Gen 3 Coupe FFR Door Opening Latch Reliability & Operability Questions

[Bob Brandle]

I have a question or two regarding the Gen 3 Coupe plastic Door Opening Latch.

How reliable is it from either the plastic latch housing breaking or the swagged-on cable end piece from slipping off and thus the door being inoperable?

For one, it would be an extreme bummer or worse if either would malfunction, with the door closed and the result being the door unable to be opened.
It's one thing to be outside the car trying to get in, but with the FFR Gen 3 Coupe door window frame installed, it might be next to impossible to exit the car, particularly in urgency!!
Before I assembled the door window frame assembly, I didn't check to see whether my body could even fit thru the window-frame opening.

While I haven't experienced any such failures, the door handle latch on my coupe seems to vary from easy to actuate to difficult depending on driver vs passenger side and possible nearing the limits of latch strength.

Has anyone experienced any breakage? Might the FFR metal version be an improvement?
Any insights?

[PNWTim]

Bob - I am curious about this post. Not to reiterate a back and forth conversation with another member but I had asked him where he got his billet door handles from. He stated he ordered them with his kit. I have been unsuccessful in locating them on FFR's parts site but regardless, during the conversation, I had said something about not wanting to put plastic door handles in and he said his factory originals were aluminum and powder coated black. I had not opened mine during inventory but went back and checked and sure enough they are metal. So maybe your concern is simply a matter of upgrading your door openers? Not necessarily to the billet ones but the standard new ​issue.

[michael everson]

If your real concerned, make the door panel removeable so you can trip the latch by reaching inside the door pocket
Mike

[TTimmy]

Consider adding some door poppers. They are an inexpensive and easy mod and will give you a solid “plan b” in case your manual opener fails. There is plenty of room inside the door cavity. And people really dig them!

[Erik W. Treves]

7 years - 11,000+ miles on the plastic handles - I think I may have adjusted the cables once....plastic handles are still the originals --- I added door poppers at about 5000 miles.

[Kbl7td]

Lube them up. Mine vary too, but they’re completely dry, once you put some actual lithium grease it should make it infinitely easier.

[Bob Brandle]

Thanks to those who replied to this thread and my problem(s), some good ideas were submitted.

I'll update you on my situation.

My FFR Type 65 Coupe is completed and has been on the road for some 15 months now, so implementing any ideas is a retrofit situation.

As I can, I'll try lubricating the door capture latch mechanism.

My coupe already has installed BOTH the FFR supplied mechanical door handle latches AND a self-designed and installed door popper system with solenoids.
The door poppers had been working fine but then became erratic to operate. The two solenoids have always electrically actuated, but the system started to not consistently release/open the doors. I suspect that the stranded stainless steel connecting loop has slipped in the swagged on securing collar, thus lengthening the connection until it became in effective.

Here’s my coupe’s solenoid door popper setup at the door capture latch area:





Recently the passenger door's FFR mechanical black plastic door handle latch also started to not operate consistently.
Today, on disassembly close examination, I discovered that this passenger plastic door handle-latch had developed a crack in the plastic wall that captures the swagged-on wire end.
Here's photo evidence of this:




I dare not reassemble this cracked door handle latch into the door because the crack might become catastrophic and fully come apart and lose all ability to open the door.

I really need a replacement FFR door handle latch (maybe two would be a good idea), but prefer to go to the all-metal route for both my mechanical door latches for added strength.
I'll be working with Factory Five for the best solution and hopefully a way to source the all-metal handle.

I'll also work on a better and more secure door popper stainless steel loop or loop replacement.

Bob

[Kbl7td]

My experience installing those poppers is they don’t like that angle. Installed horizontal on the top rail and they pull straight back effortlessly.

[lewma]

As I can, I'll try lubricating the door capture latch mechanism.
Bob

Bob, that helped me a lot on my build. Door latch was much easier to use once it was lubricated

[TTimmy]

I think this is what my kit came with. They are aluminum alloy and seem to be of good quality.

Checkout this Southco model AC-75-101-11. They have CAD drawings on the site so you should be able to work out whether this will be a direct replacement.

https://southco.com/en_us_int/ac-75-101-11