headlight DOORS. ?

[claybill]

what are they ? headlights have surrounds, doors, buckets, trim, etc..

what actually is the DOOR so often referred to??

bill

[Young Ed]

The headlight ring. Don't ask me why its a door. I suppose other models with hideaway headlights it would be the part that comes down over the headlight.

[claybill]

ok, and thanks..the outer trim ring around the headlight..usually potmetal but sometimes stamped , sometimes called the 'surround' by some. correct ED.?

thanks, bill

[Young Ed]

Yup thats what I understand the door to mean.

[Frank Elder]

The headlight ring. Don't ask me why its a door. I suppose other models with hideaway headlights it would be the part that comes down over the headlight.

Good question, it is actually a term that comes from the first cars with oil lamp head lights. As you had to open the front pane/door to light or service the head light. They just hadn't changed the term yet by the time our cars were manufactured...you have to take the ring off to service your head lite, aim or replace, so in essence it is still a "door".

[Young Ed]

good explanation.

[Frank Elder]

Thank you, just like the manual still calls the drive shaft.....propeller shaft, I looked for hours and couldn't find the propeller!:eek:

Edited March 4, 2010 by FRANKIE47

[Plymouthy Adams]

bezel is another name commonly assocaiated with this part

[Young Ed]

Frankie my 94 dakota manual still calls it the propeller shaft! I find it interesting that 50 years later that dakota manual has the same chapters in the same order as the old car mopar manuals

[Plymouthy Adams]

Ed..don't fix nothing that works..

[Frank Elder]

Well, the rearend does propel the truck.

[bobjob55]

thank you, just like the manual still calls the drive shaft.....propeller shaft, i looked for hours and couldn't find the propeller!:eek:

that's funny ...

[Merle Coggins]

Propeller Shaft is an industry standard, often shortened to Prop-Shaft. I believe you'll notice that your Axle Shafts are refered to as Drive Shafts. I guess you "propel" the differential and "drive" the wheels.

Merle

[Bingster]

Now that we're on this kick, who comitted suicide with the car doors?

[aero3113]

Now that we're on this kick, who comitted suicide with the car doors?

I think they are called suicide doors because if you tried to get out with the car moving you were probably going to die

[Plymouthy Adams]

they are called suicide because as you open the door just a crack at spped the wind will rip the door completely open and throw you butt out or at least hold it open while you exit the car at speed..and should you decide to not to follow thorugh..odd are as you hang onto the door you going to see what is coming up as the car speeds along that is going to be your ultimate demise..

do the hobby a favor..use a gun and save the car....

[TodFitch]

they are called suicide because as you open the door just a crack at spped the wind will rip the door completely open and throw you butt out or at least hold it open while you exit the car at speed..and should you decide to not to follow thorugh..odd are as you hang onto the door you going to see what is coming up as the car speeds along that is going to be your ultimate demise..

do the hobby a favor..use a gun and save the car....

In 1933 and 1934 all the doors were front opening ("suicide"). Decades ago, prior to building up the latch plate with new material, I had my driver's door come open on me when I hit a bump in the road at about 30 MPH. There really is a strong instinctive reaction to try and grab and close the door as you become aware that it is opening. Fortunately for me, I missed the handle and the door only swung all the way back, breaking the check mechanism, damaging the hinges an banging up the door and body a little. Had I been quicker on my reaction it might have been worse.

At least on my car, when you click the inside handle into the lock position the tongue of the latch is force out a little more. Once I noticed that I have made it a point to have all the doors locked prior to putting the car in to gear. And, of course, I've made sure that my strike plates are in good shape.

[Bingster]

This is going to be a rather stupid question perhaps, but as you are driving shouldn't the front doors want to close shut when hit by the wind? The rear doors, sure, they are going to want to swing backwards from the head-on wind.

[TodFitch]

This is going to be a rather stupid question perhaps, but as you are driving shouldn't the front doors want to close shut when hit by the wind? The rear doors, sure, they are going to want to swing backwards from the head-on wind.

True. Unless you have a 1932, 1933 or 1934 Plymouth which have front opening "suicide" doors all round. I think the 1933 and 1934 Fords also had "suicide" doors up front too. Not too sure about other brands/years.

1932 Plymouth:

1933 Plymouth:

1934 Plymouth:

[Niel Hoback]

Might as well throw this one out there too, choke and throttle mean the same thing, but we have one of each.

[james curl]

My first car at 14 years of age was a light blue 33 Plymouth four door, oh how I wished I still had it.

[Young Ed]

Tod my truck doesnt have suicide doors but I had my drivers door pop open twice. I know how scary it is! My situation turned out to be the cab mount bolts which are spring loaded on a truck didn't have enough tension on the spring. So on a big bump the cab could flex enough to unlatch the door.

[thrashingcows]

My grandfather told me a story many many ago about my mother. When she was a child, she opened the rear suicide door and was well on her way out....grandpa swung his arm around and caught her by the back of the dress and flung her back inside the car.....

Without Grandpa's quick reaction I wouldn't be here today!!

[Merle Coggins]

Might as well throw this one out there too, choke and throttle mean the same thing, but we have one of each.

???? Choke and Throttle are NOT the same thing. The Choke closes a plate at the upper portion of the carb to restrict air flow into the carb for richer fuel mixtures when cold.

The Throttle is connected to the linkage from your accellerator pedal and allows you to increase the RPM manually.

Merle

[Niel Hoback]

Choke and throttle mean the same thing when your hands are around someone's neck. Will not cause flooding, though.