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I'm about to install my door handles on my '66 and see, I assume, from the factory pictures and other images the handle pointing down. My '67 had it at about the 3 or 9 position (depending on the side you looked at) and my '56 had them at the 2 or 10 position. It's been a while since they were on, but is there some logic behind it being at 6 o-clock as opposed to maybe the 2 o-clock or 12 noon - or some other position? I just think they look odd facing down. Were people falling out of the truck so they moved it to where you had less chance of bumping it? I am a bit different (or at least that's what I'm told) so I may do it my own way unless others can tell me why I shouldn't.
I point my passenger one down and back a smidgen so that it is harder to use as a pull handle. The driver side I have pointed up and slightly forward. it fits the slight angle of the hand and is easier to use imo.
For a question like this I would say you are odd or "different" Put them where you would like. If your knee hits them, move them. If you can't open the door where you put them, move them. Same goes for the window crank. does it really matter?
Though I would agree with the 'I'm odd and different' part, I don't think the question was either of those.
I will, of course, put them where I want to, but was more curious if anyone knew why they went downward from the factory. I suspect safety, but who knows. Have owned a lot of Ford's and none were situated that way. Seems they would hit the seat or my knees. It both.
Keep in mind I've driven my truck all of 1 mile since I bought it and so have no clue yet the comfort of one position or the other.
Makes sense to be straight down as you pull back to open and push forward to lock. If they were at 3 oclock position you would have to push down to open and pull up to lock. I tried mine in the 3 position and it was very awkward in my opinion.
Played with it all some last night. Have not installed all the arm rest and panel bits yet, but it does seem odd facing downward - though I guess anything can be gotten used to.
I drove my '56 for almost 30 years and that's hard memory to get around. It seems they would have been the same and that's when I started looking at pictures. If I mounted the 66 like my 56 I'd always be doing it backwards, which is why I was so interested in the reasoning aspect of the change.
I guess I shouldn't have expected anyone to really know why Ford did what they did, though I agree the pull to open and push to lock makes sense. Because I'm an odd duck I might flip the door mechanism. If I made new holes in the door (- and I might -) to have the handle face upward and pull open and push lock.
I too thought I was the only one that thought about this. My driver side points down, and the passenger is up and right, about 2 O'clock. 1966 F100. The drivers side down is what I see in a reproduction sales brochure I got from NPD. But I thought the position was determined by the "hole" in the post that receives the handle set screw. Mine fits perfectly in that hole on the drivers side, and points down. The passenger side hole makes it go up. So I thought maybe a PO put a left hand handle on the right hand door, but I believe all the handles are the same. At least that's what I can tell from the parts catalogues.
After putting in new weatherstripping on the doors today I decided - ah what the heck, let's see what it takes to flip these things.
25 minutes or there abouts.
I already replaced the door latch controls on both sides so I loosened them, used one of the old ones to mark upside down holes, drilled to 1/4", used a 1/4" countersunk screw, 1/2" tube and 1/4" nut to make new countersunk door holes - and wah-lah.
Feels far more "normal" to me now. Didn't make me more normal though.
does it really matter?
