The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Bear Claw Latch on the Cab not the Door

I've search the forum and found lots of references to bear claw latches, but not exactly what I'm looking for so here goes the questions...

I want to put door poppers with bear claw latches on my '63. I plan on keeping the outside handles, etc but only to retain the stock appearance...they won't be functional. To keep from having to run wires inside the door I've been thinking of putting the solenoid and latch on the cab and the post on the door. The inside door handle would go away and I would rig up something on the cab to open the doors from the inside. I know that this is backwards, but I'd really like to keep from having to run wires into the door. Has anyone done this or something like it? Is there some glaringly obvious reason why this won't work?

I've seen it done before, worked and looked really good. Go for it.
If you are using remote control for the doors than that can also be your exit. And have a lever on the latch on the inside to activate it manually and also a waterproof switch hidden somewhere to use in case of lock out. On my 50 I also put a cable hidden under the truck as a fail safe way to pop the door if all else failed.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I think I'll start planning this up for a few weeks from now. I'll probably do the passenger side first. After all...that's where my first wife rides.

Thats an interesting thought , how did it work out for you?????
Gene

There was an AD (a VERY nice one) at an indoor car show last year in my area. It looked like it worked very well. Check out the C6 Vette, it has this arrangement from the factory.

Brian

im going to be attempting the exact same thing on my 52. Im just waiting for my latch assemblies and door popper kit to be delivered.

some more info, there is a good how to further down the page, but its for the latch in the door.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=258956

here is the ad with latch in door jab
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=223269&highlight=bear+claw+latch

I just found that I had photos of that arrangment on the truck I saw.

Brian

http://members.aol.com/goodstuff53/latch.jpg

http://members.aol.com/goodstuff53/striker.jpg

LOLOLOLOL, I just went to the link you provided to find it was my thread with the photos I just posted.

Brian