The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Door locks?

Here's a newbie question,
why is there a key lock only on the passenger door? How do you lock the driver's door? This is on my supposed 1953 4100 but it has the earlier style door handles.
Thanks
Chuck

Hy Gooberdog, welcome, the door lock only on the right hand door was supposedly a safety thing, you could push the inside door handle on the left door up or down (I can't remember) and that would lock the left door, then you could slide across the seat and exit the truck through the right hand door, now you are standing safely on the sidewalk while you get your keys out of your pocket and lock the right hand door, hope that helps.

My 59 is the opposite. You lock the passenger door by pushing the inside handle forward. The driver side has a key hole in the button. When turned it essentially locks the button, not the door latch.

I can't think of a reason yours is configured the way it is. I would see if the button assemblies could be switched at least then the lockable side would be on the drivers side.

3B, as usual, has it right: " . . lock the left door, then you could slide across the seat and exit the truck through the right hand door, now you are standing safely on the sidewalk . ."

The handle up or down (depending on the year) locks the door from the inside.

..... yep, and if the little ladies were driving they could step out on the board walk!

Ok, I guess that since it is correct my acceptable view on the subject is limited to "how quaint"
Thanks everybody, stay tuned for more
Chuck

Chuck how old are you?

I'm 55, oldest car I've been around was a '61 Triumph TR-3. My tractors are 40's but they don't have doors
Chuck

Chuck
You are in the KC area. Keep in mind the reunion this fall.
You will meet a lot of great people and have a good time!
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=56&page=1

Don

It used to be against the Law in a lot of States, to exit a vehicle on the street side. Watch the Andy Griffith Show. They almost always exit on the passenger side.

Just checked, the 54 Plymouth and the 54 Pontiac. Both cars had locks on both sides.
The 46, 48 and 1950 2-Tons had locks only on the passenger side.

Don

My 1950 F 1 had key only on the right side.

It has been a long time since I had my 1935 Buick. Though I think it only had a key on the right side. Though back in 1970 I was surprised to see it had a locking steering column.

For a second car in 1966 my dad had a 1950 Ford 2 dr sedan. I remember riding in it many times though I can not remember about what doors had key cylinders. Though I remember helping change the head gasket on the flathead 6. I was twelve years old at the time.

I'm 61. I remember being about 2 - 4 and we had a 1952 Packard from about 1956 to 1958.

Then a 1952 Buick Super from 1958 to 1962. I thought that car was great because it had a knob above the windshield so you could raise or lower the antenna, there was a rear heater, and the hood opened like a grand piano.

I was always drawn to antique cars and trucks as far back as I can remember.

I have a 49 4400 and according to the salesman guide the door lock for the driver side was available as an option.

I learned something new. I would of never thought of LF door lock being an option. Jeffrey

Jeffrey,
If you would have never thought of the door lock as an option, how about the oil filter. That was optional too, my truck didn't come with one.

George

Thing is I already knew from 1970 that oil filers where not standard back in the old days, and that door locks were only on RF doors.

Just that I never heard of when cars only had RF door locks that there was an option to have a lock on the LF door. Jeffrey

I do not think that the left/driver door lock was either an accessory or an option on either 1949 trucks or cars.

It will be interesting to see if someone comes up with an option number and/or a part number.

Tim,
All RPO options are listed in the Truck Data Book. This book was a spec catalog for Chevy Salesman. I have a copy. Here are some of the RPO's for the 4000 series truck.
Drivers door lock RPO395A. A $1.00 option
2 Qt oil filter RPO237K (1 Qt. wasn't avail.) $11.50 option
5.43 to 1 rear ratio RPO204A (standard rear was 6.17 to 1) No Charge.
Hydrovac power brakes RPO212(J,L,A,E,K,M,B,F,C,G,D,H,N,P)depending on series a $37.50 option.
Dual tail/stop lights RPO249 (A,B,E,F,G,H,)depends on series $7.50 option.
Rear corner windows for all cabs RPO387A,or B $26.50
Long or short arm mirrors RPO210H or K $3.25
The list goes on and on. The 4400 series alone had 31 options not counting several choices of optional tires sizes. Even the spare tire was an option.
This book has a wealth of info on all series Chevy trucks from 1500-6800 series including school buses, forward control,cab&chassis,suburbans, panels, stakes, etc..
George

Thanks, George,

What page in the 1949 USA Chevrolet Truck Data Book shows RPO395A?

I cannot find it in TDB, dated 7-1-1949.

The 1949 USA Chevrolet Truck Specifications Manual also does not show it in this list.

I see that RPO 395 left-side lock option in the 1953 (push button lock) TDB but not in the 1951 TDB (turn-down style door handle as used in 1949).

Sorry about the bad information in my post.

Thanks,

George,

Thanks for the interesting information. I wasn't aware that the hydrovac was an option on the larger trucks. I think the 2 quart oil filter is the firewall mounted configuration.

Back in the day, it appears as though vehicle manufacturers were competing for the lowest base price unlike new vehicles of today that have multiple option groups. The options could really add up quickly.

Paul

Tim, You are correct and I stand corrected.
The data book I have is dated Jan 9, 1953
My book came with the truck when I bought it and assumed it was for 1949. I never looked at the date on the bottom of the page.
Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.

Paul,
Please note that the info I provided is listed in the 1953 Truck Data Book. I just realized my book is a 53 and not the 49 book for my truck. However, I'm sure most of the specs will be the same for my 49.

George,

No problem on the year mistake. My guess is that the left-door lock/key option became available in 1952 when the push-button handle was introduced (no need to drill a key-hole in the driver's door).

Observation:
$37.50 for the hydro-vac options was a lot of money.


Paul,

Regarding mounting oil filters on the firewall: the following opinions/speculations/observations are not based on much documentation (so, ignore/disagree as you see fit).

The firewall location for an oil filter was common for COEs.

I'd bet a factory-installed RPO - factory option 2qt oil filter would have been placed on a manifold (1949 and later), but an accessory 2qt filter might have been located in any location chosen by the installer (owner, dealer, mechanic, etc).

Here is an installation sheet for a 2-qt filter (late 50s). It would be interesting to see other 2-qt filter installation sheets for 1949 and later filters.

It was much more common for earlier oil filters to be mounted on the firewall 1946-1948 S-2 Series). This "habit" probably persisted into later years by the dealers/mechanics/owners who were used to installing earlier oil filters on the firewall (if the 49 and later filters' hoses were long enough for a firewall installation).

Does. Anyone know where I can locate a new driver side locking mechanism. I push the interior Handel forward in my 58 Apache but the door inst locking from the outside. Other than that the door functions fine.

Bob, welcome to the shops .... you should start by removing the cover panel inside the door and looking at how it works - likely something has come loose or is broken - if you do wind up needing parts, the various pieces can be found at any of the vendors listed on the links page that carry 55-59 parts, like American Classic or Jim Carter

Bill