

I really haven't had too much of an issue with the officials, they were more concerned with me having a locking trans dipstick last time I was there than the shaved handles... When they do ask about the handles, I just tell them if the accident is bad enough I cannot get out, why are you worried about a handle, just break a window and reach into the car!

We have to have emissions here in the county I live in, but no state inspection required, I would think if there are any hotrods anywhere that have to go through inspection, shaved handles on a GN wouldn't hurt
 
I think I'm going to do it I have the doors off the car so I’m going to do it. Suicide doors makes a bolt in kit that replaces the original latch but its $250 for the kit with the remote or 150 for just the solenoids and relays.
 
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