1914 Runabout door latch differences

[Corey Walker]

The door latch on my 14 isn’t original to the car. Either it is a rear door latch (don’t know what they look like) or they made 2 different styles with the handle placement slightly different than the other. I was thankful to purchase this interior from Mr Art Ebeling here in the forum and I have a picture of his latch with the handle clearly rearward compared to mine. I noticed this when I went to fit the panel and the hole didn’t line up.
What I need to know is to get the correct latch I suppose I need to be specific in my want ad about the handle placement or simply as for a front latch because the one I have is possibly a rear? You can see the differences in the pictures of mine and his latches.

[1915ford]

The style you need was used from 1914-1916 and were made by at least two suppliers if not more. Jos. Smith company was one of the suppliers of this style and these are often marked as such on the face plate of the latch. The passenger front and drivers rear lock are the same and the passenger rear is a mirror image. The bat handle shape will have subtle differences between makers but is functionally the same. Your handle has been bent somewhere along the line. All should stand vertical when released. The return spring inside is often shot and can easily be replaced. Hope this helps.

[Wayne Sheldon]

In addition to multiple suppliers, there were some minor changes in the handle design and how the pivot interconnected into the base. I do not myself know the differences beyond the fact that I have seen several all together at swap meets and few matched any others. I have been told that the 1914 is different from later 1915s/'16s, but do not know how to tell a 1914 from the later ones. The odds are that my 1915 runabout likely has a 1914 latch, as it was missing that when I got it. I later picked up an early front door with the early style latch and used only the latch in my car's door. The door itself however turned out to be a 1914 door. The 1914 hinge has a slightly different screw pattern and is located about a quarter inch higher in the door than is the 1915 and later bodies.
That basic door latch may have varied a bit in details across the few years they were used, but they seem to mostly interchange and work fine as long as one doesn't try to mix the 1914 to 1916 pieces with the later 1917ish and later latches and catches.

[George House]

Maybe this’ll help Corey. I have 2 restored 1914 runabouts. Here are pictures of the door latches. The first one I restored and the second one the world famous Ed Messenger restored. I think if you judiciously apply heat and using 2 crescent wrenches, you can straighten that lever….george

[Corey Walker]

Thanks for the replies, while the handle may be bent, bending it back won’t make it line up with the hole in the door panel. There is about an inch difference in the center of the hole and where the handle is.
George, just looking at the pictures, does the handle look set farther back on the one where it goes through the panel than the one where the upholstery is cut square to go around the latch? Maybe that is why it is like that because the hole didn’t line up? I’m not there but it looks like it in the picture?

[George House]

No. They’re about the same 2” from the edge. You’ll just need to remove that latch, fix the bend and service the spring. Then go to an upholstery shop for another door panel.