Info needed: TOOL BOX Chevrolet c15a no. 12

[Paul Edwards]

You guys are ahead of me, my next question was:

I've heard the term suicide doors, why? and how were the doors held back against the cargo box? when was this mod introduced? anyone got a picture?

Cheers,


Paul

[Bob Carriere]

....for a door on a vehicle that can be opened rather suddenly by catching into the windstream....... A lot of car from the 30s and 40s had doors that could be opened by air movement if the latch was suddenly released...... doors on cars in does days did not have a positive locking/latching mechanism like what is mandatory today.

For example when driving my cab 11 over very rough terrain at crawl speed it is not unusual for the passenger door to swing open then slam itself closed. Pity the passenger if he happens to be leaning on the door.

I do have a few pictures, I believe taken in Canada, in a parade square and the string of cab 11 have the driver's doors wide open and resting on the cargobox and the driver is in motion.....must have dented the door eventually not to mention stretch the hinges. Of course an impossibility with the cab 12 which had a canvass retraining strap that held it at 90 degrees. Ever wonder why the door on the driver's side is always out of alignment and sagging........ remember how you hoist yourself onto the ruinning board when boarding and leaning on the door with your left hand.....

I remember the old late 30s Dodge which had a front opening pass door and a suicide door for the rear door........ came in handy when you needed to take a dump...... get over the shoulder....open the rear door and the front door and you had your own privy!!!!! Don't ask how I know!!!!

Now if I can ever find that elusive cab 11 parade ground photo.....

PS ....and on a rainy day the tarred center roof section always leaked so everyone aboard had the hands up in the air with little balls of kleenex to catch the drips....... the locations were well known due to the stains on the beige gabardine roof liner.....tarring was a annual repair but tar was rationed until about 1947..... them were the days.....

[Alex van de Wetering]

Suicide doors is also a common term here in Holland......(well the Dutch translation "Zelfmoord deuren" or "deurtjes verkeerd"). As Bob says....the latches in those days were not as "safe" as on todays cars. I thought the main risk was during cornering.....a door could accidentally open and the car would throw the passenger out of the car in front of upcoming traffic, as there were no seatbelts at the time......hence the name suicide doors.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob and Alex

Another common problem with doors that opened out from the front edge was the placements of the door handles which often were in a comfortable place to rest your hand or hold on. With expected results, of door being open and at speed the with people being pulling them out before you can let go of the handle.

I have a 49 Lincoln Town Car with "suicide door" rear doors in working on the car there was evidence that both doors had been opened and slammed back at some time in the cars life.
It is much easier to get in and out of cars with this type of door.

What is interesting is that we're dealer installed safety pins that required you to open the front door (normal opening) before opening the rear door, a child safety feature.

When I'm driving my Pattern 12 on the hooks I have small bungee cords to make sure that the hooks doesn't bounce out of the holes in the door.

Cheers Phil