Before the advent of the “smoothie look,” people were slicking down the lines of their cars and trucks in numerous ways, and shaving door handles was one of the more popular mods. Today the trend is to fit later-model door handles rather than no door handles at all. This still provides a simple way to clean up your vehicle with very little effort, yet retains the convenience of manually opening the door. If you have the patience, talent and imagination, you can borrow the parts from a donor car or truck and fit them to your own project, thereby achieving a cool, smooth look that will be unique to your vehicle. 

Not all people like to worry about electrical entry system malfunctions or dead batteries, forcing one to resort to a hidden mechanical release to get into a parked vehicle. Many would rather retain the 100-percent mechanical advantage, thus providing a certain peace of mind. 

We’ve come across a nice door handle modification, which includes the installation of 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix outside door handles on ’53-’56 Ford F-100s. The installation is a straightforward, clean and simple swap. You retain the outside door locks and inside door handles, as they do not interfere with the new Grand Prix handles. How cool is that? 

The only thing you need to modify is the door strikers, which is very minor, and you’ll have to fill in the old door handle holes. Follow along as we watch the folks at Precision Street Rods & Machines show us how it was done in the good old days. The process takes less than a day to perform, minus the paintwork, of course, making this a modification that almost anyone can do.