1933 'stuck' glove-box door.

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III


To whom it may concern:
I’m working on my '33 glovebox because the door cannot be pulled open. The knob is stationary; no left turn, no right turn. The door was manufactured without a lock.

There is one 7/16th square nut w/lockwasher on a fine-thread stud outside of the ‘cardboard’ box on the left and one on the right . . . and one atop, each tightened up to the cardboard and apparently a thin-thin metal support within the cardboard . . . tightened tight with the exterior lockwasher and 7/16ths square nut.

The left-side nut that I've screwed off, the stud was somewhat loose.

Fortunately, the stud was tight enough so that I could unscrew the square nut.

Despite being able to unscrew the square nut, the fine threads on the stud were somewhat rusty, and the square nut was somewhat reluctant to leave its 87-year-old hold, and squeaked with objection as it was slowwwwwwly being unscrewed.

It took hours because of its cockeyed position and rusty threads, and I didn't want to loosen that stud.

Again, I was fortunate, or so I thought, until the very end; to wit, the stud is in position until eternity. The head had been tightened to something stable (FoMoCo) within the cardboard; not exposed on the inside of the box?

Soooo, that means that the box will have to be taken out in pieces to get at the stuck latch.(if all 3 are the same, no doubt. ) FoMoCo woodgrain door has gotta stay. (The woodgrain isn't nearly as good as some experts do today, but it's Henry, and the super original 3w stays unresto'd.

This experience has led me online regarding '33-'34 gloveboxes.

Wellll! New gloveboxes are available! No doubt because my problem has happened to others.
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There are two holes up through the bottom fold-over woodgrain-dash tin . . . but there are no screwheads which would be screws going up into the cardboard behind the door. The holes are a couple inches apart, centered on the foldover just in front of the box&door. (?)

Sooo how does this box come out in one piece! Not by me, and I gotta git that door open.

Not a hurry-up project.

Thank you -

Pat Malone

[DavidG]

I do not think that you can access all the screw heads on the inside of the box that hold the glove box in place. None of them are studs, but rather slotted truss head screws with the heads all inside (seven in total) There's a steel strip on top of the cardboard through which three of the screws pass. The center one of the three is where the latch catch is attached.

You may have to pry open the door if you do not want to destroy the cardboard box to access the screw heads or simply the back of the door. Using a couple of old credit or similar plastic cards on either side of a wide blade screw driver to prevent chipping the original paint/wood grain, it should open.

[rich b]

Maybe you could sneak a little penetrant onto the latch ball and get it free or work a tool (stiff plastic like DavidG mentioned) around the side of the stainless catch and help the ball get loose.

[cas3]

Mine wont stay shut. combine the two, we would both have working doors !

[Mart]

It isn't a latch as such, just a ball detent. carefully applied force should get it to pop open. Some penetrant might help The catch is top dead center so you know where to concentrate your efforts.
Mine is the opposite, it pops open occasionally, also the cardboard "box" is missing completely!
Mart.

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Thank you!

Opened!

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Reproductions are available!

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THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

Pat Malone

[DavidG]

I hope with zero damage.

[mercman from oz]

Rear view of 1933 Ford Glove Box Door in Dash.

[Mart]

What did you do to get it open, Pat?

[DavidG]

Trevor,


Interesting photo in that it shows the glove box door in the RHD position on the left and yet the bracket for the instrument panel light is in the LHD location on the left side.

[mercman from oz]

Rear view of RHD 1933 Ford Dash.

[DavidG]

Fascinating; likely that is a feature of the Canadian '33 dashes to have both LHD and RHD instrument lamp brackets as all the U.S. ones I have seen have only one depending on which side the instrument panel was located (four of the RHD countries of the world at that time (Argentina, Japan, Paraguay, and Uruguay) were U.S. sourced.

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Oh, sorry for the late response. Followed the advice of David G and slid a credit card between the top of the door and the dash, 'found' the ball that is 'sprung' upward to insert into the catch; pressed down on the ball while pulling the glovebox knob. WOW! opened before I knew it! Thanks to the sage advice of this kind fellow and others. Thank you all again so much.

Sincerely, Pat Malone

[highbeams]

Thanks for your photo! No more mirror-under-the-dash for me! Great!

Do you think that these could be ordered in rust or non-rust? hmmm.

My whole car apparently was ordered in rust. (extra cost for the dealership hosing the car down on the lot for that vintage weathered look . . . . . rustic patina look.