Hard Half Doors (FAQ) (1 Viewer)

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Fast Eddy

Fast Eddy

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Please post me up some motivational pictures. I've seen these: http://medusa.ih8mud.com/cruiser/Doors.html

I've got an extra set of '78 thick stock doors. One has a damaged window frame, so instead of selling them cheap, I'm making half doors. (Window regulators, window roller handles and driver's side glass are for sale.)

The newer style doors are 3" thick at the top. I had my muffler guy cut and bend me a piece of 3" tubing for the tops that I'm planning to use. I have grand plans for retaining the interior stock handles, but it's a lot of extra work and I'm not a welder (yet). I'm cutting them in such a way as to retain the stock mirror locations too.

I'll use my jigsaw for the door metal, but I sure wish I had a plasma cutter for ripping the muffler pipe. I'm doing the straight parts with a cordless makita circular saw. It's going to end up taking about 6 battery charges for the 4' piece plus I have to use my jigsaw and many blades for the curved section. It is overly thick tubing for this job. Two days I'm about 2/3 through that beotch.

I'm hoping to get at least one of them in good enough shape for a photo op in time for my ROTW in two weeks.
 
Here Some Motivation
DCP15482_1.JPG
 
Fast Eddy said:
I'll use my jigsaw for the door metal, but I sure wish I had a plasma cutter for ripping the muffler pipe. I'm doing the straight parts with a cordless makita circular saw. It's going to end up taking about 6 battery charges for the 4' piece plus I have to use my jigsaw and many blades for the curved section. It is overly thick tubing for this job. Two days I'm about 2/3 through that beotch.

I'm hoping to get at least one of them in good enough shape for a photo op in time for my ROTW in two weeks.
Click to expand...

Got an angle grinder with a cutting wheel? seems like that would be much easier and tons faster. Wish I had an extra set of doors, I would do the same in a heartbeat.
 
Heres mine. Sorry you dont have the wing windows. Im a newbe hack welder- weld, grind, weld, grind. The metal I cut off the top became the caps. The wings easily unbolt and come out for windshield down action.
half door.JPG
 
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Hey Cruiseralive can you post more pics of your doors? I kinda like the wing window
 
here some of mine that never made it past the primer stage (like the rest of my cruiser, ha ha)

IMG_2052.jpg


IMG_2053.jpg


IMG_2055.jpg


i think these are better pics than the ones i emailed you, eddy...


if i were to do em again, i would try and go with some tube on the top rather than the flat sheet.

i also never got around to doing anything about the panel with the window crank...


hope this helps,

malphrus
 
General Sherman said:
Doors i did last year
Click to expand...


This is my plan. Except for I have a newer STC top. I don't want to screw with swapping the tub side latch with the door/top change, so I am trying to work out putting the soft top style paddle handles on the hard doors. The 1/2 doors should be easy, but full hard doors may be another problem. Thanks for the pics, it helps me visualize mine much better now. NICE JOB!!!
 
heres mine, made from the older doors, but they work on my 76
i could not find any newer doors for a decent price.
 
Last edited:
You ask you get. The best thing you can do is to find some soft top hinges that way you can take you doors off in a snap.
DSC02283 side vuw.JPG
 
Stumpalama said:
Slight Hijack warning...
Generalsherman: Nice rig!
Is that the newer STC top? Those soft top door jamb supports look nice and beefy.

Bump for more good ideas.
Click to expand...

STC it is! The soft upper are completely custom. I made the frames and attached them to the lowers and then had a local apolstery shop help with the rest.
 
why are you ripping the muffler pipe?? what I got from the various articles here about folks capping their doors this way is that you just lay the pipe in the door intact

here's one with this quote:
General Sherman said:
tugdogsfj40 said:
Do You Cut
The Tubing In Half Or Just Set It In Place And Weld
Click to expand...
Just set it
in place. Keeping it round helps keep the sheet metal from deforming
when welding
Click to expand...
 
gladly said:
why are you ripping the muffler pipe?? what I got from the various articles here about folks capping their doors this way is that you just lay the pipe in the door intact
Click to expand...

Well, I would've considered it if I had read the quote before I did it. I get two door tops out of one piece of tubing, so it cost less.

The tubing is really thick wall. I can't deform it at all with my hands. It's also just a bit wider than the door, so it wouldn't have fit down into the door very well.

I'm done ripping it in half. No pictures though. If all goes well we'll cut the door tomorrow and tack at least one top into place. Then I'll post up some pictures.

What I've got in my head is cooler than anything I've seen so far. Now I just have to pull it off. The interior is going to be badass! :cool:
 
Bump.

I need to look at this thread tomorrow after looking at the shape of my soft doors and the top half thereof.

I actually have three sets of hard doors, only one of which I need, so this may be a good idea to do with one set.
 
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