ideas for opening doors w/shaved handles

I have shaved outside door handles with solenoids installed, and no door handles on the inside. I installed a ****on on the inside of the door skin so you would barely lean against the door and it popped open. Cool in theory, didn't work all that great in practice. The door didn't want to open when you're pushing against it. (duh). So, I'm looking for new ideas for both outside and inside the car.

I know most folks put a ****on under the rail of the car. Just wondering what other clever ideas are out there? I've thought about making the door lock knob an actuator for the solenoid ****on mounted inside the door, but that is hard to reach from the inside. Not so convenient. Remote actuated? Kinda too "hi tech" for me.

Anyone actually done something semi-hidden that worked well?

Mac

 

I finally learned that the door handles were not so ugly after all,but this is how I use to do it.

I used a magnetic solenoid switch,,that worked when I took the door handles off back in the day,,just hold a magnet up to the panel where the switch is hidden and the solenoid releases the lock. HRP

 

you REALLY need a handle of some sort on the inside. Imagine you crash the car, and its on fire, your electrical is shorted out.... How do you escape?

 

I can't imagine why you would not want some sort of door handle on the inside. HRP

 

I would reinstall the interior door handles, at least for safety reasons.

 

i've done the same thing as HRP on one of my cars, and i bought little rare-earth magnets at radio shack and epoxied one of them to my keychain that holds that car's key, and then i always had the magnet handy when i needed it.

 

on my astro panel van i had a sliding credit card type device like on modern hotel room doors flushed in behind that rear license plate, and that would signal the driver's door actuator to open the door.
that's probably a little too high brow for most folks on here, that's more of a plastic bodied kit car kinda thing...

 

Aint that the truth.... these shaved handles were cool when I was in high school, but unless I can find an effective/creative way of doing this, they may go back on.

 

I use a remote key fob to open mine. Fail safe is a pull cable under fender well in case the remote doesn't work, which is quite often.

 

there was a thread last winter from a guy in new hampshire that rigged his out side mirror to work the latch.

 

Put the ****in handles back on!

 

Then I can't keep you out!

I like the mirror idea... I need to find that thread.

 

I found the mirror thread. Cool idea, not sure it would work on my application.

I also found this:

LOL!!!! Glad I didn't get too far with that idea.

 

I had help but this is what I used. I mounted the magnetic security door switch in the corner of the gl***. Also used a fuel solenoid similar to this and mounted it in the bottom of the doors. I had to run power from the battery to a seperate fuse panel so it had constant power at the switches. I ran a thin cable from the shaft of the solenoid to the door latch. When you touch the sensor with a magnet, it activated the solenoid which pulls the cable attached to the door latch.

Side note: I do have a hidden manual cable that can be pulled to release the door should power be lost.

 

The first car I did this to was in 1956. It was a 1949 Dodge. I was just a dumb kid. I used VW solonoids with those inner door handle springs that look like a tornado hooked at the front of the inner door to push them open. My ****ons were under the rockers. Not good in Illinois in snow and ice.
Next was my 1954 Ford. I put black push ****ons right next to the windshield in the black rubber. Better but still not so good in Illinois in winter.
Now in Florida and no longer a dumb kid. I use those fancy door popper kits and bearclaw latches with a remote just like your Prius!
Works on my 49 Ford and 48 Chevy panel truck.
Always add an inside cable pull for emergencies. I also add one of those on the outside in a secret place. Cant' tell ya or it wouldn' be a secret. Told ya I wasn't a dumb kid anymore!
For those who say put the handles back....that ain't traditional or kool.

 

Ain't traditional....?

 

Man, you gotta have inside handles.

And you should have a mechanical release for the day that your solenoids don't work. It's bound to happen.

Put a cable thru the door into the firewall.
Or put a bell crank inside the door so that you can work it with a slimjim.

You could swap the catch and strikers in the jamb too. Now you can run a cable thru the body anywhere.

 

Check this thread

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=506944&highlight=shaved

later jim