tailgate

[usmcruiser]

Would a tailgate from an early cruiser fit in the space of my 78?

I am looking to do somthing similar to this, but I dont know if I want to weld the bottom remains of the ambulance doors together or not.

 

[usmcruiser]

and do you think I would have to get a different rear sill or would the current one work some how?

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I beleve the only difference in the sill is the latch hole for your driverside ambulance door and that can relocated to the top of the tail gate. Also the hinges and tailgate latches

 

[usmcruiser]

So in making the tail gate and doors. I could cut the 2 doors down so they are flush with the tub. Then cut the sill to the same lenghth and weld that on top of the now tailgate. Then I would need some scrap doors to make the bottoms of the new top ambulance doors? Does this sound right?

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I would think that you would have to chop the bottom 2 inches off the doors and relocate that to the bottom of the new half doors so that it will overlap the tailgate and give you a place for weather striping. I don't think you would have to weld a sill to your tailgate... just make a braket for the door latch

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I'm assuming your using a one peice tailgate from the factory soft tops. If your using your doors to make the tailgate that's alot more work. I think the picture you posted is a factory tailgate. Looks just like the one on my 72 which had a factory soft top.

 

[beanz2]

Paul Decker would be happy to make you a set of top half doors and modify your tailgate or supply you with a tailgate to work with the half doors.

http://www.deckersonline.com/products51833.html

Dave

 

[usmcruiser]

I'm assuming your using a one peice tailgate from the factory soft tops. If your using your doors to make the tailgate that's alot more work. I think the picture you posted is a factory tailgate. Looks just like the one on my 72 which had a factory soft top.

If I couldn't find a tailgate cheap I was going to just weld the two bottom halfs of the abmulance doors together to form a tailgate.

 

[usmcruiser]

Where is Paul Decker located?

 

[brian]

somebody makes a fiberglass gate, i'd tell ya who, but it was there when i bought it.

my hardtop is going to have the flip up top from the earlier tops.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I pulled the 2 half tailgate doors off my 74 to put a pair a 76 ambulance doors on. I might sell them but that would give you 4 doors on the back which might be a problem latching.
The one peice tailgate had 2 hinges on the bottom and 2 latches on each side.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I've had good luck with cruiserparts.net for used parts...just e-mail them what you need and they'll pull it.

 

[beanz2]

Where is Paul Decker located?

He is in Petaluma, Northern California.

Dave

 

[Bennett]

Try this.. simple and effective.. I have the specs somewhere .. in fact I think the guy posted here on mud somewhere. Probably less than $50 in metal

 

[65swb45]

The original Toyota dropgates are getting hard to find, and very spendy. Really not worth it unless you're an off-the-deep-end purist. Many other options.

IMO, second best choice is the homemade version. I like the one John Pardi made for his 40. About 3.5" thick, with a sliding door on the inside that, when open, reveals a propane stove imbedded in the gate! Prolly a bit more work than Bennett's post, but an interesting idea. IIRC Manafre markets a version of this. Form follows function.

Third choice would be to weld together two lower doors from a 74 and older, brace them until they moved as one unit, and relocate the hinges to use as bottom hinges. Less work than a custom fab, and more of a stock look. Not as great in utility as choice #2.

Last choice would be the fiberglass. Since I only ever hear the name Malotte when fiberglass is mentioned, I would venture a guess that is the mfgr. $OR sells the glass gate.
Last choice because I'm just not a fan of fiberglass. Kind of the same reason I have 5 guitars and none of them are Ovations.


THen you're back to finding hinges and latches. Latches are the same as tire carrier latches for the 76 and older tire carriers. I have made simple plates that could be bolted over the pre-existing amby door hinge holes and then welded the latch hooks to the plates to avoid excessive drilling. I've got the last set of NOS hinges. Not sure why.