JMortensen Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I've got a set of doors I'm going to cut and gut. I'm basically thinking of cutting where the blue line is on the picture. I'll then remove all of the innards except the handle and the latch and the one link from the handle to the latch. Never done this before. Does this look right to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatbackz Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 i would think that it would work as long as you didnt cut out the hole for the pivot bolt for the latch linkage. are you gonna brace it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 As said above, leave the hole at the lower rear of the door for the pivot. I'll cut mine similar to how you have drawn and mount the door handle inside the door on the part that is paralllel to the ground. Hope that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Leave the pivot and then weld the handle mount to one of the door bars. Or make a lanyard out of cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Just weld the skin to the shell then you can go Dukes of Hazard style!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preith Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I'd post a pic but unfortunately the car is on jack stands with the driver's door too close to the wall at the moment (passenger side has an aluminum panel). I cut mine pretty much the same as you have taped, but 1/2" up from the corner on the latch side and bottom. For an inside door handle I welded a plumbing valve handle to the arm which the linside linkage nomally attaches to and also eliminated the locking portion of the latch completely. The handle has enough of an offset to clear the door and is surprisingly easy to use when seated, reaching across the chest to open with the opposite arm. It works so good I wish I would have shaved the outside handles too. It's not the easiest to remove the door bars. The latch side spot welds can be drilled out, but for the front I ended up torching the visible part of the bar out and carefully cutting the remainder (closest to the door skin) with a cut-off wheel. The outside skin was unaffected with no warpage, etc. I beleive the door weighs about 7 pounds (without the window frame, etc). I also got carried away with the hinges and removed a bunch of material from them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnightmoonlight Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I did something similar to this and shaved the outside handle and lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Don't weld the door handle to the roll cage "door bar" as I said above. Weld it to the inner side beam in the door. What a goof I am sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondabait Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 off topic but has any one made floating windows for an old z. you know the kind of windows that don't have a frame, I just thought that always looked so classy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 the seal rides right on the radiused edge. Cut where I put the black lines and no more. Here are the doors I used... they were cut too far and would let rushing air into the passenger compartment at speed. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 I went out and looked at the pivot bolt that some of you guys mentioned. I had kinda figured on reaching outside and opening the door with the outside handle. Do I still need the pivot bolt if I'm opening the door this way? I can't tell because the one I'm working on is almost completely gutted, and I'd have to take apart a complete door to figure it out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 You can mount the interior door handle to the bottom lip of the door anywhere you like. It is a simple pushrod/bellcrank system. You cn relocate the handle ANYWHERE! You could even redesign the interior door handle and make it a pull cable(like a train E-stop wire). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatbackz Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 I went out and looked at the pivot bolt that some of you guys mentioned. I had kinda figured on reaching outside and opening the door with the outside handle. Do I still need the pivot bolt if I'm opening the door this way? I can't tell because the one I'm working on is almost completely gutted, and I'd have to take apart a complete door to figure it out... no. the inside handle and the outside handle connect to the latch seperatly. so you wouldnt need the pivot bolt if you dont want to use the inside latch handle. at least on my 77! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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