Ambi or hatch?

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SSCR

SSCR

10 Year
Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Threads
92
Messages
2,276
Location
Bowling Green, KY
Looks like my tub on the 77 is in better condition than I though and can be saved. I'm trying to figure out what configuration will work best for me for rear doors. The passenger rear ambi door is smashed and will need to be replaced.

Should I...

1) buy a door and be done with it, although changing to soft top and back from the hard top will be a pain in the ass. I'll end up scratching the hell out of it trying to mount the ambi doors all the time.

2) buy a hatch and fab a rear tailgate from Real Steel and just pull the top on and off when I need to. Although getting into and out the back will be that much more of a pain, but the kids can hop over the front seats I guess.

Any ideas?
 
The advantage of the hatch and barn doors or tailgate is that nothing needs to change below the top of the tub when you swap from soft to hard tops or even if you decide to run a bikini. Opening the tire carrier and then the hatch and then the barn doors or tailgate to let your kids out isn't really that hard, either. It should take just a couple of seconds.

Even on my truck where I have to swing out both the cooler carrier and the tire carrier before opening the tailgate, it's pretty quick. What takes the longest time for me are the straps on the bottom of the soft top rear hatch.

I'm going to go amby doors with my hard top because I like the look better. Not a great reason but whatever. I don't plan on swapping back and forth often, so having to remove or install the tailgate vs the amby doors doesn't seem like it will kill me.
 
No, the quick hinges will not work for the rear doors. The hinge style is completely different. That said, you should contact Matt at MC Designs and see if he'd be interested in prototyping some.

Oh, and having driven Rod's 43, poorly I have to admit, I think he'll miss it more than you miss the John Deere green one. His new truck sounds pretty awesome, though.
 
Thanks Jim. It was great talking to you. Hopefully we can get together again soon. I already miss the bumble bee and she's not officially gone yet. She's not perfect (definitely not as kitted out as yours), but she has worked out pretty well.

So as not to totally hijack the thread - my vote (as I have told you a million times) is for the ambi doors. And just as soon as I type this, you are researching where to find a hatch and barn doors ! Which, by the way, I have a pair of barn doors that you could purchase from me (or barter). I never used them with the 43.

Rod
 
Barn doors won't work with out modification. But I appreciate the offer. Seems like a lot of people like the ambi doors so I'll probably go with the hatch ;)
 
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Why won't barn doors work without mods? You either need to run a tailgate or barn doors if you run a hatch. The barn doors were the factory setup. I suspect the holes are already in the tub for the hinges. I'm confused.... Does your 'new' 40 currently have a tailgate?
 
No tailgate, currently has ambi doors. The holes/nuts are set up for ambi doors only. Older barndoors (1974 and older) are narrower because the bodies (1974 and older) were diffrent in the rear opening (narrower opening). 1975 and up had a larger rear opening for the ambi doors. If I go with the hatch I would most likley use a real steel rear tailgate. I would either get the one that bolts to where the ambi door hinges bolts to or fab a bottom hinge to the sill.
 
Are you saying my 40 has a big rear end?

I'm pretty sure my Aqualu tub has the holes already drilled for either barn doors or amby doors. I wonder which rear opening width Aqualu builds to since they only offer two tubs, 78 and older or 79 and newer.
 
It's larger for ambi doors. I might be wrong on that, but I seen a few threads where they have to enlarge the barn doors to cover on later models. Todd can weigh in on this, he will probably know
 
SSCR said:
It's larger for ambi doors. I might be wrong on that, but I seen a few threads where they have to enlarge the barn doors to cover on later models. Todd can weigh in on this, he will probably know
Click to expand...

It's been a while, but I seem to remember I just drilled new holes for the different hinge locations.
 
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