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Technical 4 DOOR TO 2 DOOR CONVERSION?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by papajohn, Apr 23, 2020.

  1. fourspd2quad
    Joined: Jul 6, 2006
    Posts: 907

    fourspd2quad
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    LOL......Spoken like a guy from Jersey! I could not agree more except that all toupees are bad. Hope I didn't offend any rug wearers in the group.
     
    VANDENPLAS and Hot Rods Ta Hell like this.
  2. And once again we enter into the HAMB response to the "what time is it?" question. OP asks how to weld the doors, and he gets answers telling him not to, telling him he can't/shouldn't, that he's wearing a toupee (badly), he dresses funny, and a debate gets started on the merits of suicide doors. Jesus wept, just tell the guy the fuckin' time.
     
  3. Sanford&Son
    Joined: Oct 13, 2006
    Posts: 759

    Sanford&Son
    Member
    from Visalia,Ca

    I think everyone is having a bad case or Quarantine-itis! o_O
     
  4. Willys definitely made 2 door sedans. Ted Laycock in Marion, Mass has one ,and he is not too far from you. Go check it out.
     
  5. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    This time around I am going to say that that is a lot of work and possible expense to just be able to say you did it and not have a gain in value or coolness. Just welding the back doors shut and not putting on longer doors probably knocks the value down compared to leaving it a more door and putting the effort into Some other things that make it a trick ride but.
    Some searching does show that the 60 Olds 88 wagon, two door Sedan and 4 door sedan do take the same windshield making it possible to use two door post doors if you could ever find usable 60 Olds 88 two door post doors. Except that I think that the sedan doors have a different profile on the upper frame around the door glass than wagon doors do.
    They actually made more two door post 60 Olds 88 than they did 88 Wagons. http://www.1960oldsmobile.com/tech/model_guide.html
    Meaning you already have "rare" if you want rare numbers running around wise.
    As for myself, I'd rather keep it a 4 door and put a great looking paint job on it and a somewhat custom interior that was maybe roll and pleat so you knew it was custom. Put a killer sound system in it and it will be the Lets all pile in and go out for dinner ride among your crew when you hit weekend rod trots as it can be comfy for six adults.
     
    VANDENPLAS, Hnstray and Gasser 57 like this.
  6. papajohn
    Joined: Nov 2, 2006
    Posts: 896

    papajohn
    Member

    It's all good. Thanks for everyone's input. I would never do it to my current wagon, it's pretty nice and solid. But if I ever come across a cheap, crusty one.... Maybe, or better yet, a 60 OldsAmino.
     
  7. ADDF8D6A-5B89-4840-AF02-CFFBD898319E.jpeg
     
  8. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member


    LMAO. You ask what's the best way to weld up the rear doors on a 4 dr to 2 dr conversion. Everyone assumes it's the 4 dr Wagon in your avatar and replies at length...

    Then you come back to let us know it's not THIS 60 Olds 4 dr Wagon, but the next better suited one if/when you come across one...:confused:
    This slays me, lol.

    Best HAMB mic drop since Loudbang announced he was hanging it up (thank God he didn't!)
     
  9. Quarantine Fever:(
     
    VANDENPLAS likes this.
  10. Desmodromic
    Joined: Sep 25, 2010
    Posts: 571

    Desmodromic
    Member

  11. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    Many of the early Sedan Deliveries were a coach kit company build on a 4dr car platform that used the shorter 4dr doors. I found this out years ago on my 37 Chevy Sedan Delivery build. Our Family loved that car but we all agree that the 10" shorter doors really needed to be longer. Later year 2dr Wagons did use longer doors making it much easier to get in and out of. For the 2dr Wagon conversion I have been working on, I got myself parts from a 2dr donor car. After removing the doors and B-pillar, I hung the new longer front doors. I also welded in the new B-pillars. The quarter pieces were from the donor and I added part of the inner structure from the old rear doors. In my application I am using ideas from the Tri-five Nomads like sliding quarter windows and 2 piece rear hatch design. This required further design flow modifications along the upper window area of the car to allow use of factory trim and hopefully giving the wagon a one of a kind factory build appearance. Several of my personal builds over the years have included modification and creative ideas that appeal to me. Since the 70's I have done things like modifying my first 37 Coupe into a rumble seat, built a 37 Chevy KingCab Pickup, added suicide doors and other mods to my Chopped 37 Sedan, built a Custom 56 ElCamino as well as a later model Camaro Wagon. In all cases I spent a lot of time researching similar builds, making a toy model of my designs and searching for the parts needed for the conversions. Help from friends is also a big plus. The hardest part for me has usually been that first "no turning back" cut. Best of luck and have fun if you decide to do a build.

    nomad12.JPG nomad13.JPG nomad14.JPG IMG_4443.JPG IMG_4444.JPG
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2020
  12. Gizzy
    Joined: Jan 20, 2008
    Posts: 761

    Gizzy
    Member
    from N.W,Ohio

    I went to a vocational school for auto body.One of the guys decided he wanted to make a 4dr 63 chevy a 2dr....it ended up being a 3dr....lol
     
  13. papajohn
    Joined: Nov 2, 2006
    Posts: 896

    papajohn
    Member

    Hot Rods Ta Hell - Sorry to waste your time or offend. It was a sincere question of what's the best way. No promise that I was planning on doing it soon. If I had mad skills, I would do it to this car, but, like I said, too nice to wreck it .
     
  14. Yep
    It was a random FB pic
    Wished I had more info on it.
     
  15. Yes they did...but not too many. They were made in the production years of 1938 & 1939...I have not seen an accurate production number, but they do exist. To get in the back seat the passenger side seat folded forward. True factory 2-doors had window trim on the inside back seat windows. Welded shut rear doors did not have a removable window trim. Here is a factory body shell for a 2-door sedan. g-willys IMG_20190117_110311548 (3).jpg
     
    32fenderless likes this.
  16. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Here ya Go! DD Speed Shop
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  17. Here’s my quad cab to coupe conversion, luckily i found a 56 belair body shell for all the parts. You would have a hard time finding any signs of the conversion.

    C6385B5A-151A-44C9-B2FD-AFA0A7731F4F.jpeg 5708505B-E431-4300-9C07-7D49CBD727C0.jpeg
     
  18. ^^^that was posted just to show a good example of how to do a nice conversion.
     
    scrap metal 48 and 31hotrodguy like this.
  19. jay t.
    Joined: Jan 1, 2009
    Posts: 204

    jay t.
    Member

    C9D4ACB8-E7B2-4663-A034-38FFD2FA008C.jpeg 9CD78BFE-D4C9-47CB-B9D0-20543A8DB406.jpeg B617CE13-D4B7-4493-BCE4-387BEC0E47CB.jpeg 0339684A-BB18-4D1B-9A64-BE1034547967.jpeg 9FF488A2-2940-44DC-9ADA-737EC6374319.jpeg Finding 2 door metal definitely makes for a better and easier job. When I’m done it will look like it left the factory as a 2 door
     
    VANDENPLAS, raymay, Squablow and 3 others like this.
  20. DO IT! RAYMAY did it and it is cool, I love a well done 2 door conversion, just get some longer two door doors and get to work.
    and never underestimate the value of starting with a solid car, the one in your avatar would be a great starting point.
     
  21. 31hotrodguy
    Joined: Oct 29, 2013
    Posts: 2,698

    31hotrodguy
    Member

    I’m a little late to the party. Are we talking about converting the OP’s 4 dr wagon to a 2dr? I read the first 3 pages and didn’t see which car we were talking about?


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  22. 31hotrodguy
    Joined: Oct 29, 2013
    Posts: 2,698

    31hotrodguy
    Member

    I think this is going to be the future of tri5 Chevy four doors. I was talking to real deal steel yesterday about a convertible body for my 4dr hardtop!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    46international likes this.
  23. True, but I think four doors are more acceptable now than they ever where.
     
  24. 40Standard
    Joined: Jul 30, 2005
    Posts: 5,963

    40Standard
    Member
    from Indy

    just remove the rear outside door handles, looks like a 2 door wagon from 20 feet
     
  25. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    Not to mention more expensive. The days of nice driver 4 doors for parts car money are over.

    Here's the '57 I'm working on, which illustrates some points really well. First pic is the day I bought it. You can see that the previous owner (a high school kid in the late 70's) shaved the rear door handles, filled in the rear doors (no welding, the door gaps were filled up with Bondo), and a set of 2 door quarter panel inserts were installed to try to disguise it. But it still looks like shit with the wrong proportions and the extra pillar. I think this is worse than just having 4 functional doors.

    000_0004.JPG
    15 years and a lot of lost white paint later, here it is midway through the 2 door conversion, using the longer doors and B pillars from a donor. Same way Scotty T's car was done above, only my donor sections were so rotten that they would not reach all the way to the rockers, a big section needed to be filled in, and for that I used some old door skins.

    20190729_223435.jpg
    Here is one with the door skin filler panel tacked into place.

    20190730_191413.jpg
    And here is how it sits today. I don't have the time to paint the whole car yet and it looked very odd with brown doors so I painted the doors to match the rest of the car, for now. I touched up the seams in the quarters once it was fully welded and that's good enough for the time being. The conversion really isn't that hard to do if you have the right pieces, some welding skills, and patience.

    20200424_200053.jpg
     
  26. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Thanks for posting that pic. Really pretty clever use of a four door ‘flattop’. Solves several problems, like the slanted B pillar and the long wrap around back glass give some much needed space for the seat and behind seat storage.

    Ray
     
    anthony myrick likes this.
  27. Welcome.
    I kinda dig it as well.
    Would like to change the roof area a little.
    I think the shorter conv windshield and changing the top to fit would help.
     
  28. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    @anthony myrick
    Are you suggesting that is a photoshop creation or that it is real but was converted, not production.

    Mercury made 2 dr hardtop wagons in ‘57/‘58 era as I recall.

    Ray
     
  29. Yes
    Real wagon with a photoshopped hard top.
    That’s how I understand it.
     

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