For years, street rod builders have relied on the strength and simple security of so-called bear-claw-style door latches when replacing worn-out, antiquated, or nonexistent latches on steel or fiberglass cars. As cars from the '50s and '60s continue to age, we're seeing similar aftermarket latches employed on their doors as well (not to mention a few trunk lids too). In addition to the strong, safe design, modern bear-claw latches are relatively compact and easy to adapt to most vehicles. Many enthusiasts like them simply for their smooth operation, or because their easy-pull release mechanisms work well with electric solenoids on cars with shaved door handles.
On a recent visit to KA Custom in Huntington Beach, California, we caught up with Kevin Francis as he installed a set of bear-claw latches from Hagan Street Rod Necessities on a customer's custom '54 Chevy. While the procedure was not too different from one on a prewar rod, Kevin made a few alterations to position the latch close to the Chevy's original door latch location, and to make the finished installation as clean and unobtrusive as possible.
While you study the installation on this Chevy, keep a few things in mind before planning a bear-claw latch addition to your ride. First, your doors should be aligned and the hinges in good working order before fitting new latches. If possible, it's also smart to have weatherstripping on the doors to ensure a proper fit once the car is painted and assembled. And remember that, on some cars, it may work better to install the latch on the doorjamb and the striker on the door. Each custom or rod project is different, so it's up to you to determine what will work best on yours.
Most bear-claw latch plates,...
Most bear-claw latch plates, like these from Hagan, are designed to fit around the corner of a door or doorjamb. This works fine, but when mounted on the door, it will generally require that the interior door panels be notched to accommodate the latch.
On this '54 Chevy, Kevin thought...
On this '54 Chevy, Kevin thought it would be cleaner to position the latch closer to the location of the original. It looked like it would work with the contour of the door edge, so Kevin began by trimming the latch plate to fit.
The door had to be trimmed...
The door had to be trimmed to provide latch access, and would eventually need some filler pieces welded on for a tidy appearance.
After plenty of trimming and...
After plenty of trimming and trial fitting, Kevin tacked on the latch plate and closed the door to make sure it would not interfere with the doorjamb.
Here's a handy tip: Kevin...
Here's a handy tip: Kevin stuck a marker through the latch so he could see where to install the striker on the doorjamb.
With the jamb marked, Kevin...
With the jamb marked, Kevin could determine where to place the striker plate and how much to trim it.
Ideally, the striker plate...
Ideally, the striker plate can be plug welded behind the existing doorjamb for extra strength. On the Chevy, however, internal reinforcement behind the original striker assembly forced Kevin to cut and trim the jamb to install the plate. The striker itself bolts to a "floating" nut behind the plate that allows for adjustment.
Kevin opened and shut the...
Kevin opened and shut the door several times to check for proper operation before proceeding with final welding.
Happy with the fit, Kevin...
Happy with the fit, Kevin began welding. He fabricated upper and lower filler pieces to better finish off the latch plate. Although the Hagan latch plate is hefty 16-gauge steel, Kevin welded it like he would any sheetmetal: with a series of tack welds, followed by additional tack welds between the first ones, and so on until the seams were solid. He also moved around regularly and took breaks to prevent excess heat buildup.
After bolting in the latch...
After bolting in the latch assembly, the door was ready for several more decades of service. The clean installation means it looks like original equipment to the casual observer.
The doorjamb looked just as...
The doorjamb looked just as tidy following final welding of the striker plate and filler piece.
The Hagan latches have two...
The Hagan latches have two release "ears." One is usually linked to an interior door handle using the supplied rod, while the other is easily hooked up to an electric solenoid for cars with shaved exterior door handles.