Locking door on 35 Buick

[Buick35]

Just curious.My shop manual for my 35 Buick says you can lock the car from the outside passenger front door.So that's where I installed it. Wouldn't it make more sense to have it on the driver side? I guess closest to the curb mabe?

[JFranklin]

A lot of areas (most) only allowed entering and exiting from the curb, so the lock was in the most handy location.

[JCHansen1]

Many cars from this era are like this. Just one of those things. 

[Gunsmoke]

Yes, GM cars were unlockable only from passenger side front, i.e. keyed only on passenger side. However, car I believe could be locked from driver side by moving inside handle into locked position before closing the door.  Then could only be entered by pass side with key (assuming all 2/4 doors were locked). I accidentally locked myself out of my '31 Chev when I unintentionally moved driver interior door handle to locked position while out for coffee years ago leaving key hanging on choke knob. Luckily pass door was not locked.

[pont35cpe]

My `36 Buick, keyed handle is on the passenger side. I bought an extra keyed handle, re-clocked the key assembly, and installed it on the drivers side, way better.

[Buick35]

Interesting,thanks.If it's a safety concern the gas cap should be on the right also.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

18 minutes ago, Buick35 said:

Interesting,thanks.If it's a safety concern the gas cap should be on the right also.

Ideas have changed over the past 87 years.

 

  Ben

[JFranklin]

2 hours ago, Buick35 said:

Interesting,thanks.If it's a safety concern the gas cap should be on the right also.

There wasn't that much traffic wizzing by on the drivers side at the service station.

[mcdarrunt]

You are just too young to know one reason why the lock was on the passenger side---MUD. The only paved streets in the county I grew up in were in the county seat and just the main streets there. It made perfect sense to slide across the seat and get out on an all weather sidewalk rather than get out on the drivers side and slog through the mud to reach the sidewalk.

Edited March 18, 2022 by mcdarrunt
spelling (see edit history)

[Buick35]

Makes sense.So did British cars have the lock on the opposite side?

[dictator27]

3 hours ago, Buick35 said:

Makes sense.So did British cars have the lock on the opposite 

British (actually European) country roads were in far better condition.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

If you watch old movies, you'll see people come and go through the passenger side. It wasn't just the norm, it was the law originally.