Opinions on half doors...

this...



Or this...



Going into this...




I picked these up yesterday for some half doors for the summer wheeling/camping season. Can't decide it I'm going to cut off the window support or not. I like the clean look with no window support, but later on I may eventually cobble up some clear plastic for some temporary windows and may need the window support. What say you, fellow wheelers?

Half doors? multiple choice
	1st pic
	2nd pic
Votes accepted starting: 04/04/07 05:00 AM
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I would go with the second pic. I made mine something like yours. Only that mine follow the body line in the middle of the door.
Mike
Here are a few pics. I used 1" square tubing and metal shelves to cap the door. If I could do it all over again. I would not make the cuts so square looking. I also kept the driver side mirror...so that I would be legal on the street. I used the inside door latch and welded it to the top part. I would of liked to have added a cup holder. But their wasn't much space between the square tubing under the top section.(frame) Careful, when marking the forward part of the door you want to cut. I cut mine a little to much and ran into trying to figure out away to not cut into the forward section of the frame behind the door skin. In my last pic the location I am talking about is behind the toyota badge on the fender and aft of the driver side mirror...moreless where the door hinge is at. Just double check what you will be cutting behind the door skin...and decide if you need to move your lines before you cut. I also cut a half inch above the lines I marked. I then folded that half inch to a 90 degree angle. something for me to place my cap on(weld). Just giving you ideas on how I did mine.

I'd keep the window support, particularly if you drive it on the road much. Even if you tow it, it's nice to be able to close it up if the weather is bad. Here are my plactic windows:



Mark

I shamelessly stole Mark's door design and had a local auto upholstery shop make snap-on windows. The setup works superbly, and if it rains I roll down the softtop, snap on the windows, and it's "no worries".

I followed Mark's idea of leaving a *bit* more of the door in place, low enough to lean out and see, but high enough to protect/contain the passengers. The sill is a bit higher than the seat cushion. I'd follow the top of your blue stripe.

I like 'em a lot. The only thing I would do differently is add a zipper to the soft windows for those warm but intermittent shower kinda days. Common in the Colorado high country.

Not really crazy about either picture. I like them flat, gives a good place to put your elbow and makes it easier to lean out when you need to.

I prefer them flat too. I kept functional handles inside and outside. I plan on having some windows made like Scalded Dog's and want to be able to open the doors from the outside without unsnapping them.

Very nice. I admire your bodywork!
Welding the sheetmetal taught me a lot; chief among the lessons is, that I suck at bodywork!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

I also prefer the look of the door with the window support left in place. With the window support left on the doors have a clean finished when closed.

This is a set of 2nd gen doors that I made with covers.



The covers are a bit cheesy, but they were designed to be temporary for cold summer nights heading to the trail, or rain, and not something to run around with on all the time. They could be turned into something more permanent, like those of ScaldedDog's, but since I was selling them I didn't want to add snaps aropund the entire door, figured I would let the buyer modify them.

This is as good a time as any to admit that I stole OOP's door idea. I put the handle in a different place and a few other little things, but OOP's doors looked to be the most functional around when I was collecting ideas.

Toy Story, yours look great!

BTW, the only difference between Bill and me is that I didn't have to weld sheetmetal to find out that I suck at body work. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Mark

Bodywork, why do you think I painted my truck with a matte finish speckled paint called Zolotone. It does not show my crappy bodywork as much or the dents I have put in it since I painted it!!!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />