How to build half doors?

[GsxrMike]

I have searched but I only found one thead about how to build half doors but there were no replies.

So how do you do it? I have a set of door but no concrete ideas on how I am going to build the half doors.

 

[NorCalKid]

Just get a set of doors, mark out where you want cut out then chop them, there are plenty on show me threads one here to get ideas. Then just get some sheet metal and weld some caps on them. Welding on stuff that thin can be quite the pain in the arse so when I was done welding mine I flapper wheeled it smooth then hit it with some bondo

 

[colbystephens]

when I do 1/2 doors in the next couple months, i'm going to use some angle iron at the corners of the cap. i figure if i have the angle iron stick up 1/4" above the sheet metal, it will give me a nice thick material to work with to weld the sheet metal to. Similarly, the top cap will be cut about 1/2" narrower than the actual space so that I will have some thicker material on the top to work with as well. then the corner will be nice and tight and i'll just have to flap disc the sheet metal welds smooth. shouldn't need any bondo.

i'd like to see pics of people's latching mechanisms tho!

 

[jimmy1984]

Im in the process of building half doors right now, im gonna try to get together a write up for it soon.

but as for latches i kept the stock latching assembly but i bent the rode that actuates it in order for it to fit inside the door. it sounds weird but ill get pictures tmw.

 

[NorCalKid]

This thread got me thinking about my half doors. If I were to do it again I think I would make a tube door frame then skin them. As they are now they are ridiculously heavy and when I put my passenger door into a tree last trip out I blew a section of the weld that held the caps on. So by skinning a frame you could make a stronger lighter door just something to think about...

 

[supersize75k5]

colby is onto something with the angle iron,


A nice way to do it is to mark your door, drill 5/16 holes right below your cut line.

Cut the door using cut off wheels on your grinder, a sawsall stands a real good chance of grabbing the metal, looking like azzz etc.

place the angle iron in place a 16th of a inch below the edge and spot weld it in a couple places to hold it.

make your filler piece for the gap, drill some holes again, place on top and spot weld.

rotate your spot welds around to keep the heat from warping the edges of the sheet metal or shrinking it too much

when your done hit the welds and the edges with a flap disk

 

[MNorby]

I made a 1" sq tube frame where I cut mine then capped them off. Prob completely overkill but they were solid.

 

[GsxrMike]

Anybody got some pics? I like the angle iron spot weld approch. As I was googling last night I came across a few I like but none were K5s.

 

[dremu]

For cutting sheetmetal, you can't beat a nibbler:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96661

for instance. (But clean up afterwards; it shoots out these little slivers of metal that get into EVERYTHING!)

Lots of stuff would pop up on a search here, including this post in my build thread, and another random search result here.

The final result:

-- A

 

[NorCalKid]

you can kinda see mine here. I just blew the yoke on my rear driveshaft to hell

 

[jimmy1984]

Here are some pictures of the way im building my half doors. just to give u an idea of the way i have my latch assembly hooked up, keep in mind if u decide to go this route u have to do some thing about the locking mechanism. I opted to just weld mine in the unlocked position.

I guess my doors would be considered 3/4 doors? they dont go down as far as some other doors ive seen.

 

[colbystephens]

i like the way you're doing yours. what will you do for an exterior latch? or do you not feel you need one since you could reach inside?

i need to do both exterior and interior latches because i'm going to do soft skins for the window area since mine needs to be all-weather.

 

[jimmy1984]

Im probably not going to do exterior latches but if i were going to i would most likely cut the original door handle to match the angle of the cut in the door and just use the original door opening button thing bad explanation i know. ill cut it up and get some pictures up soon.

Now that i think about it i just might do exterior latches

 

[RICK212]

I'm looking in to how to make fiberglass half-doors for my first gen. I'm gonna use my original doors as the "plug" and make a mold. I never worked with glass but it seems fairly straight forward.

Rick