ok, i am trying to see if this thought process is possible or just silly.
i have a 51 five star cab that i would like to keep the stock handles and put electric locks on. i would like to remove the lock cylinders in the doors and just have the handles. is this possible and if so how and what parts? i have looked at different types of bear claw latches or just leaving all alone to make work and i am super confused. thanks.

 

does this mean it is not possible? or just uninteresting?

 

No it's not uninteresting, just not seen by the right people maybe. I ask about the same thing on 11-26-09 , if you go to my ,public profile, you can find it in a thread i started. I got a lot of information about it. The main thing discused was using the ' atman latch' , I believe it was. You will get some help just wait. JIM P.S. you might try a search for " atman co." or " atman latches".

 

If you are going thru the work of this conversion, I'd suggest replacing the very old technology (Ford was very resistant to update mechanical part designs, he tried to get as much out of tooling as possible. They didn't upgrade the door latches until 1956 when they changed to the star wheel design. The early design had a bad habit of popping open on rough roads or in an accident.) latch mechanism with far safer one. You could use aftermarket bearclaws, or a late model set from a U pull yard, all late model vehicles use what is basically the same design latch since it is dictated by the gov safety standards. If the door post has a round post and the slot in the door has a a latch that clamps around the post like a parrot beak you are good to go. If you can find a set with electric locks and matching key fob that has a receiver seperate from the ECU that would save even more engineering of linkages, just be sure to also get the receiver and all the switches along with the fob. You could adapt the mechanical latches using an aftermarket remote, which can provide you with other remote functions such as remote gas cap lid, hood, or tailgate latch release and/or alarm activation. I adapted my OEM 56 latches to remote locking with an aftermarket remote and will use one of the extra functions and solenoids (I bought a remote for a 4 door vehicle) for the rear door latch on my panel as well as an alarm system. I retained the outside handles and even the key latches, but I did change the inside handles to ones with integral lock mechanism (Mazda Miata). See my "making changes gallery" for pix or the latch modification and inside handle install.