WANTED 1948 Door Latches

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azblackhemi

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I'm trying to make my 48 Desoto a bit nicer to drive. One thing that would help is to keep the doors closed when flying down the road. I'd hate to lose the wife, grandkids or the dog. So I need a pair of door Latches for the passenger side. On mine the star looking piece has play in it. Does anyone have a 40's to maybe early 50's parts car? Not sure how many years were the same but here are a few pictures.
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I'm trying to make my 48 Desoto a bit nicer to drive. One thing that would help is to keep the doors closed when flying down the road. I'd hate to lose the wife, grandkids or the dog. So I need a pair of door Latches for the passenger side. On mine the star looking piece has play in it. Does anyone have a 40's to maybe early 50's parts car? Not sure how many years were the same but here are a few pictures.
View attachment 228300 View attachment 228301 View attachment 228302
I do stock new ones for right side
 
I do stock new ones for right side
Ok correct me if I'm wrong but since it has suicide doors would the front passenger door be the same as the drivers side rear and the rear passenger would be the same as the drivers side front? In other words do I need a left and a right?
 
I believe you are correct on that. The rear doors will have opposite side latches on them. Left side latches are very hard to find. They used to sell kits for replacing just the star wheel. Back in 2013 I was working on a '48 Packard that was in desperate need of a new star wheel on the left side, and there were none to be found on ebay, only right side wheels. I have a set of four 1941 Chrysler suicide doors and a set of four 1946 Dodge non-suicide doors, and I was able to find a good star wheel on one of them. I took apart the Packard latch and installed the Dodge star wheel. Two guys in our club have 1948 Plymouths, and they were here some time back taking parts off those doors, so I'm not sure what's left, but I can take a look to see if there are still any good latches on them.

Jeff
 
I have some N.O.S. Original Chrysler / Mopar ones --- and they say on them 1949 - 1955 ------
so based on that; looks like your request for a parts car "into the '50s" will not be helpful to you........
 
It looks like I have one good right hand latch. It appears that these old latches were not very robust. Any that are on a front door are worn out. Only seldom used rear latches seem to be any good. $30 delivered will make it yours, though for a daily driver, I'd be tempted to start fresh with the NOS part.

Jeff
 
It looks like I have one good right hand latch. It appears that these old latches were not very robust. Any that are on a front door are worn out. Only seldom used rear latches seem to be any good. $30 delivered will make it yours, though for a daily driver, I'd be tempted to start fresh with the NOS part.

Jeff
Thanks Jeff. If it doesn't have any back and forth play in the star I'll take it. Let me know how you want to get paid.
 
I'll try to get it out of the door tomorrow for a close look. As far as I can tell, it's the only one I have that the star wheel firmly sets into each detent.
 
I owned numerous 1948 Dodges. The gear was made of a soft material and these wore out. Chrysler made a repair kit that consisted of a new gear and if I remember a set screw. You cut of the old gear and installed a new one!

is your car a 4 door/2 door?
 
I owned numerous 1948 Dodges. The gear was made of a soft material and these wore out. Chrysler made a repair kit that consisted of a new gear and if I remember a set screw. You cut of the old gear and installed a new one!

is your car a 4 door/2 door?
Marty, it's a 4 door.
1948-desoto-suburban-2001-dodge-v8-drivetrain-rat-rod-patina-special-project-5.jpg
 
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