Double trouble with door handles

First issue with my new-to-me 98 C1500. The outside door handle, driver's side, had vandalism damage, and I was waiting for spring weather to pick up a replacement from the salvage yard. All of a sudden, my interior door handle (same side) decides to break, somewhere inside the door panel, where I can't see it. So, I'm going to have to replace both. There are a few YOUTUBE videos on doing the job, which doesn't look too difficult.

What I want to know is whether a replacement interior handle, from the wrecking yard, is worthwhile, or whether I should buy new. If the conscensus is to buy new, who makes or supplies the best one?

Any leads or hints on this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I bought door handles on Amazon for like 12 bucks. They are a pretty common breakage item, I had to replace them on my Yukon also.

The interior is held with one bolt, the outer has three I think, two inside and one at a weird angle in the door jam.

With pulling the inner panel,cleaning and painting things, I only spend like an hour per side on it. No special tools needed. a 7mm and I think a 10 will do it.

So, I went on Amazon, read the reviews, and ordered a GM OEM outside handle. Pretty cheap, and all the reviewers said it was worth the extra bucks, because it held the lock cylinder securely, and fit the door cutout correctly. For the interior, I found one with a metal handle and good reviews, so I bought it, along with a package of the white plastic door panel clips.

Should come late next week, being delivered to Bellingham WA, to my buddy's house. I'll go down, pick them up, and see how it goes. Might try to find a better-looking driver-side interior door panel, as the arm rest on mine is slightly damaged. Bothers me everytime I look at it. It's grey if anyone knows of one up here in the Pacific northwest that's available.

Cool beans, good luck!

Weather cooperated today, so I removed the interior door panel, which was really easy. A couple of the white plastic pins broke, but I had ordered a box of 25 replacements, so no big deal. The door panel I removed was formed out of some kind of pulpy looking material (from my 98), while the one I got for 20 bucks at the wreckers is all black plastic, and seems to be a better piece. Thinking of changing out the radio speakers while I'm at this, as the factory speakers are pretty cheap looking pieces.

Next was unplugging the four plugs (speaker, mirror, locks, windows), and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why GM use a different style of plug and latch for each. Slows you down, trying to figure out what you have to do to release eachh plug.

Next, drilled out the rivet on the interior handle, and discovered that it was the actual metal handle that had broken, not the plastic pivot points which I had guessed.

Installed the new handle, and temporarily put the plugs back in for windows, locks, etc., so I can drive the truck. But without the door panel, that awful warning chime goes continuously, since there's nothing to hold the switch pin in.

Tomorrow looks good, so I'm going to do the outside handle then, using the excellent sticky in the exterior thread for guidance.