Mystery door handle

[JoeShmoe]

        This exterior door handle came along with a set of 1939-46 Chevy / GMC truck interior door handles. I thought it might be for similar trucks, but I think I'm wrong from what I've seen. Lettering on the backside says "T.A.P.Co" and there is also a very small symbol way on the end that may be a stylized "M" but could be a elephant profile. Any help identifying it appreciated! Thanks.    Joe G

[TerryB]

Having external screw holes in the mounting usually suggests a handle with a more utility use than an automotive door handle.  

[viv w]

I disagree Terry, a lot of cars in the early thirties still had external screws holding them onto the cars. My 1935 Ford phaeton is one such example, and the 35 Ford sedan that I used as a donor car had handles very similar to the one posted. The sedan ones, you could remove the outside screws but not pull the handle off without opening up the door.

Looking at the design of the square bar behind the handle , I would think these handles are from closed type bodies and not for open cars. This handle I'm sure will date from the mid thirties.

[TerryB]

Having easy external screw access probably explains why no key lock is included 😀.  I guess security wasn’t as big an issue back then. Times sure change.

[viv w]

Locking  open cars is a waste of time, even today. The closed cars, such as the 35 Ford sedan, only had a lock on one door, that would block the latch mechanism from operating. The other 3 doors could be locked from a mechanism operated from the inside handle.

[JoeShmoe]

On 4/6/2024 at 6:47 PM, viv w said:

I disagree Terry, a lot of cars in the early thirties still had external screws holding them onto the cars. My 1935 Ford phaeton is one such example, and the 35 Ford sedan that I used as a donor car had handles very similar to the one posted. The sedan ones, you could remove the outside screws but not pull the handle off without opening up the door.

Looking at the design of the square bar behind the handle , I would think these handles are from closed type bodies and not for open cars. This handle I'm sure will date from the mid thirties.

             I'm thinking it may be some kind of truck handle ( not necessarily GM); what with external screws, and being obtained as a stowaway in a box of Chevy truck parts. Not having a lockset in the handle doesn't mean a whole lot about lack of security, some vehicles had a separate lock right on the door below the handle. Ford did that on pickups at least until the early '70's and maybe longer. 

             But it could be auto too. No keyhole would be expected on rear doors. And on my '37 LaSalle, the only door handle with the lockset is the front PASSENGER side. I thought a previous owner mixed up the parts or couldn't find a decent driver's handle. But found out it was made that way. I don't understand the reasoning.

            Anyway; It's still a mystery what this handle belongs too.  

[CHuDWah]

On 4/6/2024 at 11:07 AM, JoeShmoe said:

        This exterior door handle came along with a set of 1939-46 Chevy / GMC truck interior door handles. I thought it might be for similar trucks, but I think I'm wrong from what I've seen. Lettering on the backside says "T.A.P.Co" and there is also a very small symbol way on the end that may be a stylized "M" but could be a elephant profile. Any help identifying it appreciated! Thanks.    Joe G

I'm thinking late-30s MoPar - they used the teardrop base and variations of the ribbed pattern on different years/makes/models.  Ford handles tended to have oval bases and were stainless crimped over steel instead of chrome.  I'm not that familiar with other makes so all bets are off if it's one of those.

[CHuDWah]

On 4/6/2024 at 6:56 PM, TerryB said:

Having easy external screw access probably explains why no key lock is included 😀.  I guess security wasn’t as big an issue back then. Times sure change.

 

Many pre-WW2 cars, and I think some postwar ones as well, had outside handles with external screws.  Usually the lock was separate and below the handle, so removing the handle would not unlock the door.  Often there was an outside lock only on the front passenger door with mechanisms to lock other doors from the inside.  Dunno if it's true but I've heard some states had laws against exiting a vehicle from the driver (i.e., street) side, for safety reasons I suppose.  I guess the idea was to lock all doors except the front passenger from the inside, then slide across, exit the passenger side and lock that door from the outside.

[TerryB]

Yes, my 1937 Dodge pickup had the key lock on the passenger side.  In many old movies the driver and passengers exited from the passenger side of the vehicle.