Half Ambulance Doors

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If you make the tube somewhat larger ID than the bolt and use a fender washer on the inside side under the nut then you get an adjustable arrangement. What I mean is the bolt can move around in the sleeve and the hinge on the outside and the washer on the inside provide the clamping surfaces... if you see what I mean.
 
fix your pics, I am toodrunk to read them sideways.. :)
 
I'm not too drunk yet, but my neck hurts trying to look at them. Come on, it's not that hard to rotate photos. A lot easier than it is to build half ambulance doors. Nice work so far!

:cheers:
 
Wotoyvich,

I like your ideas and think they are an improvement on the project as it would allow adjustment of the lower hinge. I'm not going to do it now as I already have them mounted and satisfied with how the hinge movement and door closure/placement......Orrrrrr it may be that I am just too darn lazy to do it right now.
 
Well I'm hoping to do the same project this spring and this has been a great brain-storming thread. I hadn't thought at all about the adjustable issue prior to this. I'll either continue this thread or start my own if/when I get this going.
 
I have no problems if you want to put it on this thread. In fact when I'm researching a project by searches on mud I find it easier to see progression of the ideas on a single thread rather than searching through each thread.

I had not thought of the adjustment of the doors/hinges until I was getting ready to install. People undoubtedly will have improvements on the project as they read this or attempt it themselves.
 
For what it is worth I will be building these to go above an OEM one piece tailgate.

With the lower half doors it would be cool to build the upper doors so they could be connected to the lower doors to open as one unit OR opened on their own leaving the lower latched...
 
I don't want to hijack your (great) thread, but thought I'd make a suggestion and provide a link.

Rather than go to considerable trouble to weld nuts on the backside of sheet metal (and sometimes have to cut an access hole to do so) Have you considered using nutserts?

Also I recognized the photo of the green FJ40. There's a pretty good write up of that vehicle's build on a website. I enjoyed reading the whole thing, and several years ago talked to the author at some length. Very nice guy! Perhaps others would enjoy it as well:
http://www.deckersonline.com/76_fj40_build_up

I look forward to your continued progress...
 
fjgoober said:
Since I didn't use these doors for the project I need to go get another bumper sticker! BTW the wife and the daughters hate this sticker
Click to expand...

Wow. I gots no answers for that.
I did however save it in my phone so I can send it to all my friends.
 
I thought I would get more responses for that sticker. The wife does hate my 40, she has an 80 and refuses to ride in my 40 especially if I have the sticker on it!! Gotta go by a Hooters to get another one.

Just stole her 80 tonight to drive 1 1/2 hrs one way to our local (YES LOCAL to us out in the sticks!) TLCA informal meeting down in the big city of Tulsa, Ok. I'm glad I installed a new cruise control on that thing last week.

I am hoping to get a few more pictures up tomorrow on the progress of the project. I may be buying a brake saturday so that would help with the sheet metal. I'm considering doing a fold wrap around on the bottom lip of the top door that seals against the bottom door. Basically in the shape of a j to add strength for close the door. Basically it's the same way Toyotal does their door edges where the two pieces of sheet metal come together one wraps around the other.
 
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woytovich said:
A cap or cap nut would dress up the exposed bolt for sure. Once could even get fancier and make a little box to go over the bolts.
Click to expand...

Really? Build a box....wouldn't that be like putting a tampon on top of a bandaid just in case? :hillbilly:
But seriously, great idea and it looks good so far. I actually have a set of ambulance doors that I was thinking of doing the same thing with so I'm glad your doing a write up to work all the kinks out for me. Someday I hope to build an extended cab 45 using the cut down ambi doors so I could access the bed.
 
Looks like a pretty nice install of the "dutch" ambulance doors. I have pondered modifying mine to have a tailgate as well - I loves me my tailgates on the pickup trucks that I've had.

As Ige said I inherited this cruiser with the mod already done. For the bottom portion they welded up a box tube frame and skinned it with some sheet metal and bolted it in. Certainly an option for those who want to reduce the complexity a little bit (you could also use something like the Aqualu tailgate as well).

Here's a pic:
attachment.php


With the bolted gate it makes it harder to access the rear of the tub, but it's handy when removing the hardtop for summer. Ambulance doors aren't hanging down getting in the way, and stuff isn't going to roll out of the back of your cruiser.

A problem I've had is with the weatherstripping. On mine the weatherstripping is shot. I would hate to buy the nice expensive weatherstripping from Toyota and cut it down for the 1/2 door application, but the generic stuff doesn't work either. Haven't spent a lot of time figuring out a solution yet, I'm sure there's one out there.

And something to keep in mind for those of who are thinking about doing this - ambulance doors are hard to find, and if you do find them they're usually expensive (even rusty ones).

So what I'm trying to say is that like any mod, there are pros and cons ;)

Nice work OP :)
 
The wife has decided that we needed a bathroom remodeled.:bang: So I haven't had much time to get back to this project.

I did run across a picture that I didn't post earlier. This picture shows the interior cut as opposed to the exterior cut on the door. I may have stated this earlier but the plan is to use 2 pieces of sheet metal to finish the bottom. Come from the interior face make a bend.......Too hard to put into words I will makes some bends and show with pictures.
Inside Cut.webp
 
I'm getting ready to start my door project... did you ever get yours done?
 
No I didn't.

I think you will enjoy it though as it IMHO is the best of both worlds. If you do start on it and want to post on this thread please do. Would not consider it hijacking what so ever as that is what the topic is. If you want to start your own thread feel free.

Got them mounted on the top and was always going to find the time to finish that project. They work great and I've forgotten that they weren't finished until your post. It even came up in several conversations this weekend down at Dysney, OK. We had our local annual Land Cruiser Picnic and several guys asked why I had barn doors or half doors and a locking gas cover? Really Whatsup with that? What year is that?

I've had my top off for a good part of the year and it's about time to put it back on. Probably will finish the project this winter! If/when I do I'll post more pics.

Hopefully I will have time this evening to start installing a 97 fzj80 e-locker front differential. I installed the rear over Laborl Day weekend. Went wheeling this last weekend for the first time since install. Man I love it.

WIDER, DISC BRAKES, LOCKER, FF axle WOO!!! WOOO!!:clap::clap: That 40 went places with so much less throttle than before. It was so nice just to crawl up hills vs. skinny pedal!!:bounce::bounce:

Debating on taking my time and getting coil springs for it. The rear I got in a hurry and just cut everything off slapped the leafs on there and mounted!!

Followed a buddy around at Dysney. He has coils on the rear and watched how his seemed to articulate/flex better. I later asked him about it. He said he prefers them over the leafs but the real reason he put them on there was the lengthening of the wheel base and had no where to mount leafs.

We have ROCKTOBER this next weekend so I'll probably just slap them under with leafs!

I'm getting off topic here and rambling. Probably should post most of the above in a separate thread.
 
woytovich said:
For what it is worth I will be building these to go above an OEM one piece tailgate.

With the lower half doors it would be cool to build the upper doors so they could be connected to the lower doors to open as one unit OR opened on their own leaving the lower latched...
Click to expand...

It's been so long since I read this thread that I went back over and reread some of the later posts.

Woytovich, I agree somewhat with what you are saying. After putting it in the one pain in the hind end is that if your loading and unloading kids it's basically 3 doors to open. If memory serves me correct the top right door has to open first, the the left top so now you can get to the left bottom for the little curtain climbers to get in. I forgot...........Prior to all that you have to unlatch the Spare Tire:bang::bang:

It is real nice however if you just want to put something in the back you can pop open the top right and I really like the barn/half doors when the topper is not on.

When you do your doors Post pics as I would love to see how you go about it. In fact I'm using this as an excuse to procrastinate this project!!:cheers:
 
You don't need to get new hooters sticker... Just swap the window to the other door.:D

I understand procrastination... I've not finished my rear tailgate in close to 10 years... Finishing the planning so the hatch seals to the one piece 'tire rack/tail gate'... Only two doors to open, and easy to remove hardtop.
 
I hope after all of this that I don't hate the "3 doors to open" part... I think it'll be ok. I won't be driving this everyday.
 
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