The restoration projects on my Arrow are getting smaller as I move forward, and this month, I’m doing a couple of little things that make a big difference, at least to me.

In December 2020 I did two very small projects while I waited for the wall panels to arrive. Picture 1 shows the outside door latch handle of my Arrow. It is 43 years old, and the paint is peeling off. It’s truly worn. I purchased a new latch handle from Aircraft Spruce for $24.50. Pictures 2 and 3 show the old and new handles together, and you can see that the new handle looks much better than the old one.

Picture 4 shows the new handle in place. There is only one screw and washer and if they’re in good shape, you can reuse them. The replacement of the knob took about one minute. Also note that the inside handle is the same part number so you can purchase two of these and replace both handles.

Next project: My flap handle, which looked nothing short of awful. In Picture 5 you can see the aging flap handle versus my new carpeting! Why didn’t I paint this before I put in the new carpeting?

Very good question! So, I put an old bath towel under it (see Picture 6). I cleaned the handle with 409 and a damp rag. I wiped it down and masked off the rubber grip at the top with blue masking tape. Then, I brushed on two coats of Rustoleum black paint and it’s perfect again! Make sure you get a matte finish and not glossy as it looks better. Now it looks just like new!

I did both of these little projects for $30 and I’m very pleased.

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