Need Photos and Suggestions
 

I have a 1930 5-window coupe street rod. I would like to install a locking door handle on the driver's side door and a sliding inside door lock on the passenger door. Has anyone done this modification? I just purchased a matched R/L locking handle set from Speedway. Is it possible to install a sliding lock on the passenger door? If anyone has any photos of the doors with interior panels removed or helpful suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all.


By the way, I already know about the pitfalls of using the sliding door lock and potentially getting locked out of the car. If I install a sliding lock on the passenger side I intend to disable the sliding lock on the driver's side.

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

Take off the door panel & put them in. The cars were designed for easy LHD & RHD conversion & metal should be punched out on your passenger door. Many cars now have locking handle on the drivers door [ handle does locking, not door mechanism] but in the era it was law to alight on curb side, hence locking handle on that door.

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

I called a fellow at Brattons this afternoon and he advised that although I could install a slide door lock on the passenger door that I would need to modify the latch mechanism in order to make it work. He did not go into detail about what modification needed to be made. I am still hoping that someone in Model A land has done this modification and shed some light on the subject for me. I do know that I can install a locking handle easily on the drivers door. If worse comes to worse I can always just keep the passenger door locked since most times no one sits in that seat anyway unless, of course, they are female, blonde, beautiful and well built.


Come to think of it, what I really need is a passenger door from a right hand drive Model A. LOL

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

You could just get two locking door handles that use the same key. I don't remember the sliding lock being very complicated, it should swap sides, have a look at it and see, they probably designed it to be swapped.

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

I already have a pair of matched exterior handles that have been installed. Very easy to do. I was hoping to drum up someone who has installed a slide lock on the passenger side already so I could pick their brain and avoid any serious pitfalls. Anyone???

Need Photos and Suggestions
 

I‘be often wondered why only the passenger side had a handle lock. Now, it makes sense. Thanks for sharing.


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Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

I have the same/similar question for the '36. Anyway to install a key and locking assembly on the left side door of a 5-window, below the handle? What was used in Australia? Do they have a key, cylinder and lock assembly with a provision for locking the left door?

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

A few weeks ago I purchased a pair of outside locking door handles. They had identical keys. It was easy to install the passenger side one. I had to cut off approximately 3/8 inch off the end of the square piece that goes into the mechanism to get it in. It works fine. The drivers side is another story. I could not get the handle out of the other mechanism and I gave up before I broke something. Take a good look at the handle to see what I am talking about. Long ago I installed the sliding mechanism on the drivers side. It does not seem long enough to work. I do not have any of the interior installed yet. I am interested in following this thread.

Re: Need Photos and Suggestions
 

The sliding lock mechanism on the driver's side is nothing more than a sliding metal piece that pushes on a mating piece in the door latch mechanism that also slides inside the latch and stops the inner and outer handle from being able to move. The passenger door latch does not have the same internal slide built into the latch. Thus, while the sliding lock mechanism CAN be mounted in the passenger door, without the mating piece built into the latch, the sliding lock mechanism is useless. One would have to take the locking piece out of a spare driver's side latch and attach it inside the passenger latch to get the desired effect. Can it be done? Maybe, with lots of effort. Will the locking outside handle alone lock the passenger door ? Yes, but only from the outside. Without modifying the latch mechanism, the door can still be opened from the inside. If passenger safety while in the car is the question, then merely installing the sliding lock in the door is useless. If locking the car from the outside to provide safety from vandals breaking in, all that is needed is the locking outside handle.

Bob Bader