ANY Pics of 4 door conv. to 2 door chops?

Hey guys,

Im looking to chop and convert my 4 door into a 2 door. I know its probably a bit rare, due to the fact everybody will just say: "just buy a 2 door" but, since I'm a poor Newbie, it is prolly a good opportunity for me to learn some pretty good hands on skills on a less then desirable car (to most), I have a 54 Plymouth Belvedere that I dig, and I think it might be cool to see what it might become if I were to do a chop/convert...

Any help/ideas of pics of other peoples projects would be great!

thanks!

 

I'm considering doing the same thing on a 52 Ford Customline 4-door. But I'm gonna go the easy way and make it a removable carson top and eliminate the side glass. Hell, your ride might even look good if you chop it as a more-door. Who cares if anyone else thinks it's cool or not? Fact is, 2-doors are getting harder and harder to find and more expensive when you do. And who wants to have to get out of their car to let their friends in?

 

ya thats still up for debate (4 vs 2) It might look ok, I should do some photoshop'n but I figure this would be a pretty good forum to see if anyones tried it and has some pointers!

 

without getting the doors from a two door it will look gay.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289240&highlight=door

pics aren't visible right now... but if you check back later they probably will be.

edit - here is another:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78120

 

Bah! Stretch the doors, lay the B pillar forward, reshape the back side windows.

If you're going to take on that kind of a job, jump in with both feet and do something cool.

 

Here´s a two door chop photoshop that I did a long time back.

 

Rey (53choptop) did this one, one of the better ones that I have seen....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=356602

 

sweet, keep it coming! That 53 is tight!

 

I know Vicsinner used to have a 51 chevy sedan that was chopped and converted to a 2 door. He hasn't been on in awhile, but i'm sure he has pics of it. I loved that car and it was a hoot to drive.

 

It's not chopped, but I am a fan of 2 door conversions, it's often a much cheaper alternative to buying a nice solid 2 door. Especially here in the rust belt where cars dissolve into dust like Mentos in Coke.

Here's an old tech I did on the conversion

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78120

And some updated pics with the conversion done on both sides.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375098


If I can give any advice for you, it would be to get the 2 door post doors and quarters off of a donor car, since it's much easier to do. If you weld the back door shut and keep the shorter 4 door front door the proportions won't look right.

My second piece of advice is to do the 2 door conversion all the way through before you touch the roof. Don't attempt to do both at once, since you'll need the roof in place to make the doors line up for the conversion and you'll need the door gaps to be right before you cut into the roof.

The 2 door conversion with donor parts is easier than the chop, but both are fairly involved modifications, so make sure your welding skills and your patience are up to snuff before you start. If you do it right and it turns out looking like the James D Photoshop above (which looks fantastic by the way), it will be well worth the effort.

 

Here is how i did mine.. found a Pontiac at a junk yard and cut out the b-pillars and got some 2 door doors from a friend, then a lil cutting, grinding, and welding i had a better looking 54

 

originally a 4dr.

 

SKYRODDER,

That is awsome! I love how you swept the windows forward!

 

wow!

 

Not chopped, but I would like to throw mine in the ring
www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322953
Scroll down past the P/U
PM me if you have any questions
Good luck
Rod

 

Holy Shit, you guys are really inspiring!

I soppose I should try to find a donar Savoy! anyone have a couple doors and quarters?

 

Here's mine, I found it easier to use a four door since there is more metal to work with on the longer roof.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272171&highlight=kaiser

 

NTAPHSE,Your car shows how anything at all can be made into a cool ride.Most would not give the car in the first pic a second look for a project. but you made a work of art from it. too cool.

 

Thanks Gregg.

Pretty much everything everyone has posted is a way to go with these conversions. I don't have anything to add other than I didn't have the HAMB when I started mine, so i had to do a lot of things two, three, even four times to get it right. I got all my ideas from the black and white pics of the Buick 4 door conversion in Tex Smiths "How to BUild Custom Cars"

So you're already off to a great start.

Before in black.
After in Red.

 

I took the hard route and extended the front doors to make them coupe length....still not convinced on my roofline, might take it back apart and reshape...been on timeout since the last time Paso was in Paso...nowhere near finished but almost back on the road again....

 

Thanks, I actually saved it from the scrap pile.

In hind site I should have spent the money for a more solid car, live and learn.

 

I was wondering about your car and the Caprice chassis....do you have any problems with the track width being too wide on the front, and rubbing the tires on the fenders? I have a rusty ol 51 Merc ( no floor and thre frame is prolly just as bad) and am contemplating setting it up on a nice rust free 85 Impala that I have. If anything I think the Merc may be a bit wider...would love to get your opinion.

Thanks Steve

 

I measured and the track width was pretty close, so no rubbing problems. Just take a tape measure to it and you'll find out!

 

LOL not much in the way of front end parts on the Merc carcass, dont even have any rims for it, thankfully the hubs are still there.

 

Has anyone ever tried to "section" each door to make one smaller (back door) and welded shut/gone and extended the front doors.

this would in my mind, take place almost in the centers of each door....that way you/I didnt have to find loaner parts, which Im having a real tuff time of finding.

I wish I could draw this out...but I think you guys prolly get the idea....

Are there any real reasons this wouldnt work?

 

i have seen a couple of mercs done that way.. just be carefull not to warp the door where you weld the extra metal..

 

You can look in my albums, I am working on a 51 chevy right now. I got 2 door doors and moved the pillar back. Everyone told me I should've started with a two door also.

 

Why not leave it 4 door. Check out Gino Depol's Dixie Deluxe

 

I've seen a few Australian and European guys do it this way, here's a pic, look closely at how it was done.

It'll work that way, but I think it's way more work, and I like to do things the easy way. Out there somewhere is a complete start to finish writeup on a guy converting a '59 Chevy 4 door post into a 2 door, he welded both door skins together into one giant door and then cut it down to length, sounds awful but the car turned out great in the end. I still think you're better off to find some donor 2 door sedan doors and quarters, my Fury was a breeze to do that way.