For safety reasons and the fact that it is a labor and time consuming task to take apart the cables, I'd go with just pulling the kick panel off the bottom of the dash and you can easily reach up in there and hook a piece of bailing wire or the like right onto the tab that the handle went to, it is just a chain on the handle that connects it to the release assy. Who knows, you might just find a bent link and just be able to crimp the handle back together, or tie it back together with the wire.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale