Door Handles / Door Locks

[BigDave LM6174]

The Henry J I am putting back together has door lock key on passenger door but no keyhole on drivers door.  I believe this is correct.  Can I confirm that the keyhole was only on passenger door?

[joefrazer]

Yes, that is correct. Curbside parking was the norm back in the 50s so folks would unlock that door and slide over to the driver side. It must have been something owners complained about as knobs with openings to accommodate lock mechanisms seem plentiful on the market. I have a jar full of NOS units.

[Fid]

I second that, the locking handle was on the passenger side. I always move it to the driver's side for practicality but if you have the car judged at a KFOC event you will get a deduction for having it on driver's side.  One way around that is find another locking handle and have a lock on each side (any locksmith can set them up to use the same key). The factory Henry J Parts Book lists an accessory kit, part number 213096 that consists of two door lock assemblies and trunk lock assembly so it was available originally. Having two locking handles is then consistent with factory documentation (assuming the particular judge knows this) and that way you can lock the car from the driver's side and not receive a point deduction if that's your goal.

[BigDave LM6174]

I am leaving it on passenger door, for originality.  Eventually I will rekey a second lock that I have in all the parts.  Thanks guys

[BigDave LM6174]

Fid, curious, Edgar Kaisers Henry j have two door locks?

[Fid]

Hi Dave, Edgar's car has just about every accessory you could hang a Henry J but it only has one locking door handle. It's on the driver's side and I don't know if my dad moved it when he got the car (he likely did as he always did that) or if it was that way originally. I'm pretty sure he would've moved it from passenger side to driver's side.

[BigDave LM6174]

I moved the lock to the drivers door.  Makes more since.  Interesting how the inside lock and the door handle lock are independent of each other.  Glad the lock mechanism prevents locking and closing the door, or you could easily lock yourself out.
I am now fighting with the little clips and the door felt along bottom edge. Errr

[BigDave LM6174]

Felt at the bottom edge of door window is a pain with these little clips

[HJ-ETEX]

BigDave: You can get yourself in trouble using both the outside key lock and the inside door handle lock. You pull back on the inside door handle to open the door. But if you close the door and push the inside handle forward, it locks the door independently of the lock on the outside handle. I had a 50 Ford truck that I sold to a friend. He somehow managed to lock both doors with the inside door handles - 12 hours down the road from our houses. Rather than bust out some glass, I had to cut the hardened rear window rubber gasket off with a pocket knife and push myself far enough into the cab to move a door handle.