I broke mine. 1985 GSL. I recline the seat to make getting in and out of the car easier. I'm 47 and have a long list of broken bones, so I need an edge. I reclined the seat and ended up with the handle in my hand. Normal pressure, no odd angles involved. It broke at a bend in the handle.

I "fixed it" with the metal cover that covers the slot for a PC card in a computer case. Its thin metal, and they don't cost you anything if you've ever added a card to your computer. It bends pretty easily, so I could bend it to match the shape of the handle. Cut it using my big electrical diagonal cutters.

The metal bridges either side of the break. I used JB weld to attach it. And I used several small 4 inch plastic cable ties to hold it all together. The cable ties make a good mechanical hold on their own. The PC card slot cover metal is thinner than the handle, so durablility is a concern. Feels ok so far, but so did the original handle just before it broke.

As a back up, I attached a small piece of chain to the recline lever, where the spring is attached. The chain slips out under the plastic cover, with a carabiner on the end. If the lever ever breaks again, I'll be able to use the pull chain.

Fortunately my failure occured in my driveway. Driving home with the seat in full recline is not cool. Squatting next to the car in the rain to try to make the seat come back up stinks too. I like having a backup. If you don't have a backup, you don't have a plan.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? What did you do?

Eric

 

I broke the one in my talon a few years back.. I just grabbed the little metal thing that remained and used it to recline the seat. The handle was plastic.