Has anyone ever atempted to delete B pillar on a shoebox? Did you reinforced roof/body to keep structural rigidity? How did you made windows waterproof?
Okay, I can understand that so buy Victoria doors and modify the windshield post. Then just make pocket windows for the quarter glass. Now you can be weather tight with all stock rubber seals, plus a little work. Nothing to it.
The Vicky and the convertible both had the same frame under them. It had an X Brace installed to keep the body from twisting and sagging without the extra bracing the standard bodies had. If it were me I would add a tubular cross braces to the chassis and go for it. But honestly I don’t think that it’s necessary because the roof has more meat to it when it meets the quarter panels and trunk area. I have a 1950 convertible that is restored and I can tell you from experience that the factory X brace is overkill and sucks to work around. When I start working on it later next spring I’m cutting it out and fabbing a new more user friendly one just so I can work underneath the thing.
I always thought the 2 Frames were the same myself until I bought my Vicky, It was totally dissected and headed for the Pro Street movement when I came into the picture. It also came with a Vicky parts car. I went as far as telling the seller, "hope you still have the X member you cut out". He said he didn't cut one out. I then told him it wasn't the same Frame that came out from under the Body then and wasn't interested. We then walked over to the parts car and he proceeded to show me there isn't an X member in Vicky frames. I was quite surprised to learn that Ford has just taken a 2" wide by 1/4" thick piece of flat bar and skip welded it to the bottom of the Frame Rail starting at the front Body mount and in one piece going to just in front of the rear spring bracket. Both Frames were exactly the same and clearly not a home done add on. This is the Chassis I've been tearing up for the last 19 years and the doors and hood still fit like the day I first drove it. That means the Roof is way more important than it shows. If you look close right at the Front Body outrigger and the bottom edge of the Frame rail it looks all grumbly and rough as well as the bottom edge of the other side you can actually see the Factory skip welds.
Son of a gun the 2 Vicky’s I had both had the X brace on them. I bet that they used up whatever they had until the new and improved ones came out. The hardtop was a mid year introduction because they quit making the Crestliner when it came out. I definitely like your chassis better than the other ones I had.
The Jalopy Journal
