Hybrid_From_Hell Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Kin Hell how times flys With the Howling Wolf Challenge coming up, (and damned quick too) there were a number of things I needed to do to the 90, some for scrutineering ..............and some I just 'wanted' to do........... I love the Hardtop and the space it gives me, but it is nowhere near a pratical as a Truck cab for serious off road use, but rather than go the truck cab / tray back stylee, I decided to stick with the hardtop - but to give myself some help even though I have this option and stick with it..... I have already fitted 2 piece doors, so I can remove the top half, yet the rear door has on a few occasions caused me real issues ........... ie so close to something you cannot open the rear door to get to the shackles / recovery gear So This is the 1st part of a thread as to how you can do something suitable to the rear door, ..............dependant on just how much damage I do to the 90 on the 16th will depend on when this gets moved forwards further You may recall I shoved a 'wanted ad' up - for a 90 hardtop rear door, my wishes were answered when a mate happened to mention he had a bare.... but brand spanking new rear 90 hardtop door in the back of his barn (yep - posh friend ) .............and even better was I could have it. When I mentioned my "Cunning Plan" to Jon White he said I couldn't cut up a brand new door, the pics below prove you can ...........................................................and very easily The idea was to make a 2 piece rear door, just like the 2 piece side doors, with the ability to remove the top half of the door with a couple of nuts etc. To do this the 1st step was to hang the new rear door, on the 3x hinges and then fit the door catch and assembly, and make it fit correctly, then get out a length of wood for a straight edge and a 'stick of measures'.... So first I measured the new rear door, using the body capping height as a marker, .... and then taking off an 'additional 2mm' - being the thickness of the new "Home Made" rear door "Capping" that will go on the top of the bottom half of the door.... Duly Marked remove door, .........and in my case grab plasma cutter ..and angler grinder ........and chop door in half thus : I'll come back to this bit later................ The bottom half was then re-hung.............. to see if I had cut it in the right place Then a piece of 2mm bent up to make a "False Capping" which needs cutting about a bit to clear both sides for the rubbers when shut, and also cut and shaped around the rear door handle, and then a few pop rivets added - these line up with the strengthening bars........... so that they add back strength in those places that give the greatest reward : This then gives me the basis of a decent side opening door,............. and access over the top ..........even without opening. I am planning later to mount the ground anchor (KittyGripper ) to the back side of the door, and also drill holes and mountings for the top part to be bolted up onto it, but for now the bottom is sort of done for the event, .......................and later when its all finished I'll get it in the right colour of primer _ The top has a similar capping added to it, but 1st you'll need to cut off a few more mm as the thickness of the capping plus the 'sealer rubber' will mean that it would now be too tall and it hits the top of the hardtop, the plasma can do this................. so about 4mm (incs the plasma "Cut" as well in the 4mm) was shaved off : Then the top window capping was added with a couple of rivets and checked for clearances : More to come, I intended to : Fit the rear wash wipe, - and have it so that it can be removed with the top half of the unit (its on the 'top' and 'bottom' on a one piece door) Heated rear window, ...... ground anchor, line the back sides of the door / rear window top, and have the whole lot sprayed to match the rest of the 90 (inc new front wings so far ) and make it so that it appears to '1st glance' to be a rear door unit, ..........but for now this gets me the bottom half ready for the Howling Wolf event More later Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Very nice and "fast" buildup as usual mate Once painted up it will look ace I had the same idea as plan B (plan A is still to find a liftgate from a Series 'cos I like...er,well,the lift-open it thing )... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Bar Cowboy Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Oh..................... thats nice, however being a truck cab fan, then I am allowed to take the pi$$............... It will be good at events ................ you could sit in the back, close the lower door and serve everybody with hot dogs and cups of tea ! Are you sure 2mm is sufficient ? .................... I would have thought at least 5 or 7 mm to match the rest of your truck Nice Work.............. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemarker Type S Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Nice work! Not being as well endowed as HFH (Obviously I mean technically and tool wise ) I just remove the three hinge pin bolts from my rear door and lift it off completely for challenge events- only takes a couple of minutes... I find that it also gives much better rear visibility having no door at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mortus Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 sweet idea, this is really good for people who have a winch mounted above the rear cross member and not behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Mmmmm....Nice Capping! What an expert folder you are! Looks nice Nigel - as always! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Tis true the folding is loverley....but... The folding was done for me by a swapping of a big bag of biccies and assocaited begging noises with the accomplice of the well known 'Mr Jelly' Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 Bit more this afternoon. Top bit trinmmed to hopefully right hieght, then drill some holes to match top and bottom cappings, turn up some thick wall tube, tack in place without b*ggering up new glass , bolt up and add back top hinge - slam shut and find it seems about right, open door, measure loads of times with 2x differing datums on the 2 doors - drill big hole, make a couple of spacers on the lathe and mount up rear wash wipe,.....stunned to fit got this right too. Prob all go wrong maybe tommorrow Yes the welding isn't my best but not everything can go well, will be cleaned up when welded right around tube Even now at this stage its remarkably solid and firm, better than the front door tops which do tend to wobble a tad even when all bolted up tight .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mortus Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 you not going to add another hinge for the top half, as they do tend to snap rather easily dont ask how i know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjblank Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 you not going to add another hinge for the top half, as they do tend to snap rather easilydont ask how i know I love it... I have been thinking about doing the same thing. This is an awesome job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Very tidy conversion Nige, make some more & sell them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callum Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Even now at this stage its remarkably solid and firm, better than the front door tops which do tend to wobble a tad even when all bolted up tight .......... be sure to let us know when you solve that old chestnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Yesterday was more like it Fitted a rubber between the 2, found door now too tall, even though I thought I had checked this bit about 3x , so cut another 3mm off it, and refitted OK. Trimmed the back, wiper mounted and needs a small steady (today) and trim cut and fitted after welding tubes in and managed not to get weld splattter on the new glass, wired up the HRW Oooooooooooo , fitted washer bottle etc but will try the mod as per front wipers (see Forum Index) rather than the std jet which never seems much good -and just now need to finish via some suitable plugs to disconnect the wiring so VWP ring on Tuesday and will skin the redoor in ali later with Anchor Mountings.... Kittyreardoor ?....Nope, I don't think so, Not really a difficult job, just needs patience and time - hugely benificial for me, but a silly amount of time soaking to get it all correct. Amazing how the door shuts and strikers can be so vastly different between 2 doors ....so no this will not be duplicated and sold Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjblank Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Nice job. I need one... I guess I'll have to do mine on my own though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 Having just about repaired the 90 post the Howlin Wolf 1st event .....(broken steering box, Blown up Milemarker, No Brakes left, and a few other bits)..... ..... turned my eye back to the rear door. 2x 30x50mm x8mm plates made up, drilled and taped 8mm then fitted to the underside of the bottom capping and then the door assemble set up and done up tight, removed all the bottom capping rivets, remove the top half (with the base capping) turned up side down welded, and this way the door lines up with captive plates to bolt into. The plates add a spreader effect rather then justr having nuts welded on the base. Then some fettling on the top door, linishing the welded in tubes down flush, and general tidy up fit rear rail, and then the cover for the rear bottom half, as decided the dog rough soggy falling apart platic cardboard thingy waste of time. This was the 2nd attempt, I spend ages doing the 1st to then find out the template used (od door) was totally different to the new one , so some begging noises saw my 2nd template used to punch out a new ali sheet cover You know who you are......... and ta, A bit of jiggling and the rear wash wiper now mounts with a steady, next is the wiring and plumbing for the rear wash wipe bag (fited already), but fits, and shuts a dream The old cover for the Wiper motor still fits, the mounting for the wiring into the door also, but will use a 5 way adapter to link them together. To remove the top door will be the 2 x allen bolts (captive threads) and the 2x top door mounts, disconnect 1 x plug and a washer connector . When this is done it will be sparayed all over and should blend in quite well Yeah "When" being the key word......seems to many jobs on at the mo, ........and works mad too Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1701 Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 smart looking, nice one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 To remove the top door will be the 2 x allen bolts (captive threads) and the 2x top door mounts, disconnect 1 x plug and a washer connector . When this is done it will be sparayed all over and should blend in quite well Yeah "When" being the key word......seems to many jobs on at the mo, ........and works mad too Nige Luverly job Nige it really looks the nuts. To remove the top half can you not do something with the top hinge pin instead of unbolting? Marc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 Right then. Between diggin 35 inch holes for 4x4 concrete posts for SWMBO in the garden, work , ..............and other 'stuff' in the way .....more finally got done on this "F Project" I had noticed the "twanggggggggggg" nosie when closing, this was due to the C**p qulaity of the door..... and nothing attaching the skin to the frame Having some Slikaflex left over I shoved a load of it between the frames and the skins, and then laid then flat on some 12mm sheet "I had lying about " with some 'lumps of steel' on top to sqwish together , ..........and it worked - er sort of The silaflex is sooooooooo strong it will pull the ali in to the steel frame, any blemishes in the frame end up as repeated dents or look like dents in the ali panel as it pulls it in, am I bothered ?...........er no not really ..........makes the door nice and solid You'll also see a number of rivnuts added and also the door now painted care of darren - Ta matey, nice cheap job, no point being silly, it will be wrecked soon enough (sooner than I though ) Door sprayed (and then fitted back on and some bits inc the bottle added back on) looks like this : Rear skin made trimmed & fitted after spraying with Stainless allen bolts into the rivnuts makes much stronger unit : The top of the door then sprayed tweaked and fitted plus the glass trim sorted fettled and fitted makes it come together, takes longer than you would think to get it all OK : Then fit the motor plus a steady bolt to hold in palce and some covers and joiner for the tubing (Have converted the rear wash wipe to the peugeot type balde wash system as per post in tech achive ) And there it is ................the 2 part door : To remove the top half is just 2x big allen bolts, pull the tube joiner and slpit the HRW Joiner, and remove the HRW Motor stabilizer bolt, then off it comes To finish the day I switched on the rear wash wipe to try out the jet and wiper, ............ and find the wiper arm just kisses the paint Ah well can't have it perfect .....near enough tho Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wkw90 Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Very nice , well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 and find the wiper arm just kisses the paint I do hope you expressed the appropriate expletive, Nige ? Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Bar Cowboy Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Right then. Nige Good lordy .........Eeeeuuuuuuew ........ I see you have hung you colostomy bag on the door ............... but I guess you are of that age Exceelent job as always Nige ................. next time though ............. get a truck cab, and you wont have the 'door' problems Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Nice job Nige just take a file to the wiper arm to increase the gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Bit late now Ralph, the clearance is already there now Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I have done something similar, cut a brand new Paddocks rear door in half. I made mine with tubes in the bottom of the door so the top has two M12 studs that sit down through a homemade capping similar to Nige's, then through some 3" long tubes that are brased to the internal structure of the door with some road sign angle Seems strong enough I need to tweek the alignment of the top and bottom of the door. Mines not quite as neat as the one shown here though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIBBO Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 "I have a dream!!!" ...which last night was about how to get a side-opening rear-door conversion on my son's 90 hard-top as he's planning to convert to soft-top without spending too much money... chopping the door came to me, so thought I'd GOOGLE it... HEY PRESTO!!! Will be copying your method, minus the window/top... NICE ONE!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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