I'm real sceptical about the "law" requiring one sided locks, I'd hafta see a believeable reference to that, and it would have had to be a federal law back when there were almost no federal laws regarding motor vehicles, as that one side thing started with the earliest locking trucks!
how come everybody whines about the lock thing, but nobody questions why the gas filler is on the passengers side until 55 2nd?
the reason the lock is on the pass side is the same as the reason the gas filler was on that side - waaay back before you young'uns, there weren't "gas stations", all gas pumps were curbside at garages - pull over, slide out, fill up, slide back in - safety may have been the initial justification, but the fact that they kept the filler and locks on the passanger side has to do w/ how cheap these vehicles were, the fact they were 'workin mens trucks' where frills were unimportant, and the fact that GM needed real good reason to change things - ain't the money they spend that earns the profit, it's the money they don't spend!
the reason they switched from locks in the doors to locks in the handles is so they could offer the optional drivers door keylock, and they weren't available before that - the reason they switched the filler to the drivers side is because by 55 there were almost none of those old style "fueling service" setups at local garages anymore and too many folks were gettin cranky about it
Bill
