coogan

I always notice that everyone installs the pin in the door rather than in the cowl. This always puzzled me because I would notice a huge dent or scratch in the paint when they forgot the lock was engaged and then accidentally shut the door.

I installed mine in the cown with the pin going into the do when it is engaged. This way if I forget, or the lock is engaged accidentally, the only thing that happens is my door doesn't shut. The pin simply hits the interior door panel. No harm, no foul.

Just an idea.

As for the auto-engagement, you could use a combination of a relay which pulled power only when the parking brake was not engaged.

One thing for sure...you definitely need the pin locks. Speaking from experience, it is no fun when the body tweaks and the door pops open at speed. But hey...suicide doors are worth it!