Ambulance Doors on a '68?

[FishTown]

Bought my 40 last summer. It has a tailgate and hatch. I want to convert it to the ambulance doors. I really like the look and ease of getting in out of the back without crawling over a tailgate. What all would I need to do to fit ambulance doors to the back of it? Would they fit the hard top?

I searched a little bit and didn't find much. It sounds like I have to "notch out" the bottom corners? Any pictures of this conversion would be awesome!

 

[FishTown]

Sorry I posted it twice. I couldn't figure out how to edit the first one.

 

[cjgoode]

If it were me I would keep it the way it is, ambulance doors are OK, but really a flawed concept when you think about removing the top. Plus you can carry larger stuff if you leave the hatch open, not an option with ambulance doors. In high school I had a 1970 with the barn door and hatch and in college I had a 1976 with the ambulance doors. Most people always got into the back via the passenger door, rarely did they enter from the rear.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Yes, being able to open the hatch but have a tailgate is nice..... I have amby door and if they just had a flip out window I'd truely love them. But we do use ours a lot to get in and out of when the top is on, so they are more useful for me than the tailgate, but that's not the case for everyone.

 

[Fast Eddy]

in college I had a 1976 with the ambulance doors. Most people always got into the back via the passenger door, rarely did they enter from the rear.

That's because you didn't have amby doors. No one has ever gotten into the back of one of my rigs through the passenger door except me when I didn't have a key.

 

[Living in the Past]

in college I had a 1976 with the ambulance doors. Most people always got into the back via the passenger door, rarely did they enter from the rear.

That's because you didn't have amby doors. No one has ever gotten into the back of one of my rigs through the passenger door except me when I didn't have a key.

I let cjgoode answer back to this one.

Yes, being able to open the hatch but have a tailgate is nice..... I have amby door and if they just had a flip out window I'd truely love them. But we do use ours a lot to get in and out of when the top is on, so they are more useful for me than the tailgate, but that's not the case for everyone.

If you did have pop out windows I think you would find you would pull exhaust fumes in. I use to open the hatch on my 68 and put it over the spare tire and I all got were fumes. I ended up added the small side vent windows from the 77 and up FJ40. Your 77 should have them,

 

[cjgoode]

The 1976 had ambulance doors, not sure why we always got into the back from the front doors, but we did. It was the 1970 one that did not have the ambulance doors. So I have had both types. it is a personal preference. My 1980 I have to do a build on in the near future will have a hatch and barn doors. I know I will be putting groceries and other stuff in the back a lot more then I will people. Both setups have their pros and cons.

 

[Roboosfj40s]

The 1976 had ambulance doors, not sure why we always got into the back from the front doors, but we did. It was the 1970 one that did not have the ambulance doors. So I have had both types. it is a personal preference. My 1980 I have to do a build on in the near future will have a hatch and barn doors. I know I will be putting groceries and other stuff in the back a lot more then I will people. Both setups have their pros and cons.

Yup I had both but I do like the hatch for groceries and stuff. Mine is my DD. The Amby doors were easier to access for people but then I don't have a bus lol. I have bench seats in my current 40 so any riders get in from the passenger's side. It just boils down to what an individual likes. As you said, Pros and cons for both.

 

[FishTown]

I currently have a bench seat in back. But I have a tuffy center console that's kind of annoying to climb over if you're getting into the back. I was considering selling the bench seat and getting the original side fold up seats. If I had those and ambulance doors, it would be easy to have people in the back and when I need to carry stuff, I fold the seats up and the back is still more accessible because I won't have to reach over the tailgate for anything.

Just to clear things up, the idea is to have the full ambulance doors. When the top is off it would be the little barn doors on bottom, and with the top on I have the full doors. Does that make sense?

Also, how easily is this done?

 

[Roboosfj40s]

I currently have a bench seat in back. But I have a tuffy center console that's kind of annoying to climb over if you're getting into the back. I was considering selling the bench seat and getting the original side fold up seats. If I had those and ambulance doors, it would be easy to have people in the back and when I need to carry stuff, I fold the seats up and the back is still more accessible because I won't have to reach over the tailgate for anything.

Just to clear things up, the idea is to have the full ambulance doors. When the top is off it would be the little barn doors on bottom, and with the top on I have the full doors. Does that make sense?

Also, how easily is this done?

I don't see how you can have both options without leaving hinge holes in the tub for both set ups in order to swap. However I have seen some Amby doors cut or custom made that latch together to give you full doors and when you remove the top only half of the doors are removed. Then you have your swing gates and Amby doors. I don't have any pics but I have seen some really nice work door by a good Tin Smith or lol Body man here in the Philippines. I let people get in the back by folding my passenger seat forward. I am 6'-2" and 220 lbs and 57 years old and I can get back there with a little grunting haa haa. But my Pino family are all small so no problems. As I said though what ever floats your boat and if you like it then to hell with what others like. Oh I have family in Lufkin and Beaumont areas. Good luck on your choices.

 

[My71FJ40]

My 67' had a later hard top on with the amby doors and the only problem that I saw was that they stuck out just a tad...well the hinges did from the back rear so they wouldn't sit flat...ie there was a gap. The PO had used nuts as spacers for the gap and the fasteners went thru the nuts to bolt it down. The doors however seemed to seal shut ok, never noticed any daylight coming in from the bottom. I don't know however if the PO had to modify anything else to make the fit, didn't look like it. But yes, taking the top of is more labor intensive, you have to remove the Amby doors if your gonna sit the top on the ground....they are heavier than a hatch, or if you are lifting it up into the ceiling of the garage or on saw horsed I suppose they could stay on. And then of course you have a hole in the back, unless you get a gate or a plate or a set of swing out gates. Hope this helps some....

 

[thecrazygreek]

This is to cool for school...

I like this idea, and plan on doing it myself in the future... But mine will be full amby doors that are split in half...

 

[cjgoode]

That picture was my plan, but maybe leave the bottoms like barn doors and have a way to attach them when the hard top is on. But with my 1962 purchase I actually got a rear hardtop hatch and real barn doors. So fabricating this is no longer on my list. Will be putting my extra ambulance doors I had for this on ebay soon.