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| | | Swing side doors to gullwing | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 72 journeyman | OP journeyman Joined: May 2010 Posts: 72 | I've been studying my side doors on my '88 trying to figure out how to make them into a gulwing. Basically, I need to figure out how to fuse them together so that the doors are light enough to be practical to hinge from the top and not crack at the vertical weld between the doors or try to fold in half while pulling it down. I'd also like to see how Matchstick's kit mounts the hinges. Hopefully the hinges get installed in a way that they can be adjusted in at least two directions to get the gaps right. | | | Re: Swing side doors to gullwing | Joined: Nov 2016 Posts: 2 stranger | stranger Joined: Nov 2016 Posts: 2 | Hi, did this to my old van, take off the 2 doors, align them up, measure many times, on inner frame drill bolt holes to bolt both doors together, when happy weld a flat plate across the inner centre of both doors, use piano hinge or car boot / trunk hinges with gas rams, not a easy custom idea, other option is to buy a fiberglass door with a kit for easy install, happy vanning. | | | Re: Swing side doors to gullwing | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 18,286 Likes: 557 | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 18,286 Likes: 557 | Welcome to the site GuyfromNZ....
SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS '93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB '92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB | | | Re: Swing side doors to gullwing | Joined: Nov 2016 Posts: 2 stranger | stranger Joined: Nov 2016 Posts: 2 | Hi again from NZ, another idea for a gull wing door is to find a Maxi - long wheel base version as think they have a sliding one piece side loading door which may save work and also may have a single glass, more thoughts to help a vanner, hope this helps and look forward to your replies, happy vanning. | | | Re: Swing side doors to gullwing | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,695 veteran | veteran Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,695 | The only problem with suggestion number two is, the sliders are a different width than the barn doors. You can't use a gullwing made for a slider unless you modify it.
On my 91 Chevy, I did what the OP wanted to do, which is, I welded the two doors together. I used my van to align the doors. I clamped them to the van (with the hinges there, but not bolted in). Once I got everything lined up, I tacked the doors together every few inches, both inside and outside.
On the inside, I needed a few braces to bridge the big gaps between the doors. By the way, I left the latch in as an added support between the two halves.
On the outside, I cut a piece of sheetmetal 3/16" wide and I welded it in to the gap in between the tack welds on the door seam. I could have filled the gap with my mig, but I wanted to avoid warpage as much as possible.
The end result didn't come out bad. My only problem was brain freeze on mounting the shocks. I had a hard time remembering low on the post, high on the door.......
I used heavy duty, ball bearing, regular door hinges. I should have used a setup like Matchstick's
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