When I bought my 50 Olds it had the door handles removed. He just left the wind wings unlocked and reached inside to open the doors. Way too low tech for me, so I bought a Dakota Digital remote access door openers with solenoids. There was no good way to connect to the door latch ***embly that I could see so I had to go to the handle ***embly with my cable. In the first picture I welded a piece of metal to the ***embly that the door handle goes onto. You can see the cable that goes to the right to the solenoid. This is the p***enger door. Second image shows the bolts holding the solenoid on the right access panel. 3rd image shows me holding the solenoid in position which is on the back side of the access panel. Now just run one wire to the Dakota unit, and it works great. In case anyone is going to do this with a 50's GM product, the hole for the cable is 1 1/8" from the flat spot on the metal regulator. T%his measurement gives the correct amount of throw to work the latch.
Looks nice... I always hook the solenoid cable to the door latch and then I use a stranded cable between the inside handle and the latch so the solenoid doesn't have to fight the clock spring at the inside handle
I installed new solenoids and cables in my ‘50 Dodge, and heading to a fairly distant “Cruisin’” the doors would pop open from random signals from p***ing cars. After they popped open a few times, I pulled over and cut the feed wires. Spent the rest of the time that I owned the car reaching in through the vent wings to open the doors…
Cool!This is how my merc was done in the 50s.Cable to door latch.Looks like my doors have more of an opening than yours.
What if the catch was installed in the door and the latch installed in the door? That way you could have a redundant mechanical release hidden (under the car or maybe in the trunk) in case the solenoid doesn't work. Probably way more work than it's worth, but it has possibilities.
the easy way for a backup mechanical release is to put a pull cable (like a hood release cable) mounted under the hood and run the cable through the hinge area and attach to the latch in the door. but in the more than 40 years of having cars with shaved handles I have never not been able to get in
On the 50 Olds, if you can't get in with the release, the worst case is break the wind wing out. I know that may be easier said than done. In any case, it is an easy gl*** shop repair. In any case, nice modification. Drive it and enjoy.
I have a backup pull cable for one of the doors on my 49 Buick with shaved door handles. Just in case. Also have 12 volt connections on the frame to jump the car from the outside, if the battery goes dead
Great idea, I remember standing in the rain 300 miles from home and my battery was dead, I stood outside the car with a brick in my hand trying to decide what window to break, a friend that helped me wire the car and added a "Just in case jumper wire" under the car, door poppers are nice but it never hurts to have a back up plan. HRP
I have ****ons in my outside mirror base for the door latch, but then ran a small cable with a loop that is accessible from the front fender well to mechanically release that door.
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