Closed T's door lock location

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Closed T's door lock location
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 02:15 pm:

When I started restoring my 24 T Coupe a few years ago I wondered why the lock was on the passenger side door and not the driver's side.
Is it so you won't have to climb around the hand brake in a locked car?
Any thoughts?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Miller, Mostly in Dearborn on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 02:33 pm:

I think it was thought of as being safer. My '31 Fordor has easy access through the drivers door yet the only key lock is on the passenger side door.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 02:46 pm:

Get you on the street side. My '27 Tudor was the same as yours but I could never figure out how to lock the driver's door. Might have been broken internally.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Hood on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 02:55 pm:

In some places it was against the law to exit on the traffic side of the car. Also as you pointed out, it is nearly impossible to get into the drivers side, especially in a Fordor sedan.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 03:03 pm:

Charlie - Pushing the driver side lever forward locks the door. That is, of course, if the latch assembly isn't worn. It should push forward into a detent and stay until pulled back. This locks the driver's outside door handle. If the latch assembly is worn, jiggling the outside handle may make it slip back and unlock.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Sosnoski on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 04:31 pm:

The 23-24 model year cars with the wooden doors had a locking lever on the inside of the driver's door. You pushed down this lever to lock the door. After locking the driver's door (and rear does on a Fordor) you then slid over and out the passenger's door, and locked that from the outside.

For the 1925-27 models. they did away with the extra lock lever. The door is now locked by pushing the lever which opens the door in the opposite direction.

Be aware when dealing with these latches that there are different variations. The latch for the left front and right rear are the same and both have the locking mechanism for locking it from the inside. The latch for the right front and left rear are almost the same. The left rear has the locking mechanism for locking on the inside, while the right front is set up for the outside key.

Dave S.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 05:38 pm:

I don't know how late it may have been done (or by whom else), however Ch#####et trucks and pickups were made with outside key locks on the passenger door only at least until 1953. Yes because it was thought safer to exit on that side when parking. Seems silly today. Traffic is much heavier, faster, and lanes narrower, and nobody does that.
Like David S says. My '24 coupe has the lock outside on the passenger door only, and a tiny little flip lever inside on the drivers door.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 06:44 pm:

My 24 Coupe has the locking lever on the inside of the drivers door.
Good information from all. I have been told I was lucky to have the the locking lever still on the car. These are some of the parts unique to these cars that nobody is reproduceing. The lever is one of them.
I was thinking it was because of the safety factor about the lock location being on the passenger door.
I wonder which door on the right hand drive cars has the outside door lock. Just curious.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Monday, June 24, 2013 - 07:16 pm:

Yes, the 24 Coupe has a separate lever. My response was for Charlie who has a 27 Tudor. Sorry for the thread slip.


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