Door catches

[chrisbailey]

Hi, I am looking at getting some door catches, the ones I took off were rotten and used a pulley system to the door handle.
I was just wondering what fitted the SS originally?
Ive heard it was mini bonnet catches but the have a huge pin with spring

[Peter]

Yep. bonnet catches are the standard fit with a cable and pulley to the levers, lockable external and lever type internal handles are Ford Fiesta, MkI I think.

I am currently trying to find an alternative myself. I have a pair of large bear claw catches but they don't double latch as required, (nor do the originals I know). but they are easy to fit on a plate where the bonnet catches used to sit, making and fitting the 'striker' on the body is just a case of making a square U with threads on each end,(exhaust clamp bashed square?) which bolts to the body with a nut and big washer or plate either side

I tried (and may return to) VW Golf door catches to the rear edge of the door with a pin on the rear door opening but it is right where yer bum slides getting in and out but it did work. Best bet is to build up the rear of the door so there is minimal distance between door and body thereby keeping the pin as short as possible. a couple of layers of 15mm MDF with the centre cut away with a steel covering should do it, you can mount the catches under a cover with just the catch slot showing or on the outside bare, just a matter of looks. operating would be by rod and cable much the same as now. I only fitted it to the rear unlike the De Loren which has them front and rear) as I found with the ram pushes the rear of the door out and the catch helped reduce the common fault of rear door bulge and the front was then held in tight and didn't need it.

Mine has the external and internal handles blanked out and has electronic keyless release from the alarm (Vauxhall Carlton boot solenoids) so when I turn off the alarm the DRIVERS door pops, I can then pop the passengers door from the internal buttons.