[Dee]

I bought a set of second hand doors to make into half doors for summertime driving & wheeling.
Bit light on pics tho sorry.

Started by removing glass etc. Cut the linkages down that connect handles/locks etc to the mechanism (not too short!) so that they didn’t get in the way.
Then, measured & drew a line where I wanted the door to be cut down to (inline with the tub) then I offset that line by 10mm up, and cut there.
I also cut the inside of the door around the edge where the “door card” fits. You can see where the steel “flares” inward.

Cut tabs down to my original line, which is to be the ‘fold’ line.
To cut the doors down inline with the tub I had to cut out around the door handles, where the steel “flares” out.


Using some G clamps, i clamped flatbar steel along the fold line & bent over the tabs with a hammer. I tried using duckbills (sheetmetal working tool, like a set of vice grips with flat long 'grips' on them) but there was too much leverage & flex in the flimsy door to get a nice bend on the line.

I then folded up a small piece of sheet to fill the gap & line up with the other folded tabs on top & tacked it in.
I had some sheet folded in the press (about 50 x 100mm) to use to cap the doors.
Sat it on top of the arm rest piece & traced a line along the front & cut to size.
I welded this piece in fully first, & think I was lucky I did, as it “warped” & sat lower at the front “inside” corner (ie it had twist in it).
There for when I cut the piece for the upward angle piece, I was able to allow a gap at this inside corner so I could “pull” the corner of the long horizontal piece back up to meet it when I tacked it in to get rid of the twist.




Then I did the same with the angled piece, it was a little trickier as I “angled” it in at the top so my door was narrower near the dash for clearance for the A pillar of my cage.





And also the tricky “top” piece… and welded the whole thing up using the mig, just doing ‘tacks’




& smoothed



Test fit



I then (with great difficulty) had to sand back all the dirty sticker marks
Bogged (hardly any! ), sanded, spray putty’d, sanded, (then spray puttyd, sanded again, stupid stickers!) & primed the doors.


Theres a linkage in the latch mechanism that goes to the door handle (I think?), its shaped with an S bend in it and has a thread to the end with a plastic snap fitting (cant quite remember now). It works in a verticle plane (ie grab hold of it and pull down, it should operated the door latch as if you were pulling the handle.
I removed it & cut it at the bend that is closest to the mechanism. (end of the linkage with the loop in it). Re installed it, lined up up pointing upright under the arm rest of the door & marked the still where it pointed. There I drilled a hole for the linkage.
I then hunted around for something I could use for a button. Ended up fixing some shells over it using some bonding stuff. You can use anyting, weld a small bolt to the linkage, or some threaded rod & screw on a button head nut type thing…

Once its all in & hooked up, when you push the linkage down it operates the latch just as if your pulling the door handle.


Painted

[Scrawny]

Very cool

[steve]

Looks like heaps of work... not easy getting body panels looking neat.. nice job

[Damo]

I was thinking it would be cool to retain the door handle but after looking at my doors on the weekend I think it would be hard to do. As Dee mentioned the release mechanism relies on being pushed down, and that would be harder to do with the handle lower than the mechanism. Probably not impossible though, might have to have a closer look at it.

[joeblow]

why not put the handle on the top face of the half door facing up if you know what i mean.

[Damo]

joeblow wrote:

why not put the handle on the top face of the half door facing up if you know what i mean.

Yeah that would be simple enough, and if I wasnt pedantic i'd just do that

[steve]

bah, how about all remote control... click the button and the door unlocks and swings open

[Damo]

steve wrote:

bah, how about all remote control... click the button and the door unlocks and swings open

Yeah that and scissor/lambo style hinges

Get back to work Steve

[grimreaper]

how do the rta and boys in blue see them as being an defect or thay are fine to use on the street

[Damo]

grimreaper wrote:

how do the rta and boys in blue see them as being an defect or thay are fine to use on the street

The only thing I could see them getting upset about is no mirrors, which is easy fixed anyway.

[joeblow]

Tthe handle spot iwas talkin about.....sorry...i got bored at work....

[Damo]

joeblow wrote:

Tthe handle spot iwas talkin about.....sorry...i got bored at work....

I get what you're talking about now!!!

[Built4thrashing]

they are half doors. just reach in and use the handle on the inside.

[Dee]

Damo wrote:

grimreaper wrote:

how do the rta and boys in blue see them as being an defect or thay are fine to use on the street

The only thing I could see them getting upset about is no mirrors, which is easy fixed anyway.

got bretho'd up the beach on the weekend... didn't even blink at the doors. grilled me a little bout my tyres though...

[Hybrid]

grimreaper wrote:

how do the rta and boys in blue see them as being an defect or thay are fine to use on the street

Evidently because our doors came before the "side intrusions bar" revolution your right to cut them down.

[Mike]

Hybrid wrote:

grimreaper wrote:

how do the rta and boys in blue see them as being an defect or thay are fine to use on the street

Evidently because our doors came before the "side intrusions bar" revolution your right to cut them down.

i think it might of been on outers someone had a letter from the rta or someone saying that you can drive a pre coil sierra without doors as long as you still have side mirrors

[morpheus]

i called regencey here in SA and asked about removable doors, they said the paperwork says that all the doors latches and handles have to work, but it didnt actually state that the door must be connected to the car. but if a coppa is havin a bad day they might try and defect the car.

[S13RR4]

I dont know about other states but I dont like my chances of gettin away with a set of those in QLD, po po hate us here.

My Assumption is that if you have a side wards force (like from sliding out or getting T-boned etc) then theres less to hold you in the car...

Pretty much they way i see it with these 'safety mod issues,' if it was on the car coming out of factory, then its illegal to take em off or modify

still i wouldn't mind a set one day for offroad use, they do make for a awesome looking sierra, nice work too by the wall, quality craftsman

[jdk81]

As it is now, the half door is stronger than when it left the factory.

Providing the job is neat, Most cops will not notice. I can't see it being an issue.

Looks good, and giving me some ideas to do mine.

[Dee]

S13RR4 wrote:

I dont know about other states but I dont like my chances of gettin away with a set of those in QLD, po po hate us here.

My Assumption is that if you have a side wards force (like from sliding out or getting T-boned etc) then theres less to hold you in the car...

Pretty much they way i see it with these 'safety mod issues,' if it was on the car coming out of factory, then its illegal to take em off or modify

still i wouldn't mind a set one day for offroad use, they do make for a awesome looking sierra, nice work too by the wall, quality craftsman

Why assume?
Ring up transport qld & ask.
There is nothing inside the sierra doors but a window winder. No re-inforcement or side intrusion. The only thing your doing is removing glass & the upper door seal.

Or just run a set. If you get pulled over for it ask why it's illegal. Or better yet keep the appropriate paperwork you aquired from DOT on side intrusion and show them why it's not illegal.

Up to you.

[S13RR4]

yeah good point mate, I think I'll add this to my 'to-do' list, i just realised your in QLD so my last remark about Queensland seems rather stupid.

o well lesson learnt- to the phone book to call wreckers ahaha
thanks for the inspiration

[jdk81]

Question... the latching mechanism.

pull down to open?
Please explain this a bit more.

From what I can see, I would see it either being pull up, or push down.

If it opens on push down, I could see that being a real pain in the ass. I almost always end up locking the drivers side door while hanging out seeing where my wheel is, or what im reversing around.

If it is push down to open, I could see your door opening accidently in a really inconvenient situation.

[jdk81]

Joe,

the only issue I see with your door handle placement, is it will fill with mud and crud pretty quickly.

On a side note to OP, you should have incorporated drink holders!!!!

[Dee]

Was gonna do drink holders.
Couldnt be fucked. Just wanted them on and done.
Can always ad them later.

The latch mech is push down.
They are further back than the original door lock position, and are much heavier to push down (I've tried doing it with my elbow on purpose and its not easy, it's never even come close to happening by accident).
I had this very concern when i was making them... Turned out fine.

[Dee]

Also, for anyone thats wondering, you can see why I "narrowed" the top of the door, to clear the "a pillar" of the 6 point cage, between the door & the dash. Its usually very tight in there (My mate has an exact matching set of doors on his black suzuki, but he didnt bother narrowing them. He ended up getting the grinder out & cutting out a big notch of the inside of his freshly painted half-doors so they would close...) But mine clears fine.

[want33s]

Compare the pics and the doors and you'll see how much more Dee cut out of his than I did on mine.
I am 6'4" tall so the extra height suited my "elbow on sill" better.
Mine were originally Drover ragtop doors so never had a winder mech.
I cut them down about 100mm and then removed the inner handle and fitted 20mm thick high density foam and covered with marine vinyl. Much nicer to hit this than chequer plate like some people use.

[Rusho]

Doors look great mate, neat and tidy, the line is excellent, well done!!!

[Taff]

Dee does your windscreen flop around much without the targa bars or is it attached to the cage?

[Dee]

flop around? as in foward to back? No not really. I'd say it would vibrate & shake fore & aft a bit on a bumpy road at some speed, but the whole body shakes around the cage as well.

Also i'd imagine the bikini top pulls it back & keeps pressure on it (when it's on). But no, it hasn't been a problem, the locking latches are nice & tight.

[Damo]

Dee wrote:

flop around? as in foward to back? No not really. I'd say it would vibrate & shake fore & aft a bit on a bumpy road at some speed, but the whole body shakes around the cage as well.

Also i'd imagine the bikini top pulls it back & keeps pressure on it (when it's on). But no, it hasn't been a problem, the locking latches are nice & tight.

That's a suprise, I would have thought it would flap around a lot more than that.