Technical 4DR - To - 2Dr Conversion...Wagon?

Specifically, tri-five Chevy wagons: anyone done it?...own one?...ideas?...looks like the rear curved side glass area might be a problem

 

Sounds like an interesting project. Guessing the goal is to have something like a Nomad without the cost of a decent one?

 

It would be nothing like a nomad.

 

You could do the same type of conversion the two door post guys do. It's easy enough to find info on this site. You have to figure out the side glass. You could convert to a sedan delivery (sorta) you have to "create" garnish moldings if you want a finished look inside. The best way to convert would be to find a real one to scavenge parts off of. That's not very likely though.

 

You could buy new side glass or if it is not available, add a piece of flat glass in front of the old glass with a thin bead of black sealant.

 

I have a decent set of doors of anyone is wanting to do the conversion..
Pm me...

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Why not use a Handy Man Station Wagon for a example?

 

Why? Just buy ^^^^^^^ and be done with it.

FWIW, I prefer a four door wagon over the others, unless a Nomad.

 

You guys must not be familiar with Randy...His cheese slid off his cracker a ways back. Very talented and has the means to do it. He'll do it, it'll be awesome.
Great to see another project Randy.

 

The rear curved side galss on a 2 dr handyman wagon is different that the curved glass on a 4 dr.

 

if your going to do it, why not add the hump in the belt line that the wagons didn't have.

 

Handyman 2 door wagon. HRP

 

Oh, what the hell, here's the Nomad, too. Unique in the HT style doors and all the pieces from beltline up, including roof skin, tailgate, liftgate, etc.

 

It's been done lots of times. lol



Not mine, thank the maker.

 

I never liked the hump in the beltline. I do have a 55 one fifty handyman. I prefer the cleaner look without and chrome or stainless trim. I ve got a 55 four dr wagon parts car. Ive thought of doing a two door conversion on a 56 four door I have. And cutting and splicing two four door front doors together and making them a couple inches longer. and then using the wagon rear doors to fill the gap and not have the hump. and it would also make the rear side glass smaller and make access to the rear seat easier.

 

I believe "the hump" was originally called " the sweetheart dip". Adds to the swoopiness of the hardtop, is less pronounced on the sedans, adds a lot to the cars, imo.

 

I'd love to do a project like that.

 

Never did a wagon, but I'd approach it the same way I did my dad's 2 door sedan. If you could find a Handyman donor car to cut the B pillar and some of the window area out of, you'd be golden.

But if you didn't have access to a Handyman donor, I'd say you've got two options. One would be to use 2 door sedan B pillars and fill in the window frame areas with rear door pieces, or you could just take the pillar out, hang the longer 2 door sedan door from the hinges, put the pillar back in where it will close on the door with a good gap (you'll have to shim the door striker out, the 4 door pillar doesn't match up to the 2 door sedan door directly), then strip the old back doors for filler pieces for the quarter panel and window frames.

If you did it that way, the 3rd pillar wouldn't be in the same spot as on a regular Handyman, making the rear quarter window longer than the center window, but if that's OK, you wouldn't need any custom glass beyond flat stuff. If you can buy new Handyman rear glass, that'd be better, and move the pillar accordingly so it lines up.

Not super easy, but far from impossible.

 

You mean like this? Former 4 door station wagon. Now sedan delivery ,made the rear window filler and rolled it in my slip roller.

 

Forget the glass and make a pseudo-delivery, but my personal vote goes with a shorty wagon. I've always wanted one, never came close enough; the one I did find, a friend of my younger brothers paid the $800.00 for it. Should't have talked about it after I found it. It was a nice one too; 56 model 210, 327 2 barrel, Muncie 4 speed. It could turn around completely in a residential street, and easily bounce the front tires off the pavement. Don't know what eventually happened to it. I have a friend who deals in 55-57 Chevrolet cars AND parts, and he hates the shorties (???). I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I don't like the shorties either. They just look wrong. If your going to do a 2 door conversion, at least leave some body between the back edge of the door and the wheel opening. Gene

 

No, not a shortened 4-door...I'd use 2-dr doors

 

I would have liked to use 2 door doors, but this is what I had to work with. It was shortened when I got it. Just done wrong. Had to remove all of the chicken wire and fiberglass that was used to fill in the gaps in the panels. Also had to replace the roof panel that was spliced in the middle and brazed with a torch and then filled with about an 1 1/2 inches worth of bondo. Went to double nickel and bought a complete roof and reskinned it and cut it down to match the new taper of the shortened car. Then had to hand form the drip rails.
I needed to hand form the section from the front of the rear wheel well into and including the door jamb to get the gaps right.
Too many hours to make it fit for what I charged.

 

If I had the whole enchilada I would keep it that way, Less isnt always more
(I like 4 door wags best)

 

Follow Squablow's advise and his excellent conversion tutorial.
"Lengthening" the front doors and filling the quarter panel back door area will follow the same principles as a sedan conversion. Save yourself a lot of welding/finish body work by finding a pair of 2 dr. doors. All the metal work labor saved on the doors can be applied to the quarters.

The curved glass, back seat area side window garnish and divider between the flat glass and curved glass are particular to the 2 dr. wagon. You'd have to be very lucky to find these parts used (a 2 dr shell rotted up to the door handles).
The garnish can easily be made by splicing approx two-thirds of two garnishes together creating only one top/bottom weld. If you find 2 dr garnish for your front doors, you can use all 4 four door garnishes for the part.
You'll of course need 2 dr. side trim if that applies to your build plans.
I don't believe new, curved glass for 2 dr. Wagons is available (at least it didn't used to be).
A quick search found one, used side on ebay. It's in Mich. too!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/55-57-CHEV...162694804188?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

I have seen a one done that had Lexan formed for a one piece rear side window.
I think I am more with the leave it a 4 door crowd. It is a much more usable car as a 4 door. It looks just as cool also.

 

Not to encourage it but the 4 door quarter glass looks longer front to back therefore you might be able to have them cut down to the shorter 2 door glass length
(a few inches off the front flat part??? )or just order new ones etc.
I see in a old Danchuck catalogue where you can get em all new if necessary.

 

Personally I like 4 door wagons a lot . Have owned many in my life.
The 57 shorty I built was just another build challenge to expand my range as a car builder. I had never built one before and will never build another. No matter how nice it turns out they still look like clown cars. The car would have been crushed by most people, but it was saved from the crusher and that is a good thing.

 

Regarding the rear curved glass we have had 4dr glass cut to 2dr length for about $10. That was about 10yrs ago so it might be a little more.

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