Locking Door Handle

Yes, I installed a lock. When I restored my 31 Coupe I installed a lock on my driver's side, but I quit locking the car decades ago. I drive the car regularly and 'always' leave the windows down and the rumble seat open when parked in public (on nice days). People love these older cars! And if you happen to speak to them they, many times they will tell you old stories with a smile on their faces and you feel proud of your car at the same time. I see the car as a rolling piece of history and myself as just the current caretaker - let them take a look at the 'past'.

With that said, if you are concerned about 'theft of your prize' - no real worry. There are a 'very limited' number of people that know how to start a Model A. In any event, I always turn 'off' the gas and with 'key' in hand I understand that the car will only go about a city block before it shuts down.
 
I live in busy, highly populated Southern California, and used to lock my very nice Town Sedan years ago, but stopped, and have never had a problem. But I also don’t leave any valuables laying on the seats either!
 
Thieves are everywhere, so you have to lock up everything. I stopped at Goodwill, and as soon as I walked away from my 28 Phaeton, I saw a lowlife walking in the direction of my car. Two minutes later it started to rain, so I ran right back to my car, and that scumbag stole all my magnetic plaques off the dash. I'd be rich if I now got back everything I've had stolen over the years.
 
I am glad I live in a small town in the middle of Nebraska. I have never (knock on wood) had anything stolen from a vehicle, and only sometimes lock the car. When I go to Omaha or Lincoln, I have to be reminded to lock then doors. I do lock the house now days. It is getting a lot worse than it was years ago though.
 
So, according to post #3. you could just use a passenger side handle? I never lock mine. It just makes them brake the glass. Even the small tool bag I carry would be cheaper to replace than the side window.
 
Big hammer said:
And on the cheap you could just swap the handles, lock on drivers, non-locking passenger
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Hoovercw said:
So, according to post #3. you could just use a passenger side handle? I never lock mine. It just makes them brake the glass. Even the small tool bag I carry would be cheaper to replace than the side window.
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You'd also have to move the inside lock to the passenger side - otherwise, there'd be no way to lock that side. IIRC, the holes are pre-punched in that door. Whatever you do, do NOT put inside locks on both doors. If you engage the inside lock and close the door, you can't unlock it from outside - if you lock both doors that way, you can't get in the car!
 
If I'm not mistaken, the original lock setup was the driver side locked only from the inside and the passenger side only locked from the outside. So, if you swap door handles, you will be unable to lock the passenger side door. I moved the outside lock to the drivers side and the inside lock to the passenger side. The drivers side inside door panel has a dummy lock that doesn't work because I didn't want to replace the door panel. A little bit of work, but when you're driving by yourself, it makes locking/unlocking the vehicle much easier.
 
FYI if you want to replace both door handles with like key sets, Speedway motors has them as a set, about $100.00. Checked all the popular A supply and none could provide a like keyed set.
 
It's to bad that the two locking handles will not match the other handles on a '31 fordor
 

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I live in Southern California also and I don't lock the car up and I also leave the front windows down when at the store. If I don't, I get palm and face prints on my glass.

A friend of mine gave me hell one day about leaving the windows down when we ate at a restaurant. When we had finished eating, I gave him the key and told him to start it the car, ... he couldn't.

So I started it for him and told him to drive off, ... it stalled within 100 feet from the start. I asked him what happened? He said, "I don't know, it just died", so I turned the gas valve on and told him that's security measure #2.

The only thing I fear is someone using Google on their phone, ... but then again, ... a door lock will not stop that person anyhow.

Regards
Bill
 
I only lock my car when I have something valuable in it or I am going to leave it in a busy area and I am going to be far away for the whole day. I often leave it unlocked at work because I can usually see it from my office window. Most people just stop and stare at it.

As for someone stealing the car....Even it if was UNLOCKED WITH THE KEYS IN IT....
1. Few people under 40 can drive a stick shift.
2. Few people under 70 would be able to find the floor button starter.
3. If you turn off the gas valve, only people over 80 would know anything about that.
The only place you need to worry about your car being stolen is near a retirement home.

The only thing less likely to be stolen would be a Model T.
 
When I got my Tudor, the lock was on the driver's side. All I did was switch the door handles and now both doors lock. I lock the doors if I have stuff inside I don't want stolen, but I'm never worried about the car itself being stolen.

Pull the fuse. No one will be able to start it. Crank and crank and crank but no sparky.

Sometimes even I can't start it...when there's a crowd...and the fuse is in my pocket.
 
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