I'm looking at purchasing a 1940 Series 90 Touring Sedan. The drivers side and passenger side door handles droop down rather than being horizontally in alignment with the adjacent trim. How hard is this to repair or adjust? Thanks in advance!

 

If it is just a square shaft coming out of the handle like Ford used, it is real easy and cheap to fix. Your just take the handle out, put the shaft in a vise and heat it to where you can twist it. Twist it enough to where the handle will be level when you put it back in the lock mechanism.

 

Golly, that sounds easy enough; makes me wonder why the guy who spent tens of thousands restoring this car didn't do this. Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it!

 

Either that or you need new springs. You can usually come up with a hardware store spring to do the job in place of the original.

No telling for sure till you take it apart.

- Eric

 

The springs are the problem no doubt. They get old and week. Heating and twisting the shaft just compensates for it. By the way, welcome to the site and we look forward to seeing pictures of your car.

 

Thanks Eric. From your response I'm assuming the subject spring is a rather small and simple helical coil compression spring and nothing like a complicated wound ribbon clock spring. Again, makes me wonder why the original rebuilder of the car didn't do this. Thanks again for your input!

 

Well, I haven't purchased it yet, but if I do I will certainly post pictures of it. By the way your Oldsmobile is one of my favorites. The 1940 Series 90 Custom Cruiser Touring Sedan I'm considering has a special significance to me, as this was the newly purchased brand new car my Dad picked up my Mom and I (a newborn boy) the day after my arrival into this world. It was the car my Dad taught me how to drive in (a manual stick-shift) until he gave it to his brother in 1953. After that, I lusted for and finally bought my Dad's '50 Old's 88 sedan for $350.00 when old enough to finally drive legally in 1956. Anyhow those drooping door handles of the nineteen forty cars have always bugged the heck out of me, and I want to know how to remedy this should I buy the '40 Olds.

 

Probably a big, heavy clock spring, actually, but you can get those pretty easily.
It doesn't have to be a perfect match - just strong enough to hold the handle up.

- Eric

 

There Are Several Door Latch Spring Repair Kits Listed On E-Bay Under Chevy And More Door Latch Repair Springs. Run $14 To $40. LARRY

 

I know this is a very old thread but there seems to never have been an update and as I have the very same problem with mine, any lead is a good lead.