Tech week entry, How to section a door

So heres my entry for tech week. I have been working on sectioning my car for a long time now, cutting it wasn't a problem, its all the spot welding. I'm not going to go over how to section a whole car, thats too much stuff. Heres how to section a door without a big weld seam in the middle of the door, by removing the skin, cutting out the middle and putting the skin back on and cutting the excess off the bottom.. Lots of photos.

1st pic is the door to be sectioned, just did a qiuck sand to clean it up.

2nd shows side view of the door, using a level to find the widest part of the car, and cut out the center, equal amount top and bottom of the center line

Line shows middle of the door

Inspect the inside of the door, you'll have to cut around things such as this brace mine has, and window guides.

Next measure the hinge distance, your going to cut away the steel in between and they need to match the distance of the hinges on the car that was already sectioned.

Next I used a cutoff wheel to grind away the spotwelds on the door edge

Use a grinder to cut off the bottom edge of the door bottom.

 

I mark with tape the 2" I cut out, having to go up and down due to the shape of the inner door skin

Heres a modified vise grip, thanks for the idea MP&C, found it in the homemade tools thread

Using the grips, I peel away the door skin

Once the skin is peeled off, using a cutoff wheel, I cut out the 2" of steel

Inner structure has to be finished with sawzall

Door panels lined up to check to see if they fit

 

When the door is apart, now is the time to clean up the inside, sand, blast, Por 15, whatever.

Had to move a window brace

Started welding the door back together

More welding those goofy cuts to finish

Time to hammer and dolly door edge back on

Scribe and cut off the door bottom, I used electric shears so there wasn't heat warpage

Start hammering over the bottom lip of the door

 

Last thing I have to do, is cut out on these green lines and peel back the door so I can weld up the inner door bracing.

Heres the door on the car. Just some finish welding left, hammer and dolly work on the door lip, and its done. Lots of work sectioning a car, I can see why so many are started, but not finished.

Heres a link to my section of the car so far
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=430749

 

very nice ....looks like a ton of work. i like the custom vice grips.

 

Nice job 46binder- makes my head hurt just thinking about sectioning the rest of the car.
Thanks for sharing your skill and madness. A tip of the hardhat to you sir!