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Does anyone know of a vendor that sells NOS or reproduction parking brake handles (just the plastic part)? I ordered one from Max Merritt and thought the price was on the high side. It came today and is actually the entire handle/rod Assy. and all I need is the green T handle. I called them back and they said that nobody makes them in reproduction but I was pretty sure I had seen them a few years ago somewhere, either NOS or repro, maybe through a PAC project?

I suppose I'll have to wait till next years All-Packard Swap meet. Maybe that's where I saw them!!

I believe the handle is pressed or molded onto the shaft. So many part cars out there, that not sure it would make sense to reproduce them in all the colors needed.

Just a thought. I have not tried it myself but it seems like some of the steering wheel repair kits they sell might work if your plastic handle is in very bad shape. Best of luck!
Ken

I don't remember ever seeing an ad for just the handle.

Jerry at Yesterday's Radio reproduces colored dash knobs and pieces for some models but nothing in his catalog on the handle. He'd be very knowledgeable on proper materials and getting colors right. Perhaps it would be worth an email to see what would be involved or if he would be interested in making a silicone mold for a few one offs and casting new handles. Is it just plastic or is there some kind of reinforcement inside?

Another alternative is that it's a project you might attempt. IIRC, it's a simple casting in as much as unlike the chrome handle, there is no fancy shape on the plastic handle. If you had an extra handle in any color or if yours is complete or could be pieced together, then glue, bondo and a lttle finish work could restore the handle into a decent condition for a mold. The hard part (for me at least) would be getting the color to match. If there is reinforcement, that also might need a bit of thinking as to supporting and keeping it straight in the middle of the mold.

Smooth On or Alumilite has the materials, how-to's and also will offer advice.

As to color, that also begs a question. Is it cast in the plastic or painted. Many of the colors were painted similar to what KevinAZ did on his steering wheel. Maybe you could do something along those lines to a used handle as Ken suggested.

Not sure how the metal rod fans out inside of the handle for rigidity, but the plastic is subject to some different stresses from the pulling when engaging the brake and the twisting when disengaging. So if you use a plastic that is not up to those stresses, it's going to break on you. I would just replace the entire handle and rod and be done with it. Basically you have just the cotter pin at the parking brake mechanism holding it in place. Remove the cotter pin, twist the rod to work it out of the mech, and then pull it thought the firewall, and a little more twist to work it through the the support on the bottom of the dash and its out. Installation is the reverse.

Time to upgrade to a chrome handle from a senior car!

Thanks for the different suggestions, men. I was certain that I had seen repros/NOS somewhere for sale. On my car, the handle has stress cracks and at this time is filly functional but I don't want that one time I go to use it to be the time it falls apart in my hand.

I called Max Merritt and they said that there's a sizable amount of iuvory ones out there from parts cars they have but what they normally do is just paint them if a customer insists on a color match. (They happened to have an entire assembly in green, used, and sent it to me).

I was thinking maybe the senior handle would be a nice upgrade. Then I'm sure I'd be tempted to continue that line of thinking and swap all available senior trim pieces out on my car for a pseudo-senior car look. A 'poor man's" senior, if you will.