I had this idea a long time ago and finally got around to trying it out this weekend. As many know, the interior latch handle on the -4 moves in what most would agree is the reverse of the expected direction, with forward to unlatch. Many have reversed the design, but this requires some advance planning with regard to the latch rod holes which I failed to do. I'm comfortable with the Van's arrangement, but thought some extra labeling could increase safety.
The first photo shows the latch knob after I drilled a 3/8 inch hole approximately 1/8 inch deep. If you look closely, you can see that I also drilled several very small holes angled outward in the bottom of the hole (for bite). I then filled the hole with red-pigmented epoxy. The surface tension of the epoxy allowed me to slightly overfill the hole. After the epoxy thickened a bit, I put a little more on so that the level was well proud of the knob surface. Once set, I turned it over and filled a second hole with green epoxy. After it was all dry, I filed it flush with the knob and gave it a quick sand and buff. The finished product looks like a dang billiard ball!
Obviously, the location of the holes needs to be worked out carefully so that the dots point towards the pilots eye. The photos were taken from the pilots perspective while in the front seat.
If anybody wants to do this, you don't need any fancy dye. I used a couple of very small tubes of Grumbacher Artists' Watercolor I got at Michael's for $3 bucks each. It required a surprisingly small amount of dye to get a nice rich color. Use a very light green, since the epoxy is a bit dark. I realize this type of pigment is probably not approved by the composite experts, but I'll take my chances.
The first photo shows the latch knob after I drilled a 3/8 inch hole approximately 1/8 inch deep. If you look closely, you can see that I also drilled several very small holes angled outward in the bottom of the hole (for bite). I then filled the hole with red-pigmented epoxy. The surface tension of the epoxy allowed me to slightly overfill the hole. After the epoxy thickened a bit, I put a little more on so that the level was well proud of the knob surface. Once set, I turned it over and filled a second hole with green epoxy. After it was all dry, I filed it flush with the knob and gave it a quick sand and buff. The finished product looks like a dang billiard ball!
Obviously, the location of the holes needs to be worked out carefully so that the dots point towards the pilots eye. The photos were taken from the pilots perspective while in the front seat.
If anybody wants to do this, you don't need any fancy dye. I used a couple of very small tubes of Grumbacher Artists' Watercolor I got at Michael's for $3 bucks each. It required a surprisingly small amount of dye to get a nice rich color. Use a very light green, since the epoxy is a bit dark. I realize this type of pigment is probably not approved by the composite experts, but I'll take my chances.
