Hey I searched this and found a 55 hardtop converted from 4 door to 2 door but could you do a 57 hardtop this way? Has anyone converted a 57 4 door hardtop to a 2 door on here? I was just wondering? Matt
I would imagine the conversion would be the same. We are also converting a 55 Belair Mordor into two door. Pretty simple conversion.
The rooflines and reinforcements are VERY different between a 4 door hardtop and a 2 door hardtop. Not saying it's impossible but doubtful to do so looking close to a factory 2 door hardtop. Could possibly just weld up the rear door but the rear door glass on a 4 door hardtop is much longer than the front door glass and would never look quite right. Even in their factory form, the 4 door hardtops just look a little 'off' for this reason. Could try and use factory 2 door hardtop doors to make the conversion but the seal around the windows are very different and would require alot of fab work. But, if it were me, I'd keep the 4 door hardtop as is-it was the lowest production body style for 1957 making it the rarest and even if they don't look as good as the 2 door, they still look damed good. My buddy has a 4 door hardtop 57 and he get's tons of attention in it.
Are you sure you have your info correct? In 55 there was no 4-dr Hardtops being produced. I have done 55 4 dr sedans from 4-dr to 2-dr. But no 4-dr Hardtop as they didbt make them till 56. So lets say you mean 56...Puting the car into 2-door configuration would not be that hard(of course the roof would still say 4-dr HT) ..the roof is totally differnt and although the cars are the same length the roofs are not. A 4-dr Hardtop roof is longer than a 2-dr Hardtop. Just look at the panel between the rear glass and the trunk. Sedan roof are the same length whether 4 or 2 door car. I have a 57 4-dr ht and I think the best for these if you want to cut is convertible or leave the roof and door config alone. I am planning a carson style top for mine. Tim
If you were to make a 4 door hardtop a 2 door hardtop you will need the front doors, the complete roof and the complete rear side window inner panels and all also rear glass and trim from the 2 door for the conversion. I think it would be financially better and maybe the same amount of work to sell the 4 door and repair the 2 door donor car seeing that all repair panels are available for these cars. Unless you are getting these cars for free. The part cost added together defeats the purpose of this. On the other hand it does make financial sense for a 4 door to 2 door sedan conversion because less 2 door parts are required. In any case I personally think it is ALWAYS better to save two cars than to make two into one. More old cars saved on earth the more for the future. The floors are also different so you would not end up with true 2 door.
Hey I dont have a car yet i just sold my 49 chevy cuz im out of work however researching my next project helps keep me sane.The reason i thought of buying a 4 door was that they are way cheaper and i can do the conversion myself. So what you guys are saying is it would make more since to buy a 57 4 door post and make it a 2 door rather than a hard top. Ive seen decent 4 doors around here sell for around 800-1200 bux. Where as 2 doors are like 3500 plus for a hull. Matt
Start with the best body you can, in the style you want, even if it means putting it off for a while to save up some dough. Extensive body mods like that, and rust repair, can really kill a project.....it'll never get done. Especially if you have to ask how hard it is, you probably don't understand what's involved, and the odds of you being able to do the work yourself successfully are not that good.
Hey You are right my skills are'nt the best but my dad will help he was a body man for 30 years.I also have a buddy that is great at fab work so when i said do the work myself i meant not have to pay someone. lol Thanks Matt
If you're gonna need help, and the project is a lot bigger than you thought it was, same thing applies...your unpaid help might get tired of it about 1/4 way thru it.
I have done many sedan 4 to 2 door conversions. They are very involved BUT Not really all that bad. That is my opinion of course. But Still I would say, If you dont have the skills to pull it off you might want to wait for that right 2-dr so you dont cut the car and get discouraged and not finish it. There are alot of info on the net about the conversion of the sedan style 55-57 chevy. Do alot of research on it and remember measure twice and cut once. Tim
I still don't understand what you want to do here. You do know the difference between a sedan and a hardtop, right? You want to make a '57 4 door hardtop into a 2 door hardtop? Are you wanting the stock 2 door hardtop roofline, or the 4 door hardtop roofline but as a 2 door? (I think that would be neat). If we're talking sedans, yes, you can make a 4 door sedan into a 2 door sedan if you have the right donor parts. I did a '60 Plymouth this way and I'm planning to do my '57 Chevy the same way, using 2 door post donor car rear quarter panel sections like So-cal Tex does below. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=350312 Here's my writeup on the '60 Plymouth, with some follow up finished pictures in the second link. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78120 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375098 I wouldn't call it "easy", but it's do-able, and it's cheaper than buying a 2 door sedan to start with.
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