I have enjoyed reading the posts when a 4 door is converted to a 2 door. Has anyone ever converted a 4 door to to a two/four door convertable? Any make any model?
Look for Boomosbys threads. Thats how to do it right, with bits from a genuine convert. Hacking the top off a four door seldom leads to a good result.
I took this derelict 33 Fordor and cut the roof off,shortened the rear body/roofline, used the rear part of the original roof and made a rear body panel with a trunk opening,created a trunklid by dissecting,downsizing a 38 Chevy trunklid to fit the opening,etc.etc. in other words I cut it up and transformed the Fordor Sedan into a 33 Fordor Victoria Convertible Sedan ( with a Trunk ) a model not offered by Ford in 33 Build Thread -> http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=570915
Remember that many convertibles had thicker frames or additional bracing because there was no longer support from the roof. What make and year are you looking at? Aside from that these conversions usually don't come out very well and the person would have been better off cost wise starting with a convertible. As a final insult it would probably be hard to sell the finished car. Charlie Stephens
A friend of mine did a '64 Impala about 25 years ago. He started out with a pretty nice 2D hdtp and a rusty (but complete) convertible. It turned out real well. I think the key to the deal was having a complete convertible for parts.
Foose did a 53 ford and a 57 chevy on overhauling, Its definitely somting that takes a lot of thought and planing in order to pull it off .
I've seen examples of 49-51 Mercurys as a four door with the top cut off and a Carson top added. Depends on what model you are looking at to perform this on. These pictures were probably found elsewhere on the Hamb:
The big thing to remember is a convertible at the least always got a big X shaped brace added to the frame, unless it was something like a 49-54 Pontiac where the frame already has the X - those got thicker material in some places and additional body mounts in others. To do it right entails a donor convertible, and a donor coupe or sedan. It really doesn't matter which you begin with, they both get the body taken off, the convertible parts transferred to the good frame and anything missing or too rotty to use fabricated, then the good body goes on this frame and is cut down to the floorpan - depending on how the convertible is rotted, you start at the cowl adding the upper convertible cowl, then doors, then rear quarters with the top tub and supports. It's not a projct for the faint of heart. But you can cheat, if you just have an old crappy sedan - make your own frame brace by copying whatever the factory did, if you want to change the doors either get 2-door doors and move the B-post, or cut and weld the doors you have; THEN cut the top off, and if you can find a later model convertible cheap, you can even fit the folding mechanism from that into it. Which is certainly possible to do. I have a complete top for a '72 Skylark and could never give the damn thing away to the point I'm not even sure where it is right now.
It can be done at several skill levels. Easiest, hacksaw the top off an old sedan and bomb around the beach town all summer then send it to the scrap yard. Next level a parade car with the frame and body braced but no top, or a removable lift off top. Highest level build a genuine convertible with folding top and wind up windows that fit. If you have the time money and talent to do it right. At this point it would be quicker easier and cheaper to just buy a good convertible. If you really want to build a 4 door convertible it be best to start with a 4 door hardtop, half the work is already done. I mean bracing the body and frame, and making the doors and windows fit right.
Any more pictures of this? I'm amazed how well the '66 convertible top rack worked on there, I'm impressed. I'm planning to convert my '55 Dodge 4 door but I have a complete, rotted out '55 Dodge convertible plus a set of extra nice 2 door hardtop doors to do mine with. I did a '72 GTO the same way, using a '69 Buick Skylark convertible as a donor, but that car was a 2 door hardtop to start with, making it easier.
For some reason I have picked up three sets of those g.m. bows over the years and used them but they are more work because they are designed for curved glass, it would be easier to use a top frame made for the early sixties and older cars. G.M. stuff is the easiest to work with because the are mostly steel construction where ford uses more cast aluminum. But the real limiting factor I suppose is ones imagination. Although to much imagination can lead you to do things with your time that will interfere with being a couch potatoe.
imho, when making a 4 door car a convertible ,,KEEP it a 4 door,,and make it like a 1960's lincoln 4 door convert or like a 1940's buick 4 door phaeton an old buick 4 door could be made into this
for more pics of 4 door convertibles see this hamb thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=443647 lots of old 4 door sedan cars could be made into very nice 4 door phaetons
Here are a couple of shots of my 51.The car just came back from the trim shop yesterday.Just waiting on Pauls to finish the smoothed bumpers
What car are we talking about? What about a 30s convertible sedan, they look right. Down here we had 4 door phaetons into the late 30's
I'd love to see pics of 4dr convertibles too. It sometimes makes a car less interesting to turn it into just another 2dr in my opinion.
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