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Attached are some picture of my replacement handles, which have now been dismantled; and had checked that they were same style and fitted my car. I noted that there were two types of handles when speaking to a Rover specialist awhile ago.
Pretty straightforward, 2 screws to the back, allows the button to be released.
The mechanism is simple enough spring loaded with latch off the back, which connects to linkage for door handle.
Have sent these off for re-chroming, since those on my car are very badly pitted and etched, not work saving.
Did early Rapides have P5 handles and later ones have the P5B door handles? The ones on my car don’t have the lower fixing, I only noticed this when I bought a P5B handle and found it wasn’t quite the same. The photo below shows the bit I mean, the top one is a P5 with a rounded underside (under the push button) and the other is for a P5B with a point where the lower fixing is…
Took a photo of one of my handles and the button is different too…
When I was buying my replacement handles, I was alerted to the fact that the door handles had subtle changes between the P5 Mk1 (1958-62) and the P5 Mk2 (1962-65) and P5 Mk3 and P5B, so purchased with care.
My car has P5 Mk1/2 handles, given it is a 1963 car, not really surprising. That was, what was available from the Rover parts bin at the time.
FYI the P5B was introduced in 1967, the interim model was the P5 Mk 3 (1965-67). The 5B does seem to be the source of many of the handles which are appearing on eBay and other places. So do take care when buying handles!
When I was sourcing replacement handles for my 3.0 dhc, I noted similar small changes in door handle and button styles on Rover’s throughout the 1950’s.
There are two ‘new old stock’ RH P5 Mk 2 rear door handles on eBay at the moment. These have the tapered button and should fit earlier Rapides (I’m not sure what number upto). I’ve just ordered a LH for mine as the chrome on one has some pitting. I’ll let you know if it fits okay – if so they’re worth having as good spares. The link is here;
I doubt that there is such a thing as certain parts being used only “for early Rapides”.
One might imagine that AML purchased in batches, buying whatever was available at that time or sitting in their parts bin.
Also not forgetting that these cars were not made or sold in anything like numerical order.
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