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Which came first snow or broken inner door handle?

2K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Alfisto Steve 
#1 · (Edited)
Turns out inner door handle broke on daughter Friday (Christmas Eve) long before the snow started on Christmas day evening. She came over before our trip north in wife's BU so handle broke in normal weather just as she went to get out of the car.

Luckily she made us come home last night in light snow but we beat the snow that has been falling in earnest since midnight.

There is 6 inches on top of her car now and still snowing so will be a few days before I can replace inner door handle and lub up door latch.

Another one of those things I should have done last fall when I fixed transmission. Now I have to fix it.

Her dog not to happy about snow so I had to find grass for her.
 

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#2 ·
Great action shot.

My 164 has three original outside handles and two original inside handles.

I suspect that North American habits of treating car doors like old barn doors might contribute to the loss of same, but who knows. I do know that it helps a little to ensure the door latches are regularly lubricated.

The most interesting thing about this design is that each inside door handle is unique to that door, and marked as such with Italian initials AD, AS, PD and PS. I have never had to replace any doorhandles on any other car.

What style.
 
#3 ·
We had a very unusual warm snow Christmas morning as well. The kind of snow where you can make perfect snowmen and snowballs with very little effort. Normally what we get here is what this Ohio boy calls flurries, but this was snow and was a lot of fun and very rare to get an honest white Christmas around here. The Volvo XC70 has been the go-to snow car this year and even made a trip up Lookout Mtn in snowy/icy conditions and it did a beautiful job. I had to drive around people who, literally locked up in fear, just stop in the middle of the road and stay there. I have never seen people do that before. People slow down before going up hills (consequently don't make it up), and people just park cars wherever they have lost nerve and just walk away (and leave their cars for long periods of time thereafter), doesn't matter where they are. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen. :D I really wish people here got more exposure to this kind of weather so that they would get some skills in the white stuff. I had a snow shovel "Imported" from Ohio just before the winter hit this year (you can't find them here) and I have used it 3 times this year already. It's funny also to me, to never see anybody actually shoveling snow but me. :rolleyes: Guess we just have to sit inside and wait out the "storm" they call it here. NW Ohio makes for some hardened winter survival skills that die hard so Northern-like Southern winter weather is a constant source of bewilderment for this Ohio boy. It's cold, schools closed, wait what? again?! But I have to make a living! Anyway, when it gets cold and icy here, I just drive the Volvo 240 for fear of breaking a door handle (inside and out) on the 164 and for fear that someone may hit it following too close, like it's 90*F and dry roads. :rolleyes: Snow and ice people, give LOTS of distance between you and the next guy. (like I said, constant source of bewilderment). :confused:
Charles
 
#4 · (Edited)
We have a real snow shovel at both houses and I have used it 3 times already to make grass visible for the dog.

My moved here from PA neighbor just waked by with his furry dog as snow has slacked off a bit. Prediction was for 9 inches early and I think we may be close to that now.

This is not like the Circus blizzard of 1980 http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/blizzard-of-1980 but still a real snow event for this place.
 
#6 ·
Snow or no snow we are so lucky here on right coast compared to the flood victims out west this past week.

My heart goes out to those people who battled the floods and mudslides.
 
#7 ·
Smart guy that I am, I dug out the LS yesterday and drove it around the neighborhood to circulate the fluids. Late in the afternoon I parked it at the curb, facing down the slight hill, wheels turned in.

This morning I went to unlock the car and the little man that lives inside the car and breaks things while I sleep immediately locked the doors. Key in... turn...clunk....all the knobs come up.....remove the key from the door.....clunk...he locks the car back. Okay. I'll try again. Turn the key, doors unlock, then immediately the poltergeist locks them again.

We continued this dance until I realized two things: (a) I had to pull up on the handle before the door locked itself again if I had any hope of getting in and (b) the driver's side door handle had no resistance when lifted. Crap.

Turned the key and yanked on the rear door handle and it opened. Once in the car I pulled up on the knob to unlock the other doors and Clifford (the poltergeist. Figure I might as well name him) locked the doors again.

That's it. I'm driving the Spider today.

Eventually, the locks stayed unlocked. However, my Wednesday is now mapped out. Somehow, Clifford knew that I would be off work on that day and therefore available to open up the driver's door.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Life is a beach and then we die, but in the meantime aren't Alfas fun? I managed to dig out daughter's 164B from snow lock and removed arm rest and broken door handle but ambient temp only 28F so tomorrow another day when sun shining and tempo may hit 35F. I have repaired handle ready and JB weld curing on door panel pieces so weather permitting tomorrow is another day.

John good luck on poltergist and your door locks.
 

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#9 ·
Both Handles???

Neither the inside nor the outside driver's door handles work.

I've had the panel off before - replaced the outer handle a couple of years ago. However, the door won't open.

How do I get the panel off?
 
#11 ·
A warm Christmas over there? I can't say the same. I hadn't had a Christmas morning below zero, ever. But since I've got my wood fired central heating going, I can't say I'm not cozy.

A while ago I had a frozen lock on my car. First the key wouldn't go in, then it would go in but wouldn't turn. Once I got on my way, I failed to check that the door handle linkage wasn't frozen. But it was, and the door flew open on the first corner. Luckily it didn't hit anything. I really am not used to this weather.
 
#12 ·
Not sure what you consider warm but 29F here this morning = -1.6C and that is not warm enough for me.

Did see where it was 82F in land of Oz on Beach yesterday so down under has the summer now.
 
#13 ·
Well, got inner door handle installed once sun came out and warmed up to 32F.

Dug out truck so we can go get some groceries dog out of dog food, too.
 
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