1940 Buick Special 48 2 door touring sedan

[Guest Herb McLemore]

I recently got a 1940 Buick Special and the glove box can not be opened. The key fits into the lock and seems to lock and unlock the locking mechanism but when the button on the lock is depressed in the unlock position I can not get the glove box door to open. It appears to take the box out, it would require taking the bower motor out for the heater along with several other things, which I would rather not do if at all possible.

I have sprayed PB Blaster into the lock. The surrond is a diamond patterned metal surrond and I am trying not to mess that up. I actually have fished some wire from the bottom of the glove box door and fished out at the top thinking this would apply enough pressure to release the lock but even this is not working. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I also tried to force a feeler guage into the top of the box while pressing and no luck also.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Daves1940Buick56S]

I have a '40 as well, sometimes mine sticks a bit. Try pushing the button while pressing hard on the top part of the door on either side of the lock as well. To take it out with the door jammed close would be a bear. Besides the heater bits you mentioned, the screws holding the cardboard box can only be accessed from inside the compartment. So I think you would have to destroy the box itself to get access to the lock. However, on the bright side, these boxes are available for about $70. I replaced my old rotten one last year.

Cheers, Dave

[Guest Herb McLemore]

Thanks Dave for your reply. i will post some pix soon. This vehicle is in great shape with no rust. Only things not working is speedometer and gas guage, so I will tackling that next.

Thanks again

[Guest BigDogDaddy]

I've had similar problems with my '40 also. I use the blade form my Swiss Army knife and slide it between the door and the dashboard at the top of the door and slightly pry it open when it does not cooperate. Sometimes just applying a bit of downward pressure on the key is enough to get it to open.

[FLYER15015]

Herb,

I had the same issue with my '40 at the beginning, so try this.

Enter from the pass side, place left hand UNDER the glove box, and your left thumb on the bottom of the chrome ring of the clock.

Push the button of the latch GENTLY in with your right hand, while pulling down hard with your left thumb.

Failing that, can you remove the glove box door from the hinges on each side ?

Mike in Colorado

[Daves1940Buick56S]

Herb, for your gas gauge, take a look at http://forums.aaca.org/showthread.php?t=370813&p=1287421#post1287421

For the instruments in general, I did a lot of work last winter and put into a long post: http://forums.aaca.org/f165/fixing-up-instruments-my-1940-56s-374547.html

Come to think of it, Pete P said he was going to put my revised writeup in a future Bugle issue, will have to check to see if that is going to happen.

Cheers, Dave

[Guest Herb McLemore]

I have tried most everything that was offered and still I can not get it to budge. I will look into seeing if I can get to the hinges.

The only picture I have seen of the lock seems to have a latching assembly at the top of the lock but I am not sure if this is correct.

Thanks again to all you guys and your help. I will keep trying. Never dreamed I would have this kind of problem to try and open a glove box. Maybe there is something important in it. HA- HA

Also thanks Dave for the information on the guages.

Good Luck,

Herb

Herb, for your gas gauge, take a look at http://forums.aaca.org/showthread.php?t=370813&p=1287421#post1287421

For the instruments in general, I did a lot of work last winter and put into a long post: http://forums.aaca.org/f165/fixing-up-instruments-my-1940-56s-374547.html

Come to think of it, Pete P said he was going to put my revised writeup in a future Bugle issue, will have to check to see if that is going to happen.

Cheers, Dave