I saw some hotrodders hangin out the other day and had to appreciate the somewhat radical body work they do. What got em think was, has anyone ever put suicide doors in a 4 door chevelle? Would it even be feasible? Kind of a weird question but I thought maybe some of you mighta seen one?

I have a 1972 4-door that I was thinking of fixing up - I also considered suicide doors in the back, but decided against it for two reasons: 1) My wife wouldn't let the kids ride in the back and 2) Really expensive and complicated to get the hinges back there and the latch up front.
I came to another (cheap but effective) solution, that I would have done had I went on with work on the 4 door. Just take the door handles off of the rear doors, switch sides and flip them backwards (so the button is at the front of the handle), re-route the cables and bars and mount the handles backwards at the front of the rear doors. They'll look like suicide doors when they're closed, you won't have to deal with the reverse hinges (it'll be really difficult to hinge that rear door backward with only one potential hinge mounting point) and it'll be safe. Something to think about.

I'm thinkin' gull-wing, four doors, http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Dave Bradley
www.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley (http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley)
'69 SS396 ragtop
'33 3W Coupe
'65 Vette BB Roadster

Whats gull-wing? Im a youngster comparatively, but i figure a four door with suicides would like pretty sweet, not as much a reason to stay bone stock for a four door I figure, but hell I like a lil custom work here and there.

BluCruzer, don't take the bait, I think d1_bradley is messing with you http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

For the record "Gull wings" are the doors that go up like a Deloran.

I have did a few suicide door conversions and I can tell you they are not for the beginer. The hardest part is the hinge placement and makeing the mounts strong enough. Now, on that rear of the four door the hinges have to be so close together the mounting and hinges would have to me VERY strong to overcome the weight and leverage of the door hanging on them. I would say, put your thoughts elsewhere.
I don't care what modifications you make, nothign makes up for detailing. If you put your time into just makeing the car nice and well detailed, it will turn heads.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

I once bought a 68 El Camino parts car that had suicide doors and hood. Turned out to be an SS too. The doors actually fit well and operated smoothly.

Steve R

Martin's right, just messin' BUT....

I've talked to a body guy that did some (non Chevelle) suicide doors - It is not real easy or fast, but it would be COOL! If you have the time DO IT!

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Make it the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!
http://chevelles.com/showroom/alelcaminofront.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/al4/alcamino64/index.html

with the door handels at the front of the back doors, how do you pull the door open if the handle is up at the hinge end? i guess you would have to spring load the door so when you push the button on the handle the door pops open enough to get your hand in the back to pul it open. interisting , but i'd pass on it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Only in America do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering and people leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. www.EINSTYN.com (http://www.EINSTYN.com) TC#1460, VCEA#2
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1970 Chevelle 454 Wagons

To be really honest, I wasn't planning on doing it any time soon if it all. I just thought it would look pretty damn cool. I got plenty of other stuff to work on, dont we always, but I was more interested in the subject from a is it feasible/ has it been done much standpoint. I understand it would take some serious time, skill, not to mention bucks. But thanks for the thoughts anyways guys.

HEY,just drive backwards http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

It's a 2-dr but check this (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/gallery/67/67_suicide.jpg). Don't know the car, owner, or where it was done but I'd sure like to find out. Wouldn't mind trying this on the GR8PMKN (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/chevelle/more_pics/p000952.jpg) http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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TC Gold #92/ACES #1709
67 SS & 67 Elky
Dale's Place (http://www.dalesplace.com)
Team 67 (http://www.team67.com)
Midwest Chevelle Regional Governing Council (http://www.midwestchevelles.com)
Integrity: If you have it, it doesn't matter - If you don't have it, it doesn't matter.

[This message has been edited by Dale McIntosh (edited 04-13-2002).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FO_FDYFO:
with the door handels at the front of the back doors, how do you pull the door open if the handle is up at the hinge end? i guess you would have to spring load the door so when you push the button on the handle the door pops open enough to get your hand in the back to pul it open. interisting , but i'd pass on it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Yeah, I'll admit that opening the rear doors would be a difficult proposition with the handles at the front of a front-hinged door. I was thinking of spring-loading the doors. Not the best option, but it's the only way I could figure to have the look of suicide doors and still be able to have the kids in the car and be safe. In any case, that car would have needed significant body repair and I'm just glad I found a '69 elky body and frame to transplant the drivetrain and suspension to. Much less work than trying to make my beat up 4-door look cool.

i really hate to dig up old posts but i just had to...

i was concidering the suicide doors option on my 2dr. is it easier to do the front than it is the back? there are places in my rod and custom's magazines that sell the whole hinge kit and it even comes w/ a detailed instructions (so they say). i really do want something totally different than what most people have thats why i thaught about it... any input is appriciated.


aaron

It is no easier, in fact probably harder. The weight of the doors are the problem. I have to say as I did back 4-11-02, I think suicide doors are WAY too much work for the end product, WAY too much. If you were to spend the time on detailing, you would have a much more striking car than if you simply have the doors open wrong. smile.gif

Aaron would the doors look cool hell yeah would it be worth the time and effort and cash NOOO.

You want to do some custom touches to your car think on a smaller scale. Think of doing something different with the stock settings.

I shouldnt say anything cause I dont want to see anyone else doing what am doing, but this weekend I spent the whole 3 day weekend making the rear marker lights flushed mounted on my 70 velle. Its very small and some what unnoticalbe but different, when was the last time you saw a 70 velle with flush mounted rear marker lights????

sevt, do you have pics of the flush mounted marker lights? i had that idea once when i bumped into my rear marker bezels things and my shorts got caught between the body and the bezel (my bezels were loose). i know you dont want everyone to have flush mounted rear markers, but it fitls in well with the style of the front marker lights. it'll be a few years before i get the chance to try it on mine, but a pic would help out a lot.

thanks.
enrique

I don't think that suicide doors would look good on a 2 dr because the doors are too big. It would look ok on a 4dr though. And thats IF someone was willing to take the time, and spend the $$$

oh ok well thanks anyways guys..
sevt- im not going to take your idea on the frenched tail lights because you already have them, i am looking more into the stuff that people dont have on muscle cars.... well ill keep thinking hard on this one


aaron

Originally posted by Dale McIntosh:
[QB] It's a 2-dr but check this (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/gallery/67/67_suicide.jpg). Don't know the car, owner, or where it was done but I'd sure like to find out. Wouldn't mind trying this on the GR8PMKN (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/chevelle/more_pics/p000952.jpg) http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif
When I first read the subject of this thread,my first thoughts were that suicide doors would look too gaudy on a Chevelle. However,after seeing that particular 67,I have to admit it looks pretty darn good. Man,it would be a lot of hard work,though.

Slowpoke, your wish is my command smile.gif

Like I said i spent the entire 3 day weekend working on getting the lights mounted. All I have left to do on both side is weld them in. It took alittle longer then planned to make my measurements and fab up the patch panels. The longest and most tedoius job was cutting the louvers in the patch panel. Only about 7 HRS per side :eek: :eek: :eek:

I did have step by step pics of my work so far but seem to have lost them as I uploaded them from my dig camera. But do have some others graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Althou not welded in you get the idea of what they would look it.

The first pic is what the stock rear light looks like. Just incase someone doesnt know what it does appear like
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light181.jpg

This pic show the area around the stock hole that I cut out so I could weld in a patch. I made the patch 1in bigger at all sides to avoid warpage problems in the louvers when it came time to weld them in. The tape in the middle shows the stock centerline of the bezel. This way i know when I weld in the patch the new louvers are in the same location as the stock louvers.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light111.jpg
Never mind the white thing behind the panel it was my first louver template but now used as a backing plate to help the panel from falling back inside

These pics show the patch panel with the new louvers cut in. I do have some final touches to do on them to smooth out. The tape on the edges are so each edge of the louvers will line up with the other louvers. Also notice the centreline mark on the panel.
If you look at the last pic notice that the patch is pre bent to match the contour of the quarter. Most of the bending was done with an ultra high dollar shaping equipment machine called my knee :rolleyes: Once I got the shape a dolly was used to smooth it out to match the quarter to a TEE
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light141.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light131.jpg

These pic's shows the patch installed on the quarter. I used tape to hold the patch into place for a quick pic as I dont have them weled in yet.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light151.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light171.jpg

You know the sad thing about this whole deal is I'll be replacing the quarter anyway :confused:
Just wanted to see how they would look and fugure out a few things or iron out the details before doing it to my good NOS quarters
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/light161.jpg

Happy cutting and welding everyone tongue.gif ...Eric

thanks a lot. downloaded them all. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

ahh man that is such a good idea.. and so is going with some quarters as well.


aaron

Slowpoke I was up til 2am last night welding those lights.
So ya know what that means???? PICTURE TIME
But ya'll have to wait :D ...Eric

Theres the pics of those flush mounted lights smile.gif

I do have to say for myself it does look friggin cool as hell. Lots of time...you bet your arse!!!
Worth the look on peoples faces when they know something is different but cant figure it out... PRICELESS

I did happen to metal finish the lights which means no filler to repaired area. Well almost, have one spot that will need filler due to a HUGE cutting mishap, but for the most part its filler free...Eric

Enjoy the pics graemlins/waving.gif
First pic is metal finishing after welding. This process takes time, skill and much patience. Notice that the pic shows stud gun nails being used. this is becuase of that spot the trunk ext panel wouldnt allow me to access the backside with dolly. Althou the nails work great the dolly is faster and more accrute
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush01.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush11.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush21.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush41.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush51.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush61.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/flush71.jpg

Just a few things to remember or in my part things I failed to do. MARK WHICH SIDE OF THE LINE IS THE CUT LINE. My stupid arse didnt mark the cut side which in turn yielded me a gap TWICE AS BIG as needed on all four sides graemlins/sad.gif Of coarse this made welding harder.

Have a buddy help you hold the panel in place, NOTHING beats another pair of human hands. I do my best work at night started around 1030pm at time no one is your friend, so I came up with that magnet deal. Having someone there would have shaved a hour or so off the install time easily.

Aint it GREAT to be different

omg man that looks so friggen awesome...man i just might actually have to try it out. man that is awesome. graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/hurray.gif .


aaron

sevt_chevelle, nice work and time well spent in my opinion. I think they will look great. I know exactly what you mean about doing your best work at night when it's just you and the car.