Per Todd's website (and direct communication), this reproduction piece (of crap) needed to be "filed" down to fit. After an hour of filing, massaging, and reshaping, this POS still is fighting me. It will not "clip" into the handle. One side "clips", the other will not. Any advice at this point, for those of you that have used this? For anyone else- this thing looks GREAT in the pics, but I wish anyone who purchases it the best of luck trying to get it to fit!!!
Every time I buy a "reproduction" of an original part I cringe. About a year ago I purchased a set of door lock buttons from LMC for the Buchev. First, they didn't look anything like the originals, and second, the threads were not correct. They were cheap enough that I just threw them away, but Jeez! The flip side of this is that the driver's side power window switch was beginning to get a little erratic on my '05 Dodge Magnum. I decided to order a new one from Chrysler; they wanted $292.99 for it. Let's just say that they still have it. I shopped around the internet and bought one from an outfit called The Switch Doctor. It was $27 and some change including sales tax and shipping. It looks almost exactly like the original and works fine. Ya win some and you lose some. I don't care if the new switch only lasts a year, I can buy one every year for the next 10 years and still come out ahead of the factory part. BTW: This doesn't mean anything, but neither the switch or it's box said "Made in China".
I use Mike's trigger and clip in polished aluminum. Very nice pieces. https://mrbuick.com/reproductionparts.html
I will also say Mike's shifter clip and trigger are top notch pieces. Buy them once and never worry about cheap plastic breaking again!
Mike Garrison makes the best pieces on the market. Don't waste your money on other reproduction plastic parts
If your problem is what I think it is ... that the ends of the chrome plastic insert are not locking in place because the sides near the ends do not slightly bend inward far enough to keep the locking mechanism (spike on the molded plastic end) engaged and/or tight enough inward pressure, you can try this process. Old scale model car and plane builders use this process when molded plastic (like styrene ... very common) is slightly warped or out of shape. Trace the outline of this part on a sheet of paper, this will form a reference for the rest of the process. Find a pan you can heat water in and submerge the plastic part in. Warm clean water on the stove in that pot/pan. If you have a thermometer, get the water to between 180 - 190 degrees. Make sure you have a fork or tongs to use placing the part in the water and pulling it out as well as a towel to place the wet part onto and absorb the hot water. Have your trace of the part handy for comparison. Here is what you must do carefully: when the water gets to temp, use the utensil or tongs to place the part in the water for only 3 or 4 seconds at first. Then pull it out and put it on the towel quickly and then gently (with thumb and index finger) squeeze the ends of the chrome insert together about a 1/4" to 3/8" max. Let it cool while you're holding the part and gently compressing the ends. When cooled, remove the pressure and compare the shape to the traced reference shape. If you need to do it again, then leave in the water additional second or two more (now, like 5 seconds total) and repeat the process. I would not really go beyond 7 or 8 seconds max., though. I have never had one take more than 3 times, but you will see the shape of that part's ends (or sides) start bowing inward as compared to the reference trace. I have never cracked any chrome, either. The shape of the molded locking wedge on the inside edge may need to be filed slightly creating a less than 90 degree angle where the innermost part of the molded wedge (the point) returns to the molded body of the part, if that makes sense.
Mike's aluminum piece is top notch ,but mine in my GS is been there for 50 years and it still looks good.I do have another NOS one,but I will not sell it just in case.Bruno.
Be glad you didn't buy the woodgrain handle from them as well..Holes were drilled way off and I couldn't get it to fit no matter how.That was the last thing I bought from them. I sold it for near pennies of what Ipaid. Even the guy that got it said how the quality was, I ended up getting a decent OEM one and have it currently..
