James,

Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you on this. Especially if you don't have the safety bosses, the repro handles are just awful. They don't fit well, plus they are missing, (or is it that they have), a dimple, that does or does not belong on the handle!, (I'm sorry I can't remember which it was?) Anyway, the repro's went back, and I had the originals rechromed. It was the best decision by far! They turned out perfect! I don't remember how pitted they were, but they were definitely pitted bad enough that they required rechrome. I had a chrome shop in downtown Portland, Oregon do the work. I think they were the last shop in the business for many miles. I don't know if they are still there or what their name was, ('Oregon Plating?') They did 'Show Chrome' for Collector Cars I know. Things of unspeakable beauty. My door handles and escutchens for the '62 Mini Countryman were breathtaking, (to me anyway, but then again, I didn't get out much! HA!)               Mini Estate

P.S. I never knew anyone that had an Aussie Mini pot metal door handle repaired. It's always the one with the lock on the drivers side that snaps right off, (RHD). The motion that you make with your wrist when you open the door would certainly rebreak any attempted repair. The only way to obtain one is used off of another Aussie Mini. Most of the time they need to be rechromed. That's a rechrome on top of the $200 to $300 US Dollars to purchase the Aussie handle used! I had to buy one for my '66 (AUS) Morris Mini Deluxe. It had to be sourced out of the 'Land Down Under' to boot!!! (time to throw another shrimp on the barbie Mate!)

pot metal CAN be fixed and re-chromed, i have had it done at a very good chrome shop in Dubuque Iowa

it is the best chrome shop i have found, they have about a 4 month wait list, but very well worth the wait

check it out, AIH chrome

My Mini was built on 7 May 1965 and is titled as a 1966.  I believe the door handles and escutcheons are original to the car.  The L. H. handle has wear and pitting at the 9 o'clock position on the shaft where it goes thru the escutcheon and the escutcheon also has wear and pitting on the I.D. of the hole at the same 9 o'clock position.   I believe the wear will show after rechrome.  I do not have the safety bosses, I believe they came in 1966.  Even before you mentioned, I had concerns for the quality of the reproductions.

Rick: did you have wear or pitting on your handles?  who performed the rechrome?

Jim

Hold on a minute there James! I think everyone is assuming that you don't have an Aussie built Mini without the sliding windows. If you do, then the door handles are completely different. The Aussie door handles are pot metal and cannot be repaired, (the right hand drivers handle is notorious for snapping off). I've never had a door handle snap on any of the eleven UK built MKI Minis I've owned, so I don't believe they are pot metal. Do your handles have the safety bosses, (buttons?). I forget exactly what year they started adding them, (but I think it was in '65-'66 sometime?) Anyway, if you do have the earlier handles without the safety bosses, the new reproductions are not exactly the same and do not fit well. I bought a new pair of repro handles for my '62 Wagon, and ended up sending them back and had my originals rechromed, (both handles and escutchens). They turned out perfect. Hope this helps.

Mini Estate     

If you decide to buy new handles I would love to buy your old ones, I'm building a beater car for myself and have no need of bright shinny handles just something to open the doors with!.........Paul

Thank you for the replies,  I was afraid the handles were pot metal and could not be repaired.  I have pitting in the chrome and  wear around the holes on the escutcheons.

Jim  

X2  Dr. Mini  -  they are not that expensive if you don't want to clean up you old ones (to pitted?).  Our host sells both and you might want to think of matching the locks for door(s) and boot.

They are pot metal.

I am restoring a 1966 Cooper S.  What is the material that the door handles and escutcheons are made out of: alloy, pot metal or brass or ????  Can the wear areas be welded, filed smooth and then rechromed ?

Is it less work to purchase a door handle kit ?  Chrome quality ?

Thanks for your assistance.

Jim