Locking Doors

[Karl]

As per original my 1934 RHD sedan locks from the passenger side.
While I understand Henry's reasons for doing this it is some what of a pain to have to lock the drivers door from the inside and exit from the passenger side to lock the car . I was wondering if I swapped door lock mechanisms from a LHD drive car could I then have a locking drivers side door ?
Has anyone done this ? -Karl

[v8fordman]

Not sure about '34's, but later cars ('37's) had a provision for holding the lock cylinder in the internal door structure.... even though the door skin did not have a hole in it. You could drill the hole in the door skin and then have locks on both doors if you use a LHD lock mechanism.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Karl

As per original my 1934 RHD sedan locks from the passenger side.
While I understand Henry's reasons for doing this it is some what of a pain to have to lock the drivers door from the inside and exit from the passenger side to lock the car . I was wondering if I swapped door lock mechanisms from a LHD drive car could I then have a locking drivers side door ?
Has anyone done this ? -Karl

At least in the USA, folks were lawfully required to exit the car from the curb side. Thus, only one lock on the right (passenger) side of the car.
To this very day, most states carry this law and still require (by law) that folks exit the vehicle on curb side. Obviously this law is very seldom enforced. However, if one gets the door clipped off when exiting to the traffic side, they will find themselves cited and ruled the cause of the accident.

[Talkwrench]

Karl right up to 1967 [HR Holden ] was the same no external lock on the drivers door
; o 0 . I fitted central locking to my 35 pick up and it solves that problem...

[marko]

I never knew it was a law to exit the curb side.

Now I understand why Barney Fife & sheriff Taylor always did that. Learn sump'n new everyday on these boards.

[johnboy34]

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To answer your question; yes. But, to make it be right you would have to get the bracket that holds the lock,((it will spot weld in, then drill hole for set screw access) and form the skin or graft it from a donor door where the lock sits. I am doing this to my lhd Sedan. I used all the lock parts and had to make a reverse bracket to attach to latch. (the little part with the tabs bent over). The latch already had the holes to mount it all. Hope that makes sense.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by v8fordman

Not sure about '34's, but later cars ('37's) had a provision for holding the lock cylinder in the internal door structure.... even though the door skin did not have a hole in it. You could drill the hole in the door skin and then have locks on both doors if you use a LHD lock mechanism.

I've restored a number of '39 and '40 Fords and not one had a "provision" for lock on the left door. Perhaps your '37 was an anomaly?

[Matt in Alameda]

What about getting the necessary internal parts from a RHD car from say, England or Australia? I assume they had locks on the left side, or is this a bad assumption?.....Matt in Alameda

[V12Bill]

If you lock the drivers door from the inside as you get out, there will be no need to exit from the passengers side. On re entry, you will have to enter the passenger side and slide over. May I see a show of hands who has ever locked themselves out of their car?

[DavidG]

He's starting out with a RHD car, which means he wants the lock setup for a LHD car so that he can lock the doors from the driver's side. He already has the original-to-his-car passenger side lock.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by V12Bill

If you lock the drivers door from the inside as you get out, there will be no need to exit from the passengers side. On re entry, you will have to enter the passenger side and slide over. May I see a show of hands who has ever locked themselves out of their car?

I once thought I would outsmart old Henry Fords design and lock my fordor sedan w/o using a key, only to find out that when I did that I could not open the front passenger side door lock with a key. So I was totally locked out of my car during a tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains 4-5 years ago. I was just lucky enough to have some friends along who were chomping at the bit to bust one of my windows . We did wind up punching a hole through the front drivers side window that looked just like a bullet hole, and fished a coat hanger wire down to door handle, pushing it down to the unlocked position.

[RKS.PA]

John, I hate learning things this way....but it is a lesson you never forget!!! In fact, most of my "learnings" came form mistakes like this!!

Dick.

[johnboy34]

If you do it the way I stated in post #6, you would lock it with the key when exiting just like the pass. side. The inside lock and key lock are separate, independent in the latch.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by RKS.PA

John, I hate learning things this way....but it is a lesson you never forget!!! In fact, most of my "learnings" came form mistakes like this!!

Dick.

Exactly. What I had determined prior to locking myself out was,....if I pull up on the inside handles on front doors, then closed the door, the mechanism would unlock itself. On the rear doors, if I pulled the handles up, then closed the door the internal mechanism stayed locked. My thought process said if I went in through a rear door and pulled all four door handles up, and closed the back door the car would be completely locked, and that was true. The only problem was I could no longer unlock the passenger side front door using a key. Surprise, surprise. I am sure others have done the same thing, but may not care to admit it here, but I'm hoping that others who read this, will not make the same dumb mistake.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by V12Bill

If you lock the drivers door from the inside as you get out, there will be no need to exit from the passengers side. On re entry, you will have to enter the passenger side and slide over. May I see a show of hands who has ever locked themselves out of their car?

In my car if I flick the interior handle forward on the drivers side door to lock it and the try and close it the door unlocks itself -Ksrl

[34pickup]

While not original, you could buy one of the reproduction outside door handles that have a lock mechanism built into them. My truck has door handle locks on both doors.

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Matt in Alameda

What about getting the necessary internal parts from a RHD car from say, England or Australia? I assume they had locks on the left side, or is this a bad assumption?.....Matt in Alameda

No keyed door locks on the left side for pre war Ford cars in US.

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Kube

I've restored a number of '39 and '40 Fords and not one had a "provision" for lock on the left door. Perhaps your '37 was an anomaly?

Right Kube.

My original 1937 car locks with a key from the right side only.