Door Handles - Braces / Reinforcement?

[oldspwr]

I am working on my Brothers 81 C10 stepside. The cab and doors we are using are from an 84 GMC K35. I am stripping the doors down and noticed the passenger side has a brace behind the door handle and the driver side does not. The driver side still has the GM decals on the jamb. So I'm guessing the pass door was replaced at one time. Does anyone know what year the braces were added or possibly deleted?

My Dad had bought the truck new in late 1980. By 1992 or so we restored it for my Brother and at that time my Dad bought (2) new GM doors from the dealer. I vaguely remember him mentioning something about the new doors not having the same brace as the original but I'm honestly not sure. I'll have to remove the door panels to check. The driver side door has the GM decals on it but they were definitely taped around for a repaint. The inside of the door is the same black that the GM replacements were painted.

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[bucket]

The driver door tells the tale. The shell is original GM as built at the factory, but it appears to have been re-skinned below the window. I don't believe the skins have ever come with that brace, you have to transfer it.

 

[TubeTruck]

My Burb is the same way. I have the sticker on the drivers door but neither have that brace. Too bad too because the passenger side is very flimsy around the door handle.

 

[bucket]

I just got home and checked my '78 and '79. Both trucks have the original doors, complete with original skins too, and they both have the braces on the back of the skins. If I get a chance, I'll go look at the 77's I have too, but I'm betting they have the braces like I remember all doors having.

I won't say for sure about all doors because I don't have any '73-'76, but if a '77-up door does not have the brace for the door handle, then the door has had the skin replaced and the brace was not transferred.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I have a grave yard of doors from squares.. from at least 77, possibly earlier, to at least 82-87 (whenever horizontal side marker was). I can check. SOme are gut open for the cylinder. What am I looking for? I can probably sell those if they arent made

 

[legopnuematic]

my 85 doors have the braces, my 79s original doors have them, my 76 has them too. Friends 75 K5 has them aswell. The skins that we got for them (full lower skin up above window) has them.

 

[oldspwr]

I'm looking for the brace in this pic, the one where the arrow is pointing. I would actually like to find both the driver and pass side. I through if someone had some rusted out doors they could cut this out from the outside.

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[oldspwr]

I'm looking for the brace in this pic, the one where the arrow is pointing. I would actually like to find both the driver and pass side. I thought if someone had some rusted out doors they could cut this out from the outside.

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[AuroraGirl]

78 factory

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