1964 Thunderbird - Door Lock Upgrade

[Shadrack]

Hello all,

I want to update my 64's door locks. As it stands it has vacuum door locks and I really do not want to mess with a bunch of lines, and maybe end up needing more parts.

I see all these kits on eBay for actuators and so on. I have had a bad experience with aftermarket actuators. I bought a new dodge truck back in 2010 with manual locks, had a local "tint and alarm shop," add locks...they worked for about a month.

With that said, has anyone done a conversion and/or know of a good kit? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks much!

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[40birds]

What is the issue with your vac. locks that make you want to remove them? I’ve never had issues with them on any of the many birds we put back together here. I even went so far on a few of them here to find the correct pieces for the trunk release option and added that to them and they still work fine after all these years.

 

[Ezdarryl58]

Mine have to be totally rusted cant even force them down using my hand. All vacum lines hooked up bought the car from older couple in Minnesota that had it sitting in morton buliding for over 20 years. So i had a spare door and attempted taking it appart and ur was not an easy task at all. Plus windows dont work and that motor is another task im un willing to deal with at moment 250.00 per motor x4 .lol

 

[40birds]

I’ve taken apart motors and cleaned the brushes to make them work again, also fairly certain 64 used a coupler between the motor and gear and 65 went to a solid unit, I’ve used the 65 in 64s. I’ve also used a power seat motor in place of the window motor on a 64.

 

[Ezdarryl58]

I’ve taken apart motors and cleaned the brushes to make them work again, also fairly certain 64 used a coupler between the motor and gear and 65 went to a solid unit, I’ve used the 65 in 64s. I’ve also used a power seat motor in place of the window motor on a 64.

I try that im hoping the plastic gears are just worn out . Right mow ac works and i have the vent windows so i put that on the back burner till it cools off again

 

[40birds]

There will be 3 plugs in with that gear that disintegrate also.