Hi there I'm wanting to have a go at suiciding my rear doors on my wagon. Wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a thread with plenty of pics? Thanks.
That's crazy talk! Sorry cant offer any advice however didnt want you to think everyone was ignoring you!
I think your ride would look bitchin' with them on the back. Don't know of any threads, but it's not that hard to do. I used a kit on my VW bug, and its pretty slick. The only tough part is working the hinges around the window mechanism.
C'mon. I'm doing the rear doors only. How else do you make a four door different?? Give a guy a break. I'm not doing it on your car!
not rear doors but the principles are the same http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272362
WAS JOKIN ABOUT YOU WASTING =OUR= TIME.... It wont be worth the time on your part ,and it will take some time believe me I know.your little wagon looks cool as it is. If you were to do all that work= I reccomend welding up those rears and makin it a two door wagon-you are talking less work and a better result as far as looks go...... .
Yeah I know it will take some work. I just have always wanted to do it to it. I am going to give it a go. I've got few other things to cut off of it also haha. As for two door wagon they already came out in a delivery which is pretty much a two door wagon. Thanks though I know how much work is involved just wanted to see how some people have gone about it.
I've never been a huge fan of that mod, and even more so now, since someone ruined my 32 by "trying it". They kept cutting and slicing, then found out it would not work. Anyways, I see a big problem in what I think I see in the avatar pic? It looks like the 2 hinges would need to be very close together, because of the wheel arch curve in the rear door? If so, then you will have to use very precise hinges that will not wear much. Even a few thousanths play in the pins, with the hinges so close to each other, will cause big problems. That's a sizable door, so it may wear fast with closer hinges. On my 32, they used Ford pickup hinges with worn pins, and they needed to put them close together due to the body curving inwards at the bottom. It was a freaking mess. Then they found out that just like a house door, the "new" latch side of the door needs to be angled so that it will clear the door post when it starts to open. Go look at a house door to see that issue. They then cut the shit out of the jamb sides of the doors, rewelded, and still could not fit the doors...then they popped a few more cold ones and got drunker than when they first had this great idea.
Woah. Sounds like they made a mess of that. I'm not a fan of it on two doors but I love the 40 chev four doors I just like the big barn door effect of the doors opening out in opposite direction. Someone suggested to use a uni hinge. They also warned me that it's not a very popular mod on here. Haha I guess they were right. Maybe I'll have a think about it more. Still would like to try.
He is absolutely on the ball with the spacing issue.....also you will encounter this problem as well..... the rear of the existing rear doors will not be reinforced as the fronts of them are since the hinges were not there originally ... This will be a serious amount of work to achieve the structural integrety needed to support the hinge mounts at the rear of your back doors....Nor will the quarter panel area behind the doors as well . see why I was thinking it was not a reasonable thing to try?
Yeah, I understand all of that. I guess I'll sit on it for now. Thanks for the help everyone. Might have a closer look at what will need to be done and weigh up the pro's and cons.
I suppose that is a rare car, even there? or is a 4dr sedan the same type of door? In a perfect world, you would grab a stripped out parts car, just to try doing it on one side. But I'd bet they are too rare to find. I don't think a person should not try a dream just because others say it's not a great idea. I still don't care for it, but it's not my dream do what you got to do.
Thanks man. I know it's not a "traditional" mod but a 58 Holden is not really a traditional hot rodders car, I was just after some advice and to be pointed in the right direction. I am just going to chop what I got, practice practice practice. Build up my skills for when I get the car that is really worth all the time and effort I will put in, for the moment though I've got a 58 Holden and I just want to have a go wrecking it hahaha.
Come on stretch, screw up something a bit less interesting. Plenty of Camira's out there and they would look sick with suicide doors!!!
Haha. I won't screw it up. Was only joking. It's my favorite car that Australia has ever made. Looks wise anyway. It's so hard to change Nything to the body without making it worse that's why I want to change the rear doors. Something subtle. But I'll leave it be for now. Am just going to raise the drive train tunnel up and lower it a whole lot more. I'm putting new door skins on it that's why I though I may as well move the hinges while I've hot the skins off as it would make it alot easier.
Cool, I am a bit of a fan as well. Very cool, especially with the old louvers in the back! Good luck with it!
Haha, I know where there's a camira paddock basher you could have a go at? Keep us updated if you do have a go at those suicide doors, I'm quietly interested in them myself... Pretty sure there's another tech thread on them in the "tech week archives".
I just had to suicide the doors on my 53 Dodge truck, got the passenger side done, hated it so much, I converted it back, Thank God I had part of a spare cab to get the rear post out of that I screwed up making an opening for the hinges, I had to find another door. I would not recommend doing it.
Here is a tech thread from a couple of years ago. While a good building experience, suicide doors just don't accomplish the WOW factor that we were looking for. Would we do it again ? Easy answer.....NO http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=451530
Been a few months now, wondering if you have started on this mod? I like the suicide doors on two door cars that came that way from the factory. I think suiciding the rear doors on a four door car could be a pretty cool mod. Maybe because I used to have a 61 Lincoln convertible.
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