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Entering cars from the passenger side?

Started by TJ Hopland, April 28, 2023, 05:18:03 PM

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TJ Hopland

I have noticed in TV and movies that were shot and often take place in the 60's it seems to be fairly common that people would get into cars on the passenger side and slide over to the drivers side.  Some of these cars were Cadillac's so we are following the rules of the forum.  Was this a common thing for real life people to do or was it done for the camera?

With bench seats that were almost standard at the time it was certainly fairly easy to do so did people do it?  Pretty much impossible these days with a vast majority of cars having a center console of some sort taking up a bunch of space.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Maybee just left over habits from the Model T.
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

Clewisiii

Done for the camera. Just like removing headrests. 
"My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."  Charles Kettering

The Tassie Devil(le)

And removing interior rear vision mirrors.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

tmdeturck

I had the understanding from somewhere (maybe it's just in my head) that the locking door handle on the 30's Cadillacs was actually on the right side.  If you were driving by yourself in those days without a passenger, wouldn't you have had to get in the passenger side and slide to the other side to drive?
1963 Series 6229
1937 Series 6019

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

I was always puzzled about this too. My guess was that when parallel parked on busy streets where the driver side was facing the roadway, entering/exiting on the passenger side meant you wouldn't have to worry about opening the door into traffic. Since interior design in older cars made sliding over from one side to the other relatively easy, my thought was that drivers simply used it to their advantage in parking situations like this.   
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

tmdeturck

I just found that there is an interesting older thread on the AACA forum about this topic:

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/183343-1930s-door-lock-logic/

After reading this, I also find it interesting that my 37 Cadillac actually has an unlock button on the inside right door, unlike the mentions for other brand marques in that thread.
1963 Series 6229
1937 Series 6019

dn010

I don't know, maybe it is just me, but I've entered the car from the passenger side, walked across the carpet and sat behind the wheel on many occasions. Too much Andy Griffith maybe?
-----Dan Benedek
'57 Cadillac Sedan Deville 6239DX
'81 DMC DeLorean

TJ Hopland

Dan, how about posting a video of you doing that in your Delorean?  That would be fun to see.  Or maybe you are good at it?  Don't those have issues with something in the door breaking so you can't get it open?   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

dn010

#9
Hah! It is a little more tedious in that car but it can be done. It was Bricklin that had most of the door problems but there were issues with the DeLorean's central door lock module that could cause the lock solenoids to engage, and remain engaged, meaning you were locked in or out of the car without the ability to unlock the door until you unplugged the module, it burned out or the battery died - I never had this happen to me. The biggest issue I had with the 57 Cadillac was that the key sometimes wouldn't unlock the driver's side door (until I made some adjustments) but I installed central door locks in that so everyone could enter the vehicle instead of wait for me to get in and pull the locks on each door. I had a 65 Cad Sedan Deville and I could never open the rear passenger side door, I bought it that way and sold it that way - hopefully the next person figured it out, I never could.
-----Dan Benedek
'57 Cadillac Sedan Deville 6239DX
'81 DMC DeLorean

Abe Lugo

My wife's 33 Plymouth and my 1961 F100 only have door locks on the passenger side.
Abe Lugo  CLC#31763  Sunny Los Angeles,CA @abelugo IG

TJ Hopland

Interesting.  So maybe it was a thing?  How many people actually locked their cars back in the day?   I know of a lot of more rural areas where even today people never lock anything.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

35-709

FWIW, when I restored Big Red I changed the door lock handle and mechanism from the passenger side to the driver's side.  Took a little modifying but I like it much better that way.
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

cadillac ken

I was told by an old timer when I was a kid (now I'm the old timer  ;D ) when I had asked why my 1936 Ford had only a keyed door lock on the passenger's side door that, as some here have surmised, it was common to enter your car from the passenger's side due to the parallel curb parking in busy cities and avoid opening the driver's door into traffic. He added that it was also due to the common courtesy of opening the car door for a female passenger and she in turn would reach over and unlock the driver's side door for you.

dochawk

It wasn't just the parallel parking.

Paved streets were far from universal; getting in on the passenger side meant you could do it from a curb, rather than mud.

Carl's '27 had the single keyed lock in the front passenger door.

And I've had to climb into a model T that had no driver side door (*not* fun at my height!)
1972 Eldorado convertible,  1997 Eldorado ETC (now awaiting parts swap from '95 donor), 1993 Fleetwood but no 1926 (yet)