Hard Half Doors (FAQ) (1 Viewer)

[Brian in Oregon]

Here's an alternative.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/230338-thats-not-hinge-mate-hinge.html

 

[radioridge]

What are you guys useing for weather stipping on your half doors? Looking for a cheap alternative to buying new ones and cutting them up.

 

[LakeNorman_FJ40]

Paki Half Doors. While Ehsan's guys fabbed the doors, I've probably got just as much time in media blasting, body filler to smooth out the waviness of the panel, primer, fitting (passenger side closes perfect at expense of lower fitment not being flush...driver side fits nice and flush but open/close smoothly is still a work in progress), and recoloring the door panel black (vs. maroon vinyl color). Of course, by the time I bought them 2nd hand the canvas tops were mildew stained, so I had the tops re-sewn in black canvaas to match the bikini top. Still need final paint...

In the end they look nice and I really like the functionality of the soft upper sections w/ zip out windows, but will go another route next time (meaning make my own).

Oh, for weatherstripping I'm just using something generic and square from either an auto store or Lowes (probably the latter).

 

[Volcano cruiser]

More with the wing.... 1st is in progress, 2nd is finished.

I lengthened the actuator rods with square brass tubing. The door handle is mounted, where the window handle was mounted originally, with nutserts from the top part of the door.

The lock works. Kinda dumb maybe, since there's no window.

In the top picture you can see three holes I drilled to mount the door panel. In the bottom picture they have the original plastic inserts in them.

All the hardware I used, besides the brass, is Toyota OEM.

Ok I love the wing window option. I can get a set of the thick half doors , no wing windows. As I'm likely to get an OEM style soft top I have been trying to figure out a way to keep the OEM windows intact inside the door. Mostly this is for quick changing weather/ dusty trail conditions. It just seems like a chore to see rain coming on or be getting to a dusty patch on the trail and have to stop, pull out and pop in the soft upper door windows. Just seems that it would be great to be able to just roll up the windows for a bit when needed and then roll them back down when you don't. They need a guide in the front, so keep the wing windows in place for that. A lot of early 60's muscle cars never had a window guide in the rear of the door so I'm a little less concerned about that especially since the OEM soft top bows come with door pillars that could do the rear window guide duty. Anyway just thought I ask since I can't be the only guy out there who ever noodled this idea around. Anybody ever try to do this? Even if you tried and it bombed because of some problem you ran into it would be well worth it to share with the rest.
Cheers,
John

 

[TLCSKULLS]

I finally finished mine after two years of thinking about it. I also used muffler pipe for the tops. I wanted to be able to use my STS soft uppers, and as you can see, they fit fine. I used the stock hardware, minus the locks ( I didn't see a need. I used ABS for the door panels and got weather stripping from Home Depot. The handles to pull it closed came from there also. I am not patient enough to do all the necessary sanding to get a good finish for painting, so I sprayed them with liner (Al's liner with custom tint from my local paint shop). It doesn't look like it in the pics, but the color actually matches really well. Hardest part was making the first cut in a perfectly good door.

 

[EWheeler]

Dan, could you post some pictures of the top rail of the door without the top half? I want to make some exactly like you have done and am curious to see how you executed the holes for the soft top half.

Thanks,

Evan

 

[TLCSKULLS]

Here are a few pics I took as I was working on them. I can't take any new pics right now...I dropped my camera on the garage floor yesterday.

 

[General Sherman]

Btt

by request i'm posting these

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

For those with half doors, are you glad how you cut yours or is there a way you wish you would have done instead?

i'm planning on doing a diagonal cut, i know its not the best way, but imo it looks better and i don't think i'll be keeping my arm on it to often anyways, but would like others opinions first before i cut tomorrow

edit: and what are yal using to delete the crank?

 

[rchandler]

 

[rchandler]

 

[Fast Eddy]

For those with half doors, are you glad how you cut yours or is there a way you wish you would have done instead?

edit: and what are yal using to delete the crank?

I cut mine on a band saw to match the curve of the tubing. I moved the inside door handle to the position of the crank on late model doors.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

View attachment 464126

rchandler,
Your setup looks nice. Where did you gret the door uppers, i.e. the windows from? I just got an OCDbeetle OEM replica soft top. I have extra material for door uppers but it sure would make life easier if I could source those.
Thanks,
John

 

[rchandler]

They are Best top doors just used the top section

 

[Fast Eddy]

Fasteddy,
What wall tubing did you guyz use for the doors, and does the door feel excessively HEAVY?
I was considering an option like this, but worried that a heavy gauge steel on the top would make the door a bear to open if off camber and or flopped.
Anyone have any more pics on this to add?
These are great!
Anyone completely chop out and re skin the interior of the door?

Missed this, sorry. They aren't heavy at all. The tops are 3" muffler tubing. The only issue is how long it takes to make them, and my crappy door panels. The driver's side is still not finished on the inside. I just mounted the outside handle. Maybe this year after a rear bumper, spare tire rack, rock protection, rust repair...

 

[TLCSKULLS]

Missed this, sorry. They aren't heavy at all. The tops are 3" muffler tubing. The only issue is how long it takes to make them, and my crappy door panels. The driver's side is still not finished on the inside. I just mounted the outside handle. Maybe this year after a rear bumper, spare tire rack, rock protection, rust repair...

I also just saw this. I used the same 3' muffler tubing. I made cardboard templated for the shape I wanted and took them to a muffler shop and they bent and cut them for me. I made my own door panels out of ABS. The doors are not heavy at all.

 

[jonah]

need doors 2 cut up
any one in seattle have a set 2 sell

 

[copasspupil]

contact
rockntag@msn.com and see if Dave Moore has a set to sell

 

[twoturtlesracing]

Here's my doors. A work in progress

Other side

cheers

Uted,

Awesome idea. Any chance you could post up pictures of them finished? And of where the windows slip down into the door?

 

[Twisty]

Few pics of mine. Lot more pics of cutting/welding them in my build thread.

Top skins.