63 outside door handle part no. help

[Edward J.]

Is the pass. side outside door handle part no 3797254 changed to 9702886? and if so would it be the same a production ,as my Mar. built car with the raised boss on the door skin.

[Eric V.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Is the pass. side outside door handle part no 3797254 changed to 9702886? and if so would it be the same a production ,as my Mar. built car with the raised boss on the door skin.

Ed,
My '63 parts catalog (revised Nov 1 '62) lists the part no. for the '63 Corvette passenger side door handle as 4301728. It is also listed as applicable to '61-'62 passenger cars, front and rear right side.

My '64 parts catalog (revised Aug 1, '64) lists the 4301728 handle as applicable to '63-'64 Corvette (1st design) as well as '61-'62 passenger cars as described in the '63 book. From this I construe that same door handle was used for all of '63 Corvette production and up thru end of '64 Corvette 1st design production.

The same '64 parts catalog also lists the part no. for the passenger side door handle of the '64 Corvette as 5719142 with this part no. also applicable to '63-'64 passenger cars, right side, front and rear. This assumedly is the door handle used starting with end of '64 Corvette 1st design production and thru end of '64 production.

Neither the '63 or '64 parts catalogs noted above contain a listing for a 9702886 door handle for any application.

In my parts catalog collection I don't have a '65 book, but in my '66 book I find the same 4301728 part no. application as described above in the '64 parts catalog. My '66 book also lists the 5719142 part no. as applicable to '63-'64 passenger and '64-'65 Corvette right side. My '66 book also lists the 9702886 part no. application as for '65-'66 passenger, right front door. No mention in the '66 book of Corvette for the 9702886 handle.

The earliest all-Corvette parts catalog I have is dated Sept '74, and it lists the 9702886 handle as applicable to the '63-'64 Corvette right side. It also lists the 5719142 handle as applicable to the '65-'67 Corvette right side. Kinda weird.

I could not find the 3797254 part no. listed for any door handle in any of the above-mentioned parts catalogs, nor in my Aug '64 price book, nor in my '73 parts history revised July 1, '73, so I don't know what that p/n is for. Perhaps it is the p/n found on the die cast part itself? If so, the part no. may have changed after boring and threading the handle for the attachment screws.

I'm not sure any of the above helps you with your basic question which isn't clear to me, and I don't know how it fits with the raised boss (or lack thereof) on the outer fiberglass door panel, but perhaps you can make some use of it.

Eric V.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Edward,

I don't have my 63 AIM in front of me but could the 3797254 be the handle and button assembly in the book?

The NOS handles on my 63 are 9702886 and the passenger side fits with a slight gap at the lower where it meets the door.

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Is the pass. side outside door handle part no 3797254 changed to 9702886? and if so would it be the same a production ,as my Mar. built car with the raised boss on the door skin.

Edward-----


The GM #3797253 and 3797254 are the left and right outside door handle ASSEMBLIES applicable to 1963 and 1964 Corvettes. These were never available in SERVICE and were a PRODUCTION-only piece.

As others have described, the original 1963 door handle (just the handle without associated and necessary parts) was GM #4301728, left, and 4301729, right (odd and even part numbers do not always apply to left and right side, respectively). These were discontinued from SERVICE in early 1966 and replaced by GM #9702886 and 9702887, respectively. Both of these were discontinued without supercession in March, 1997.

So, why the "oddball" 4301728, 4301729, 9702886, and 9702887 part numbers for the handles by themselves, but the more familiar 3797253 and 3797254 for the handle assemblies? Well, the part numbers for the handles alone are Fisher Body Division part numbers. These are applicable not just to Corvettes but also Chevrolet, Buick, and Pontiac passenger cars. However, the ASSEMBLIES were made up to a Chevrolet specification (using Fisher Body and other components) and thus assigned Chevrolet part numbers.

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Edward,

I don't have my 63 AIM in front of me but could the 3797254 be the handle and button assembly in the book?

The NOS handles on my 63 are 9702886 and the passenger side fits with a slight gap at the lower where it meets the door.

Tim, how would these handles(2886) judge, someone once told me about replacement door handles for mid years were slightly different and they just feel somthing on the underside of the handle, not sure if the car was a 63/64 car.

Joe, thanks for you input on the part no.

Eric, thanks also.

[Alan D.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Ed usually if one feels the underside of the handle the edge is very pronounced (sharp), the top will also have the same type of feel. It appears that's where the mold had the "brake" The GM units (9702886/7) have the same feel. Now the repo or a newly chromed originals seem to have rounded edges at these points.
Explaining it is a little harder than feeling it.

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 outside door handle part no. help

Ed usually if one feels the underside of the handle the edge is very pronounced (sharp), the top will also have the same type of feel. It appears that's where the mold had the "brake" The GM units (9702886/7) have the same feel. Now the repo or a newly chromed originals seem to have rounded edges at these points.
Explaining it is a little harder than feeling it.

Alan, Thanks for letting me know all about door handles, I do have the originals and was wondering about the rechroming. I 'll just keep my eyes open for a few. on flea bay.