VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 Independence

This is a question posted on another site. Need some help.

I have a 31 Independence 2-door sedan. Currently I have no keyhole on the driver's side handle, only on the passenger side. Is this correct?

In addition, every time I close the driver's side door, it locks on its own. Since there is no key in the driver's side handle, I have to walk around to the passenger side and climb thru to unlock it. Needless to say this is a pain in the butt.

Can someone tell me if this is correct...? If not, please explain to me how they should be set up?

That is what my 31 had. I looked into it also at the time and found out that at the time it was against the law to exit the vehicle on driver side of the car, on a certain types of roadways. So that is why the driver door would lock from the inside and then after you exit you lock the passenger door with the key. It made sense to me! I know there is a law in NYC that you can only exit a Taxi on the passenger side (never had seen it enforced).

As John said....the driver's side outside door handle did not have an exterior lock. It could only be locked from the inside.

I read it wrong the first time I read it. It is locking on its own when he closes the door.

Hello Keith Knox,
For information on the 'Safety Locks', go to the 'Old Online Chevy Manuals' website. Scroll down to find and click on 'Owners manuals for passenger cars and trucks-1928-1960'. 1931 is not available, so click on '1932 Chevrolet Eagle Series CA Passenger Models. The discussion on Safety Locks is on page 58. I have a 31 Chevy Coach. Not having a key lock on the outside drivers door handle keeps you out of harms way spending time in traffic trying to unlock the door. My drivers side door does not automatically lock when the door is closed. I need to go around to the passenger side and reach across and turn the drivers inside door handle to the right to lock that door. I have not tried having the handle turned to the right before closing the door to see if it automatically locks when the door is pushed shut. If it does lock and the passenger door is locked with the keys inside the car, then I'd be locked out. Don't do that. Your drivers door should not lock on it's own. Do a test with the window down, close the drivers door with the handle turned to the right and then close the door with the handle not turned to the right to see what happens.

The CA Eagle Series is 1933, not 1932.

Hello J Y D,
Thanks, your right. When the 1932 Manual is selected and the index appears, that was how it was labeled.

Looks like they need to correct the information on their site. It is indicated that the 1933 Owner's Manual is not available but when you click on the 1932 Owner's Manual the 1933 Owner's Manual comes up instead.

And I thought it came from a time when Men opened the doors for there wife or girlfriend .My 32sedan is the same way door lock on the passenger side only.

My '31 is as described, lock pass side, and this inside door handle can not be used to lock door (i.e. impossible to lock yourself in). The drivers handle locks when pushed forward, and if apparatus is loosely fitted, it might do that when door is closed harshly. By the way, the driver's door will also close when handle is in "locked position", this is how driver locked up his car, i.e. got out with the driver's door pre-locked, then went around and locked pass door, hopefully with wife still inside!!

Interesting as with our '32, you cannot pre-lock the driver's door and shut it whereby it stays locked....When the door is shut, it unlocks....So, you have to go around, open the passenger door, lock all the doors and then key lock the passenger door. None of the 4 doors on our '32 will stay locked when first locked and then shut.

Mac