Any of you guys shave your handles but keep just the lock cylinder? Do you just get some door poppers and instead of running a solenoid the lock cylinder releases the door to be popped open? For example: My truck will be a daily driver, and I don't really want to depend on the battery and solenoid to ALWAYS open my door. So I figured I can get the clean look of no handles and keep the reliability of a strictly mechanical system this way...
haha, well I'm planning to do it, but I wanted a little guidance first. Honestly I'm not sure that a standard key and lock cylinder can provide enough force to operate a door latch mechanism. And then it's not only the door latch mechanism, but the force of a door popper pressing outward on the door that will need more force to open that latch. HELP!
I like the repro Lincoln pushbutton door latches, but I would have to figure out bellcranks/linkage to get mine to work out. Just a thought......
I just did my car, 49 chevy. You could do the same on the truck. I have done a few Rustangs years ago. Shaved the door handle and used the rod off the door handle to run it to the door lock. Had to cut it in one place and make a bend. On the 49 I didn't want any electric gizmos for fear of them going bad and locking me out. This is a simple and some what clean way to shave doors in the link. Hope it helps. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mnvOG-imU20?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mnvOG-imU20?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
I did that 25 years ago on my 75 Duster. Worked great. Put the latch in the unlock position, swap the linkage rods so the lock actuates the latch. No failure with years of use.
Awesome tech video. The HAMB rules again! Has anyone done like Cole Foster's truck above? Where you actually use the lock cylinder from another car or something so that you can lock it with a key instead of using a rod to push it open?
I like the '46-'48 Lincoln door buttons, but there's no way to lock them. So, I either modify the 50's Ford lock cylinders to open the latch and still lock, or use 50's Chrysler trunk buttons. You can get these early cylinder rekeyed easily or make your own key if you're handy. Here's a Chrysler trunk button off a '55 Windsor...
I shaved the door handles on my '55 chevy pickup. I haven't done it yet, but I plan to install a cable running to the front fender well. Think like a bicycle brake cable, when you pull it, the door opens. Or you could leave the vent window unlatched and just reach in. haha!
you might as well just leave you key in the door! yea i would rather be locked out, then have this set up. all it would take is a screwdriver to open that door. and a thief could get in that easy! maybe have your whole car stolen! its cool, but i dont trust people out on the streets, its not like the good old days where people trusted each other.
That's pretty awesome. Question, does your door have a popper of some sort that "assists" the door in opening since there is nothing to grab onto anymore? If I had remote solenoids, that's what I would do. But I dont even want to mess with solenoids.... I want it strictly mechanical, and I don't really want to reach in the fender well everytime I open my door Yeah that's the only thing I don't like about that setup... hmm there's no door handle, but there's a hole so lets try to stick this phillips head in there and see what happens... gone.
you may hate it, but i will add this idea, Look at a 80s to 90s chevy astro and gmc safari mini vans, there lock is stand alone and is set in a recess in the door under the handle, what we did was cut out the recess and attach the lock mech to the latch, there fore when you looked down the side of the truck you cant see the locks, cause its now flush
Actually, that's more like what I was thinking... But do you have door poppers to help get the door open, or do you just kind of pull on the key while its turned. I would like to avoid breaking the key off in the lock too!
I understand what you are saying. I use to own a repo company and have snatch just about every kind of make there is. I can say that this way is safer than you may think. How many people carry around a screw driver? If so how many carry a screw driver that will fit through a 3/8 gas line? Still have one huh? Okay that still will not work. The key you use from the door handle is small and tapers at the end. If you use a straight head, small enough screw driver that will fit through the hole then it goes through the lock and bottoms out against the back of the lock housing because it's too sharp. The way the key you have from the handle is made it fits perfect and pops the lock. I tried opening the door with a screw driver and you can't do it. You get the lock to move enough to get the door to pop to the first lock but the safty catched it and it won't open. A regular car key stuck in the hole will not work either. It's not long enough. I went through 3 nice screw drivers trying to make a key that would work before figuring out it would not. After figuring out how the handle came apart I had the perfect key. The one Chevy made for it. I know it's hard to understand without seeing how the latch is made. I feel that this is safer than most. The part of the lock you have to hit is sitting in an enclosed housing. Just a small hole in the front for the latch rod. Too small of a hole for a phillips screw driver. How many people run hiddened buttons so you can pop the door open. People watch when a car is coming and going. A thief would pick up where a hidden button is in no time. Beside if you are that worried about getting your car stolen you may as well stay at home. If they want your car they will get it. Just for the record. A key hole lock with the rod going to the latch could be had pretty easy. A big screw driver stuck in it and smacked 2 or 3 time with a hammer gets it in the lock. Toss on a pair of visegrips and rotate away from the latch and you will spin the lock in the door pulling the rod, opening the door. If someone wants in they can.
You will more than likely need something to pop the door open. The latch will unlock on anything but the door will stay there unless you have something to push it out. It doesn't have to be much. A small spring from like a 1970ish Chevy hood latch will work. It just need to be strong enough to push the door past the lock.
rebstew, Now that you have explained it a little more in detail, I really like your idea. And the best part is that it will cost me next to nothing since I already have working door handles. Most likely, I will completely shave the passenger door and only leave an entry hole/mechanism on the driver side. I'll open the passenger side door from the inside. Thanks for all the help!
Don't write it off so soon. There is a wealth of info on here. Some other HAMBer's may have a better idea. There are tons of ways to do it. I use to go through my cozy wings on my 61. No outside way of getting in. Had to reach through the cozy. Problem was getting locked out if you latched the cozy. I pulled the latch off the cozy to prevent this. It works great but on the highway the wind would seep through a whistle, sometime popping the cozy wing open. Drove me nuts and when it rained a little water would roll down my door panel. Without the latch it won't pull against the seal enough to close it all the way. If you do go with the lock deal like that trunk lock that was posted above you can also use a Pinto or Mustang II door locks. If you could find and old set of doors out of a junkyard you could cut the lock out with about a 4" square and weld it into the truck door.
Yeah I never thought about someone breaking into the lock with a flathead screwdriver and breaking it free enough to open the door like you were saying. So I might as well just try to confuse them with one small hole... It'll be a little while before I touch the doors, I have too much else to do right now...
Im not hating on what you came up. and what is this talk about staying home??? never! i totally understand how that latch works, i was just thinking if they want it, they will take it and that door key hole just makes it easier. and a thief will have a screwdriver in his pocket or bag of tools to steal what they have to! its a cool design, but i would rather have a hidden cable back up with some door poppers. the cable would just be back up. so you can hide it well. and thanks for posting the video!
there are some imports maybe volvos i think that use a keyed trunk button to release the trunk. might be able to use that since its lockable. this gave me a thought . i know where theres a volvo junk yard to get some from.
I have shaved handles on an OT later model project, and installed a similar setup on another that was a daily driver. The cars were both 3rd gen F-bodies, so if the battery died or the remote crapped out you could go through the hatch. Never had to do it, though I did have to crawl through when getting the pull right on the solenoids.The locks were completely disabled (lock cylinder and rods removed), and the solenoids were activated by a remote. It would be easy enough on a car with a trunk to run a pushbutton in the trunk (as long as your battery is accessible, or you install charging posts), or even a cable style actuator.
Latch mechanisim off a 1978 f-150 they have 4 different levers and 4 rods.. 2 rods go to the handles interior and exterior.. then the other 2 rods go into the interior lock and the other rod goes to the exterior lock cylinder. Dissable or secure the levers for the locking part of the mechanisim so they do not lock anymore. Then the lever that was attached to the rod going to the exterior door handle attach that to the lock cylinder and adjust it properly. You will need to find a way to mount the latch mechanisim in a door other then that style truck. Im doing this to my truck which is o/t 78 f150 but other lock mechanisims might be similar. You wont need the locking mechanisim of the latch mechanisim because the only way to open the door from outside is with the key in they key hole just turn and get some sort of spring to pop the door out. Hope this helps someone out.
Doh! Hmmm...if you have power windows (doubtful), you can set up a remote to lower the window...or maybe install a lock on the hood, and run a pull cable or pushbutton on the firewall or fenderwell.
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