GTA door button conversion

[Balfa]

I was thinking of converting my door handles to the GTA style door buttons this Christmas break.

I priced up the handles and buttons from CA and from alfaholics. The ones from CA only have a locking mechanism in one of the buttons, the alfaholics ones are near 300 GPB!

https://www.alfaholics.com/race-parts/1300-1600-gta-parts/gta-body-parts/alfaholics-gta-door-buttons-124/

Has anyone sourced cheaper alternatives by any chance?

[LukeC]

Long before you could buy any of this stuff and replica GTAs became the thing to do way back in 1996, I made my own for my '67 Junior.

The locks and buttons were from the boots of a Mercedes (Yuck again) Finnies (about the same era as the Alfa). I machined the bezels etc. The handles I also made my self by machining them from Aluminium bar stock and bending while heated...

The dimensions was approximated from images in the book "Alleggerita".

Probably doesn't help you much Ben....

[Balfa]

Everything helps Luke I was just then googling some possible lock/button alternatives and I was just looking at other model cars around that era who had similar set ups.

My other alternative is to just get the CA door buttons, that would mean I can only lock/unlock on the drivers side.

[Colin Byrne]

I found some from a rover 3500 (i think), that were pretty similar and had a fairly neat locking mechanism.  I was all set to use them and came across some CA ones (no lock on either one) that were at a reasonable price, so i used those.  Unfortunatly the quality of the CA ones was very poor,  I got away with using them on the rally car as the doors don't get that much use and i spent along time reducing the force required to open the door, on a road car i think they would end up failing.

I may still have some unused rover buttons i'll have a look tomorrow night.

as for the door handles i ended up buying the AH ones, but you could make some very similar by getting some ali rod, cutting to length , drill and tapping each end and bending to shape, but from memory they weren't priced too bad?

[Balfa]

Yes the handles are the cheapest parts

If you do have the Rover ones and assuming they come with keys and if you were wanting to sell them Colin please let me know?

[Balfa]

I was just googling the rover push buttons, the locking mechanism is separate?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-P6-2000-2200-3500-EXTERIOR-DOOR-OPENING-PUSH-BUTTON-NEW-GENUINE/350729915901?hash=item51a921cdfd:g:5zMAAMXQs6FRMd9s
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Job-Lot-Rover-P6-Door-Chrome-Door-Locks-with-Covers-Buttons-2000-2200-3500s/263256294636?hash=item3d4b4c44ec:g:OUUAAOSwtplZ3MgI

[Colin Byrne]

Ah yea, that's right i was going to add a small solenoid and make it electrically actuated so probably not what you are after

[Balfa]

Drats yeah a bit beyond my skills to do and if I attempted it I'd probably be wishing I paid the 300 pound for the alfaholics ones

After a lot of googling I'm tempted to just get the alfaholics one...in theory I will only need to buy them once as expensive as they are.

[shane1750]

I am thinking of doing this conversion but would like to know how much reinforcement
to the door skin is required especially if using aluminium skins ?

[Colin Byrne]

Yea haven't seen the AH ones, so can't comment on the quality

So i didn't need to add any "reinforcement" to the door skin, just welded a patch in,  the hole for the original door handle has rolled edges so is already relatively strong, the hard part is not warping the panel when welding the patch in as its a fairly large unsupported panel,  I actually used an old door skin to cut the patches out of (to keep the same curve) and even with identical thickness metal warping was an issue.

Can't comment on aluminum doors unfortunately    but doubling up the thickness around the button and handle to help spread the load couldn't hurt

[Balfa]

The main reason I'm converting is because I didn't reinforce the skin with the normal gtv handles and there I get the spiderweb cracking.

I will fill in and reinforce things this time around. My skins are steel...and not warping while welding will be a concern. With my reinforcement layer, I'm going to use some metal glue of some sort which I've seen guys use on alfabb with some success.

Let you know how I go

[LaStregaNera]

The CA ones only lock on one side because the original GTAs only locked on one side. You know you can lock the passenger's side door from the inside by pushing the handle downwards?

[Balfa]

So I don't know if this is a qwerk with how I put together my doors but you're right my passenger door will lock from inside but won't unlock. If it could lock/unlock from inside then I would have been fine with the CA version.

As it is, I went F'it and forked out the money for the alfaholics one (just under 700 bucks all told). I see it as something that I won't ever need to change and a one off cost. The alfaholics ones look okay, they do catch a little as the barrels aren't perfect when sliding in/out of the outer shell - you can see they have been hand grinded to fit.



I also ordered the following from CA:
Column headlight switch. I'm sick of my original spoiling its contacts. I also realised I didn't connect up a relay when I put the car back together.
A fibreglass bonnet
Front caster arm ball joints and some other suspension bushes.

Going to get Chris Hedges to fit the switch and bushes.

This Christmas break I'm going to fit the new bonnet, plus spray it and store the original safely. With my new found welding skills I will also fit the new door locks/handles and probably repaint the doors while I'm at it.

[Balfa]

Looking at the picture made me paranoid that I didn't check that I was sent two handles so I just raced out to the garage to check...all good, two handles

On another note, I think I'm bloody sick. I'm getting the urge to find another 105 and restore over the years. Why am I thinking about this when I don't have the garage space and at my rate I will be working till I'm 70 anyway.

The cost to restore these cars (to a high quality) even when doing a lot of the body work yourself, is astronomical. There is no logic to my urge.

[shane1750]

Hi
   Anybody have a photo of the inside of a door with push buttons fitted ?

Thanks in advance
Shane