Technical 1950 Pontiac Interior Door Handle Removal

I've had my Pontiac for almost year now. I've been avoiding adjusting the drivers door hinges because of the door handles. I detest working on interiors.

I can not get the interior door handle and window crank off. I have the tool, though I have read that the 1950 Chevy handle clips are larger than the later ones. I'm beginning to ***ume that the Pontiac handle clips are larger as well.
I've tried the rag trick, with no luck..
I've tried the paperclip hook trick on the back side of the clip, with no luck.

I can not even feel the clip on the shaft inside the door with a screw driver or paperclip hook.
Are the clips in the same position on the older handles? Right up against the body of the handle? Or are they further down the shaft of the handle?

I have custom door panels which I haven't damaged yet but I'm afraid I might if I keep fishing and pulling with a hook tool.

What I'm afraid of is who ever did the interior used a different type of clip, like an external snap ring, on these handles.

I'm almost ready to cut the handle to get access to the back side, but then I'll have a mismatched set.

 

They come of with clip remove tool, I think I
Modified the tool , I think I got it from Chevy of the 40’s
But they are a bear to get off and you will probable loose the clip.Good luck

 

Sometimes the little "ears" on the clip break off making them almost impossible to grab with the tool. I have had some success with getting the tool in the correct position and just going rapidly back and forth till I get lucky.

 

My '52 had a few broken ears and I managed to push the clips off with a thin long flat blade screwdriver that I bent enough to slide behind the handle. The screwdriver was one of those thin carb screwdrivers that was easily sacrificed.

 

cover your door panels with poster board to protect them , this is what we do to cars that came to the shop so there was no way the tool can rip them by sliding over them , even a thin peice of shirt cardboard helps .

 

The clip can be put on two different ways also. In line with the handle, and from the exact opposite side, so try both ways.

 

You can take a piece of stiff wire (small keychain rings work well) straighten it out and bend 1/8" end in an L shape and get them off pretty easily that way. Push in a little on the door panel around the handle and with the window down you should be able to see the clip.

A rag works pretty good too. I never cared much for the "tool" made for the job. I can get them off faster and easier with the wire or rag.

 

Try holding the clip tool in place and crank the handle back and forth.

 

Finally got the interior handles off. Obviously not a high priority...
I bought another tool and it was the same size as the first one I had.
The first handle came off after I bought a bore scope so I had a better view of the clip.
Once I had the handle and clip in my hand I could see how I had to modify the tool to fit.
The second clip came off pretty quickly.

Now for those hinges.

 

The clip tools we had in the factory were snap on. Worked like a champ. Still do.