I have a 1952 chevy truck and like many HAMBers dont want door handles. I dont want to shave my door handles but i do want to get rid of the clunky chrome piece that I currently have. I want to put a push button that includes a lock in my handles current place. If im not making any sense tell me. What i want is something similar to a 1941 lincoln push button. Maybe i can find it in a junkyard? Who has any ideas? Thanks
There was a HAMBer a couple years back repoping these Lincoln buttons. Nice pieces, I bought a pair. I'll see if I can find his name.
I asked about this once...I wanted a lockable push button to replace the stock door locks and handles on my '62 Olds (since the lock is part of the trim, it would be camouflaged). I went to the yards armed with a couple of ideas, and found that some old Mazdas and VW's have those, just need a better trim ring. But I also saw A LOT of non lockin' push buttons. Might wanna go to a yard and take a look. Just have an idea how you'll be runnin' the linkage and make sure it's got a tab that will work for ya...you'll have to modify anyway but there's a bunch of different styles. One might easily work better than others. Olson
Older guy (but younger then than I am now...) back in the early eighties had a 392 powered 66 chev van. First hot rod I rode in. So what, you ask? He ditched the door handles and used a door lock cyl on drivers side to actuate latch mechanism. If interested in asking him how he did it, PM and I'll put you in touch. -bill
My 49 Lincoln Cosmopolitan has a beautiful inner button in it's handle. I've wondered why you couldn't remove the button mechanism and fabricate a trim ring. Could you do the same with your existing door handles? I guess they have to be round. Seems like a similar era car could be found with round buttons if yours aren't.
Late 50's Mopars trunks had locking trunk buttons. 70's VW Rabbits, Dashers and Sciroccos had SS locking hatch buttons, but they had a big black plastic ring.
I knew someone who used the lock to open the door too. I can't remember what car it was, but they took the rod off of the doorhandle end, shortened it, and put it on the lock. Turn the key in the lock, and the door popped open. They pulled the handle off, and filled in the holes. They said it was a piece of cake to do. Only problem was if it froze, or of the car was at a angle, it was hard to get a finger in their to pull the door open. Poppers would probably take care of that.
for my pontiac i used 1" freeze plugs that i welded to the factory rod that opens the latch. this slid in a 1" ID seamless tube. pretty simple and like 10$ in materials. chopolds gave me that idea and i did tech on it a LONG time ago. for my lock, i intended to wire up a studebaker station wagon tailgate switch to work the door locks. i'd rather have manual locks for obvious reasons and i may still do that as the car's not on the road, but it's a cheap way to do it.
haha yeah Anthony was the one that got me started on this whole thing! Thanks for all of the posts guys keep em coming, I really appreciate it. Brendan
i was the one selling the repops a while back. i wasn't the one doing them i just had a good connection with the older guy who was having them done. haven't been able to get in touch with him in over a year now. what really sucks is i sold someone on here my set to get them theirs and now i don't have a set. they were not locking though. detonator got them from me i believe and i know switchblade did. i try to contact my source once a month or so it's coming due. the only line i have for him that works just rings and rings and doesn't have an answering machine. it's about that time so i'll try again this week. making them where they lock also was WAY more $$$$. i also used to do tons of doors on mini trucks that worked off the lock cylinder. it's easy to do just make sure you get a QUALITY key made and lube the cylinder every now and then. none of this shit is new. look at it and think aboout it for a while. it'll hit you. there are several source for locking buttons as mentioned above. none of them are as pretty as lincoln buttons but again if you think about it you could dress any of those up to...ken....
I got one of the last (if not the last) set that luckystiff sold. They're beautiful. I'm waiting for just the rifgt car to put them on. I will also use a locking mechanisum, and from what I have seen, the lock from a '55 Buick is perfect. It has the same type of bezel as the Lincoln syyle.
hahaha donzie, you did get the last set. my set hahaha. oh well i'll get more. eventually...ken.... and yes the 55 buick lock goes perfect with the buttons...ken....
Ken, I may want another set for this truck I'm trying to get. Let me know if you get ahold of the guy again.
go to home depot and buy a set of pressure toilet flusher buttons. they have some nice smooth ones and others with ribs kind of like the lincoln
I've done it that way and had good success, not hard to do either. We used to get buttons off of some old Chrysler product from the later '50s or early '60s. I don't recall what it was but it wouldn't be a problem to use any push button type of a door handle and modify it to be just a button instead of an entire handle.
I bought a pair for a freind from a guy named Merv in Pomona, Ca. He has a yard full of Lincoln stuff, If you need vintage Lincoln parts I believe this guy would have them or know of where one is. My freind Jason paid a little over a bill for the pair for his car and he said they were worth it. I believe you can find the post searching the forums with "Lincoln Door Pops" or "Merv". hope this helps.
1968 Corvettes had a locking pushbotton ('68 only), and they're available as repros. Small, nice trim ring, and it's GM.
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