Back by popular demand! 55 chevy 2-door CONVERSION MANUAL!

Stay away from Old Air Products in Fort Worth!
I bought their non fitting product for my 57 an it is my duty to help others avoid the headache I went thru.

 

Older thread but a good one and I know sevral diffrent guys that are doing it or have already done it.
I like 4 doors but also like this idea for anyone wanting to do this to build a 2 door. Although it would be hard for me to cut up a really nice 4 door I still want to try this someday on a rougher one that I wouldnt care to experiment on and make something out of.
Anyone else seeing this become more common and done more often near you?
Show us yours if you are doing one.

 

x2.

 

I did put together the meat of this 4dr-2dr conversion info (with photos) into a PDF file I can email if anyone is interested, please PM me if you want a copy. It's 22 pages long, about 2 Mb. I printed mine out and have it in a loose leaf binder along with other articles on the shelf in the shop next to the car.

Is there anyone here on the Journal I can contact to give a copy of this PDF file they could put into the archives? How does that work?

Or, if I can figure out how to do it, I'll put a copy of that pdf file online and post the link here, than anyone can down load it....

I have a pair of doors stashed away, and will do this some day, just want to get the 4 dr up and running and solid, will do the conversion some day, or pass it on to someone else. The body on mine if basically solid (all hinge points and body mounts) but has several pretty massive rust holes that will need extensive redo to get 'em repaired, so for now just gonna run it as a four door "G/AS" gasser style, complete with rust holes!!! The name "Rusty Bucket" comes to mind for this car.....

Cool article here on the old "gasser madness": http://gassermadness.com/Gas_Classes/index.htm

Aloha,
Willy
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Came across this on another forum...check the licence plate :

 

Any updates on this build?

 

Update: I bought the car in January. I had been looking for a 4 door to pick up and I just stumbled on a listing on eBay one day that was a former 4 door. Low and behold it was in fact THIS 4 door - the one I had used as my motivation for doing the project myself.

So I bought it, shipped it down to Phoenix, and started work on it.

The body came off the frame and is on a (home made!) rotisserie in the garage right now. It's about 8 hours away from being completely clean and ready to go back on the frame.

The frame is 100% cleaned and rebuilt - with a 2 inch drop - and down at the shop. I found a fella with a '57 who was going big block and so I am taking his very nice running 283/350 setup and dropping in 100% complete onto the frame - drive shaft an all. That will be back here next weekend and the body will going right onto it (right after I paint the firewall). And while there - getting some disk brakes on the front since there we no brakes on there at all.

I picked up some original wheels out of a junk yard and had them blasted and coated and threw some whitewalls on 'em.

And so it'll get back here next week and in about 2 weeks we'll start the outside body work and get 'er ready for paint. Gonna do a silver and keep it nice and clean.

Photos can all be seen here:
http://www.burnettrodshop.com/category/1955-chevy/

More photos posted soon. Kind of behind on that!

 

I'll be damned! I dunno if CSU is on here anymore but I'm sure he'd be happy to see what you've done with his old car. Looks great man. Kev

 

Update on the 2 door conversion... the body is back on the frame and body work is well under way. I have my wiring ready to go and that is up next.

 

is that a 4 door b pillar ?

 

ok i read the story im about to start a 2 door conversion 2 couldnt find a decent 2 door for the money i spend on my 4 door the four door need some floor work and has a damaged pass 1/4 , im not going the 4 door b pillar route , i brought 2 complete 1/4s from a rusted out 2 door that were in very good condtion from ebay and im replacing the complete 1/4 from b pillar to tail fin up into the window frame there will be no evidence of a four door i have also brought a real nice drivers door i live in maine and travelled to minnisota for the car and travelling to michigan to pickup the 1/4s ive paid for and the door came from california

 

Yes. The jams and doors on the 4 door are different than that of the 2 door. You either have to alter the jams from the 4 to match the 2 door curves, or you have to cut out and replace the part of the doors that line up with the 4 door jam.

In this case Tanner, the guy who did the conversion, kept the 4 door jams and altered the doors to match.

My neighbor has done a conversion and did the other method - he altered the jam. He has another conversion lined up and is going to do it this way because it's easier.

I suppose the 3rd method would be to get 2 door jams.

 

This is a great thread and I am gearing up to do this conversion very soon. I too am wondering if there is an alternative to getting the 2 door latch panel to mate up with the existing 4 door B pillar. Has anyone modified the B pillar and if so, would you mind providing those who are interested with some updates, insight and maybe pictures?

Thanks to all who have posted and helped those of us out who are taking this project on! And kudos to Tanner for sharing his talents! I have to share with you, that I bought my 4 door 55 with this conversion in mind because 4 doors are still affordable and readily available!!

Regards,

Trevor
Chandler, AZ

 

trevor, my neighbor is an ol' hot rodder and a great fabricator. has done it both ways...

for his first conversion he cut/welded/banged on/spit on/etc. the 4 door pillar to make it match up to the 2 door jam.

he then saw how tanner did the work on the car i bought from tanner - which is to cut the old 4 door jam and weld it into your door door shell - and so so my neighbor did that on his second conversion.

his take: the door adjustment is easier. it's easier to just cut out part of 2 doors and replace it than it to adjust the jam to the curve of the 2 door bends.

the downside: should you need a new door in the future, you will be rebuilding the jam on it.

 

Speaking of door jams...


I followed the lead of my neighbor on how to build out the metal from the pillar. You need just 3 pieces of metal to rebuild your entire door replacement.


A) Your old 4 door back door metal
B) A piece of sheet metal to create the jam wall

C) A piece of sheet metal to extend the pillar surface area





The original pillars and jams have some curves to them. They are nice to have, but not necessary. You just need a flat, straight surface all around in the end. You can still come back and add in curves if you need them - like a little place for a bumper stop on the jam. But to keep it simple, you just need a flat jam.


1) Build out the jam towards the back of the car. Cut the metal to follow the curves and weld and smooth (see C above)



2) Build out the jam running along the curve of the door. Leave this piece extending past the door. Weld from the backside as much as you'd like. Close the door and mark the jam for cutting. Cut off that jam about 1/16th shallower than the door (see B above)



3) Hang your rear metal, overlapping the newly cut jam. Weld from the back as much as you'd like. Cut off excess metal. Weld and grind as needed (see A above)



Here's what my neighbor's looks like. His welds are much cleaner than mine. But the style is the same.

 

Can you graft in a 2 door B Pillar? Or am I missing something?
Thanks; Tom S.

 

I've done 2 Mopars that way, and it's considerably easier than using the 4 door pillar, you don't have to modify the pillar or the door.

the only issue comes in when you have to find a 2 door donor to cut up to get the pillar. If you've got access to one, it's definitely the way to go, use the pillar and the inner panel that holds the window regulator, you get functional quarter windows and bolt-in regulators that way as well.

But this tech is a great example of how you can do it with just doors, and considering how hard it can be to find tri-5 Chevy 2 door sedan parts, it might be the only option for some.

 

agreed, if you have a 2 door pillar, use it.

the upside of a 2 door pillar - or a modified 4 door pillar - is that any 2 door shell will work, should you ever need to replace a door.

with the 4 door pillar, and modified 2 door latch panel door, you will be duplicating that work should you ever need to replace a door.

not much of an issue, really, just something to keep in mind.

 

OK, I see the problem now.
Anyone use repop retro or newly manufactured mail order catalog parts for a job like this? I've even seen the entire complete new tri 5 bodies at the Good Guys show in Nashville.......... costly, but looked nice.
Thanx again; Tom S.

 

Haven't seen that yet, but they do make new 2 door sedan doors, and full '55 quarters with the door jamb and quarter window frame in one piece, so it could be done without any donor parts if need be.

I wouldn't doubt that will become the wave of the future.

 

Ive got a really solid 56 four door. I was trying to sell it but I suppose it must be worth more to me than anyone else. But I just dont much care for a four door. no matter what you do or how nice it is its still not a 2 dr. Ive got pieces of a couple 56 2dr,s. However I cant find any 2 dr doors, I was thinking of taking a couple four door front doors & splicing then together to make a door. has anyone done this? Oldwolf

 

OldWolf,

This car has doors on it.



I did mine like you are thinking. Get those doors and re-skin them and do any rust repair to the inside bottom as needed. Mine were cores that I re-skinned and they work great.

I got as much of the quarters as I could, so go into the interior & roof about 6-8" and get as much of the wheel well as you can, too. The hole left when you cut away the rear door striker can be 'patched' with the wheel well from the donor. You will also get all the little pieces (like window mechanism/related) that are not on a 4-door.

It's a pretty easy mod to make. I measured everything off the front doors being mounted. Also, the body line dip is the same distance from the tail-light peak on 2-doors and 4-doors. There are many ways to mate these pieces to your existing car. I chose to cup my upper pieces over the existing roof arch rather than cutting into it and welding all of the inner pieces then welding the lower panel to the rocker outside and the floor/tub inside. The B-Pillar is about 6" back from the 4-door pillar.

Here are some pics from mine in 2007. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=19036
Let us know how it comes out.


Mike

 

Its been done many times but usually you just lengthen your door with a filler piece
look at post 78, this thread

 

Post #78 that green 56 looks like @$$....some peoples' kids. 2 door doors are 6 1/8" longer than 4 door doors. Splice two doors together then you only have to make one weld seam. Find perfect doors to splice, do not use doors that have been hit. Check my profile pics.

 

The doors on the rough 56 2dr in my previous post i gave then to my son Zack. he beat around on them and bondoed them up and put them on a 55 2 dr shell and that is on the 56 frame. Ive decided Ill drill out the spot welds and move the B pillars back and make doors from two 4 dr front doors. that way the doors will fit the B pillar. my 56 4 dr is so solid im not going to cut the roof or try splicing in 2 dr ouarters. Im thinking on using station wagon rear door,s for the fillerpiece. that will do away with the v notch in the window opening. Ive got 3 55 four doors and a 55 wagon that I can scavenge parts from. OldWolf

 

Great tech information, Thank you!

 

Hi guys, first time on the thread...it was a blast to see so many ideas that have been spinning around in my head for decades!
In my very early 20's (some 3 decades ago) I penned a short 2 door for an art assignment (got 80/100 for it too) and had always planned on doing it with some derilect bits and pieces...but that never happened. I have attached a rough photoshopped version of my drawing (don't know where it is any more). A little different to the ones in the thread but basically the same idea.
Now I will be happy to get my 4 door on the road...assembly has just started, so a few more years and I should be there.
Keep up the great work.
First time I saw a 4 to 2 door conversion was the black "2 door" chevy in the film "Running on Empty" (Australian) when I came across it parked in the local shopping centre with its new owner...it was a roughy with welds showing and trims missing on the inside - put me off the idea at the time!
Now, I'd love to have the balls to do it to my car.
Cheers.

 

^^^^^^I would never ruin your 4 door to make that shorty version^^^^^
Sevral shorty versions were done 30 or 40 years ago,I guess people thought that looked better than having a 4 door then,I dont think thats the case today but its yours,do as you please.

 

That's not a "shorty" version. It looks like one huge door taking up the space of both doors I think?

 

Great thread and keep the updates coming.