Just happened to stumble across this item on e-bay (#79540221439). If for nothing less, take a look...curiosity has me wondering as to how this repro will hold up to NCRS Judging standards? Even with this out there, I'm glad to have installed an original in mine. As heard before on this board...an original will trump a repro!
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Correction to the e-bay item number: (7954021439) -
Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Ray------
I hadn't seen this reproduction on the market before. It must be very new. From what I can see of it, it looks very good. There were some slight variations in the handle during the 67-70 period. However, this looks like it's exact for most of those used during the 68-72 period.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Joe,
I hadn't either...and I've been checking daily on parking brake handles for some time now. I finally located and recently installed an original from the same year in my '74. If I was still looking...this wouldn't seem like a bad alternative.Comment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Ray------
You might find that this one is identical to the one you've got and it's NEW. I'm going to need to look closer at one of these. A side-by-side study should "tell-the-tale".
The problem with original handles of this "genre" is that the plastic often breaks and the chrome-on-plastic portion deteriorates in use. The plastic used on these early handles was polystyrene (same as that used for plastic models of cars and airplanes). It just doesn't hold up well. That's why GM changed it to a much more durable elastomer or polyurethane of some type in later C3 models and SERVICE for earlier models.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
I had heard somewhere that the crosshatch pattern on the side of the handle changed during the 1967-1976 period that this type of handle was used. I've picked up a couple used handles to study, and indeed one of them has a different crosshatch than the original in my 67.
I saw the ebay ad for the repro handle when it came up, and emailed the seller asking what years their handle was matched for. Their response was 69-76. Can anyone confirm that, indeed, the 67-68 handles used a unique crosshatch?
On a related note, I have figured out how to separate the plastic grip from the steel handle, and I had hoped that I might find a restoration service that could re-plate the "chrome" portions of the grip. It looks like a difficult problem, because the original grip had the black plastic overmolded on the "chrome" plastic, and it is not possible to separate them.
Any suggestions for restoration services that might be able to tackle this job?Comment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
I feel fortunate to have spotted an ad for emergency brake handle restorations in issue number 160, page 89, of our own NCRS Driveline. I was very satisfied with the finished product.Comment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Interesting that it is advertized as having the correct pattern, when there were two patterns produced for those years. Maybe they actually have both available. The 67 to sometime in 70, used a handle that had a very sharp diamond pattern. It comes all the way to the chrome strip on the edge. The later style 70-76 were thicker and hefty and the pattern was pressed in the shape of small dashes. The pattern does not go all the way to the chrome and is rounded at the corners. Unfortunately the picture is not good enough to tell which style it is. Another interesting thing is that the unit shown seems to be black on the spline, but chrome on the end. This is not correct for 67-70 and I dont think it was the case on the later one either. All that I have ever seen for 67-70 had chrome both places or none at all.Comment
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???) *NM*
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Re: 67-76 Parking Brake Handle (Brand New???)
Joe,
The archives have several discussions on rechroming the 67 handle. I researched at great lengths to have mine restored. Even the high dollar professional restorers I called do not rechrome...they just paint all black. Please let me know if you ever find someone who can rechrome 67 handles.Comment
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looks like the 1970 on type *NM*
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