Convert sedan doors to hardtop?

WissaMan

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Is this a feasible job? My 68 New Yorker hardtop doors are rusty and I have access to 68 Newport sedan doors that are decent. Basically speaking, would there be more to it than just removing the window frames and swapping hardware with the hardtop doors?

Or would that be way harder than just repairing the rust? I know, you'd need to see the rust to make a judgement, and I can snap some pictures next opportunity. But for now I'll just say that they are rusted out mainly at the lower trailing corner of the doors where I'd have to form some really awkward shaped patches if I wanted it to look anything like the original door.

And actually, regardless of what door I use, I may decide to remove the internals so that I can clean out all the rust and coat the interior.
 
To HT doors out for sedan you need to extend the B pillar and I suspect the roof line will be different. Maybe "skin" thed sedan doors and use the skins to replace bad spots on your HT doors.
 
I’m guessing it’d be faster to fix the rust.
 
Is this a feasible job? My 68 New Yorker hardtop doors are rusty and I have access to 68 Newport sedan doors that are decent. Basically speaking, would there be more to it than just removing the window frames and swapping hardware with the hardtop doors?

Or would that be way harder than just repairing the rust? I know, you'd need to see the rust to make a judgement, and I can snap some pictures next opportunity. But for now I'll just say that they are rusted out mainly at the lower trailing corner of the doors where I'd have to form some really awkward shaped patches if I wanted it to look anything like the original door.

And actually, regardless of what door I use, I may decide to remove the internals so that I can clean out all the rust and coat the interior.
Assuming we are talking 4 door cars here, I'd take a look at the top of both sets of doors and figure out what needs to be swapped.

I think it's a safe bet that the "skins" of the doors are the same and it really wouldn't surprise me if the frame work of the doors is the same. I think the only way you are going to know is if you can compare the doors side by side. If the new doors are cheap enough, I'm sure you can at least use them to patch what you have, depending, of course, on your metal work skills.
 
I used a 69 4-door hardtop for parts on my project, the doors were essentially the same.
The b-pillar in the hardtop matched the lower section of sedan one.
I don't recall looking at the differences in the door where the window frame attaches, my hunch is the shell and skin at the same.
Interior door panels were essentially, the front had an extension to cover the top of the b-pillar, only the interior door panel, the vinyl covered one

Alan
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes these are 4-door cars. Actually, I own both cars already so the Newport sedan doors are "free" (or I should say, already paid for 20+ years ago) Unfortunately the cars aren't side-by-side so I can't easily look at both at the same time but I'll try to take some pictures.

Actually I was hoping to get a reply from someone saying "yes, I've done it and it's not too bad. here's what you have to do" But that'd have been too easy I suppose :rolleyes:
 
Alan, it sounds like you took parts off hardtop doors to use on sedan doors, am I reading that correctly?
I had a 4-door hardtop car that provided parts for my 4-door sedan project.
I gutted the doors on the parts car and saved anything that looked the same, ended up only being the latching/locking assembly and hinges.
I didn't need anything else. I did look at the interior door panels as they were better than my sedan ones but ultimately found another set.

I stand on the idea that the main shell and skin are probably the same.

With you having both it should be easy to check even if you just take pictures of both and compare.


Alan
 
Someone else feel free to correct me, but I THINK sedans (on 67's anyway) have a higher roofline / taller windshield than hardtops, so you might want to investigate that. Main shell of the door though, would probably be the same. Good luck with it.
 
Someone else feel free to correct me, but I THINK sedans (on 67's anyway) have a higher roofline / taller windshield than hardtops, so you might want to investigate that. Main shell of the door though, would probably be the same. Good luck with it.
Irreverent in what he is trying to do.


Alan
 
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