Hot Rods Stuck in a rut... Need some 4 door ideas...

Well.... I'm stuck in a rut...
I've had a very eventful last couple of months....
And now I'm sitting contemplating a new build...
I have 3 kids and need something I can enjoy with them. Ages 7,5, and 2 with the older 2 being boys and they're getting interested in cars. Specially my 5 year old who is currently taking things apart and putting them back together...
I gave him an old Holley I had sitting around, and holy crap he had a blast...
Anyways... I have a 62 c10 I've been messing with with them, but I believe for them to enjoy it I need to do something a little different...
Any more doors come to mind? I keep going back to 50-57 olds but I can't find any... And there's a 28 model a for sale down the road from me for $5k, but I know very little about them...
What would you guys suggest? Also... Some inspiration would be awesome...

Thank you all!

 

You need more seats maybe not more doors. They can tell you what is cool or what is but ugly.

 

I had an ot 72 cutlass with 4 doors over the summer, nice car, but not my cup of tea. The 4 doors really were handy...

 

Don't let the anti 4 door folks dissuade you. They can be made into neat cars.

 

junior is right i,ve had mine over 50 years and raised 3 girls . super fun lots of history. wish you luck.

 

There's cool wagons to be had. Get a 9 seater and grow more mechanics.

 

I have been where you are at so I will give my two cents.

Get something that you can get on the road and enjoy in a short time frame. Your kids will grow up fast and an unfinished project in the garage is good for when they have grown up and left home. Also, you will have more time when they are young. As they grow, they will get involved in "other than car" activities.

I had a project going on when our kids were the same age as your. I put it on hold and fixed up a '69 Impala. We drove it for a couple of years then rebuilt it. The rebuilding took a year. As a family we took that car many places on trips. The kids will always remember those times. We have three kids and the car is a two door. We got a bunch of car seats in that back seat and once they were there, they were not going anywhere.

As a family of five, we have also traveled in a '29 Ford sedan. Pretty tight and probably couldn't do it now.

When I look back, I would not change much but maybe fixed up a station wagon instead. I always thought a hearse would be great for family trips.

Neal

 

In virtually every case, a 2 door sedan is the same size internally as a 4 door. Then again, 4 doors can be bought really cheap, and I agree with the advice of buying something you can drive right away (or with very little work) just to go places and have some fun with while your big project is underway.

This might be my favorite 4 door custom. There's not a lot of good ones out there, but there are some.

 

Mid sixties 4 door full size can be had pretty reasonable and most look pretty decent, plenty of room, they are new enough to have chassis with small blocks, 302 C4 or aod, 350 th350 or 700 r4, are all easy swaps if the original stuff gives up. Drum brakes on them are pretty good, disc swaps are easy.
I daily drove a 65 impala 6 cyl, p/g 4 door for 2 years in the 90's. Great mileage, brakes were fine

1950-54 GM's 4 doors are all pretty good looking cars, good lines for a 4 door, not quite as roomy.

How about an early suburban or carryall, lowered.

 

Inspiration
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5376150237.html
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5395044961.html
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5381841041.html
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5395284424.html
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5369750748.html
https://hickory.craigslist.org/cto/5376968421.html

 

One of our high school coaches had a early suburban street rod. It was awesome looking and had no problem toting around 5-6 passengers.

 

<<<<<< Another 4 door

 

Not trying to persuade you away from a four door. I got 51 Chevy 2 door last spring for the exact same reasons that you have. It has tons of room inside. Had to do few things to get it up to speck for driving it as much as we do but nothing major , brakes ,wiring, wipers. And i have less in this whole car than my last half finished build. It was the best move I could make my boys love it and we go everywhere in it. 2 or 4 door just make sure it needs minimal work to be fun, so you can just enjoy it.

 

Double post

 

What ever you decide make sure it is safe for your kids

 

With 3 kids, a good size back seat could work for you in either a 2dr or a 4dr ride.
In the 70's I had a 37 Chevy Coupe that we loved. It even worked for awhile when our Son was born. When our Daughter came along it was time for something bigger. Liking the 37 Chevy we moved on with a Sedan, a Panel Truck, a Sedan Delivery and then back to a 37 Chopped Sedan which our kids grew up in and drove when they got older. I still have that car today. Other favorites were a couple of 58 Chevy's.
With a larger family we always made sure one of the cars had a back seat and seatbelts. This continued to be important after our Daughter started giving us Grandsons. We now have 3 ages 6,8 and 10 and they still fit and love to ride in the Chopped 37. I had even started another project with a 60's Malibu Station Wagon that I converted into a 2dr Nomad.
On all my build I always included the Family in the design.
Get something that you and your Family would like and make yourself some great memories because the kids do grow up fast.

 

My two cents 4 doors are cheaper . But it takes same amount of time and money to build as other body styles. If its also an investment think of resale value. what may be a cool idea would be buy a safe sweat 4 door driver . Over time make it a 2 door or even topless . JUST SAY EN OH YA pre 65

 

What ever happen with the 55 wagon you post about a while back? HRP

 

A wagon or suburban can be made very cool. Another great 4-door option is the 59-60 GM four door hardtop models (commonly referred to as flat-tops). Although I have to say your only real problem is needing a back seat, not necessarily more doors.

 

Ha-ha... Hrp... That thing left along time ago. I built a new floor and made it structurally sound, and sold it and my 2 door post and paid for sons heart surgery, along with alot if other stuff I had around...

 

I'm looking at a couple of cars... I really like this 62 Buick, its a 2 door skylark with the 3.5 v8... Ran and drove when parked 2 years ago... Not bad shape and they're asking 3k...
Just know very little about them and difficult to find any.

 

Check out this HAMB thread. He has a similar situation and seems to be having fun with his choice and build.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...-low-budget-build.987361/page-5#post-11342385

 

Weren't some cars called hard top sedans? IE no B pillar? Or... I liked my 37 Fordor, in a dark color most folks didn't even notice it had extra doors. AND, it had suicide rear doors, ta boot. Gary

 

I am building a four door Plymouth sedan one of the reasons I went with this project was the fact that it is a four door even though my kids are grown. check out my build thread for pics. Hobo Jim

 

Buy my 56 chevy four door hardtop

 

I bought a 71 Dodge Coronet for a family car a few years ago. Was a neat looking 4 door looked like a 4 door Charger, had a 383 magnum, but they're getting hard to find, but there are still lots of cars in my neck of the woods of a 4 door 50s-60s Hamb friendly type Well the Edsel wagon was just passing through.

 

This is nearly identical to my first car (at 15), 61 Impala 4 dr ht, 348/4barrel/3 on the tree.
The first thing I did was put a Hurst Syncro-loc shifter in it, that and the E-T five spokes that came on it made this car quite fun to drive and cruise the gut with it.
Took many years to tell people that it was actually a four door in discussions about past cars. Not at the top of the popular cars list but you know what they say about your "first", you never forget it.
I don't have any photos of mine, so when I saw this one, I actually thought "wow" that car really did have some nice lines to it.

 

^^^ Those hardtops (59-64) are a breed apart as 4drs go. Sporty but family friendly. Good call.

 

the 4 door hardtop Mercury(white) is a Marauder, also badged as a Monterey. 390 equipped, originally it have up the engine a while back.

 

You will have to see what you can find. Peruse the ads in your area until something catches your eye. Doesn't have to be expensive but, I agree with the advice to buy the best car you can, and get out and have some fun with it.

The Skylark is a neat car . Has as much room as a modern full size front drive car. The drawback is the aluminum engine. Unless it was kept filled with good antifreeze is probably corroded to uselessness by now. And, I would never pay that kind of money for a car that hasn't run in 2 years when there are better ones around. Keep looking.

I could make suggestions of what kind of car to get but none of them would mean anything. It all depends on your preference + what you can find. Soon you will see one for sale and think 'that's what I am looking for, and the price isn't bad'. Go look at a few and you will come home with a good car before spring, guaranteed.