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My driver's side interior door handle/lever pulls UP & back, which feels natural.  Meanwhile, my passenger side pulls DOWN & back, which doesn't feel natural, and every passenger tries to pull up.  Is it supposed to be like this, or are both sides supposed to rotate upward to actuate the door release mechanism?  Or both rotate down?

I have the same door release part on both sides, which is part # 111837022 (specifically 111837022Z technometal), and from searching the web seems to be the "Right" side version.  Whereas the 111837021 is the "Left" side version.  Am I correct so far?

For lefthand driver (LHD) cars, right is the passenger side, so do I have two passenger side release mechanisms, and so both door levers are supposed to rotate downward like my passenger side currently does after all??

Either way, whichever orientation I choose, I'm guessing the solution is as easy as purchasing the correct Left side part, so that both rotate in the same direction?

Please see images:

Driver Side - Overview_smallerDriver Side - Release mechanism_smallerPassenger Side - Overview_smallerPassenger Side - Release mechanism_smaller

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Images (4)
  • Driver Side - Overview_smaller
  • Driver Side - Release mechanism_smaller
  • Passenger Side - Overview_smaller
  • Passenger Side - Release mechanism_smaller
Original Post

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@Robert M posted:

The right and left handles should operate in the same direction. So If one side lifts up to open the door the other side should do the same. Your car is wearing two right side handles. Its like wearing to right shoes and never being able to make a left turn.

Or like having two left feet and trying to dance .  Ok, so you're saying that the standard direction is that the levers pull downward and back?  For some reason, that doesn't seem natural to me, but perhaps I'll rotate the lever one notch down on the spline so that pulling it down is encouraged / intuitive.

Looking closer, someone went out of their way to allow a driver side mechanism to function on the passenger side.  Not only did it need to be mounted upside down, it had to be installed at an angle.  Rotating the passenger side 180 won’t work, unless you could also change which face is pressed against the door, and drill two new holes.  I’m guessing that won’t work.

I think Robert is correct.

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Images (2)
  • 0150D01D-2416-4A1B-9E86-F07399BD53F2
  • 1CA934FD-D104-4522-A33B-46A35541DFC1
@Jon T posted:

Looking closer, someone went out of their way to allow a driver side mechanism to function on the passenger side.  Not only did it need to be mounted upside down, it had to be installed at an angle.  Rotating the passenger side 180 won’t work, unless you could also change which face is pressed against the door, and drill two new holes.  I’m guessing that won’t work.

I think Robert is correct.

Good catch, I had meant to mention the pass side angle in my original post.  I agree, the current part in hand wouldn't work, I'd have to toss it.  But I would think the correct part (the "Left" side 111837021 version), which is a mirror image of the right side version thereby with actuator lever pointing down, would work?  Even while at that same angle?

@Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi & @DannyP & @Alan Merklin, I agree that a rod is better, and some of you usual suspects discussed as much in this thread https://www.speedsterowners.co...ic/door-handle-cable which I encourage future readers to review.

But I'll say that I received the car with a cable, so I was too dumb to realize it should be a rod when I replaced the cables to include the turnbuckle block.  That said, the cable works just fine, and no rattling whatsoever (maybe I'm just lucky that the cable's floating in the middle of the door not touching anything).

Really my main problem is (1) which part I'm supposed to buy:  Is it 111837021?  What's the diff between that and 111837021B or 111837021Z?  (2) Are the handles supposed to pull up or pull down?  I can choose whatever's my preference, but would like to put weight toward what's original.  (3) Any other issue spotting here, like the weird angle?

@Robert M & @Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi, and for what it's worth, the CMC Speedster Build Manual (circa 1984) seems to provide that the door lever should rotate up and back, based on the fact that the actuating portion of the door release mechanism is illustrated as pointing downward.  So it's an upward pull of the door lever that tugs the rod/cable, causing the door to open.  That's what I'm going with anyway:

CMC Speedster Build Manual [circa 1984) page 49

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  • CMC Speedster Build Manual (circa 1984) page 49

For future readers, closing the loop on what ultimately happened here:  I purchased and installed the "Left" side version (part # 111837021) on the passenger side, it works perfectly.  

Also, it worked fine with the diagonal bolt pattern, in fact it gave the cable more clearance because the actuation lever "nose" points down.  However, that brought one unforeseen but still welcome result- the door handle is now biased upward slightly because the splined bolt is rotated.  In other words, instead of the handle being perfect horizontal, it's already slightly rotated upward, which makes it clear which way to pull it.

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