Here's the truth of it...... Two door cars are cooler than four door cars, but there aren't enough of them for everyone to have one. If you have a two door you are not cooler than everyone else.......... just luckier. Of course, you could just remove the rear door handles. That fools everyone and makes you cool....... not. You all know who you are......... We see the socks stuffed down the front.
Nope they still open lol. And at some point when Im further on this car and get a good ways on the 54 I'll actually be the guy goofy enough to bother two door converting a 53 Chevy lol
But yeah the driver rear handle didn't wanna work at all and the passenger rear handle would randomly pop the door open just sitting there lol
That's the only worthwhile option. Lots of work and not easy to get it done so it looks like nothing has been done. Still a 4 door according to the numbers, but at least it will look right.
For the past twenty five years the auto makers really haven’t been making two doors and any volume. Four doors are the norm , even the Dodge Charger has four doors.
I have no intentions of ever selling the car. But I've driven two doors so long I always bump my shoulder on the b pillar getting in and out roflmao. Haven't decided how heavy I'm going to get on making it believable. Still have to decide if I'll make the rear windows stationary or roll down. Likely roll down but again that project is down the road. Basically I have to get it nice enough to be worth converting
If you don't bite the bullet and go all in with the longer front doors, your shoulder is not going to have an easier life. And you might have to fit a submarine hatch in the roof to get in and out of the back.
Oh if I do the conversion it'll get either t bird or Impala buckets. I'm just so used to lightly brushing the seat getting into a car I'm not used to metal in the way
Exactly! Well, other than Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs (not the stupid mach e), Challengers, Porches (all the cool ones), Lambos, Mclaren, Audis, Jaaags, Austins, Merc AMGs, Ferraris, BMWs, Bentleys, CTS V Caddys, Morgans, all the fast Japanese cars, even RR rolls out a 2 door still. Other than that, though, and a few I overlooked in my haste, they are all 4 doors.
Only four door cars I’ve ever owned were a 80’s Buick Regal that I purchased when that’s all I could afford, and several SUV’s. Four doors were ( still are) parts cars, have parted out several of them. I do like the late 50’s four door hardtops and long roofs, but doubtful I’d ever own one. When looking for a project car, it was always a two door, even if that meant an out of the mainstream car like my Lincoln coupe. American carmakers phased out most two doors years ago, so guys younger than me don’t think twice about owning a four door. I don’t look down on them , they buy what they can afford. If I couldn’t get a two door, I’d buy a pickup.
I don't really hate four door old cars, but I have no plans to ever own one. Used to have a large time in a buddy's '40 Chevy four door sedan. He now has a '40 Chevy convertible.
Oddly enough we wanted a 4dr to have easier access to my daughter, who has nasty epilepsy, incase she has a seizure riding in the back. Plus you can use it as a truck if needed.
Keyword volume. Everything you mentioned is a niche car, and a far cry from when a big portion of consumer vehicles were 2 doors.
Slide and fold seats are a must, but if you don't go with the longer doors you will not be happy. Two door cars with a back seat have longer doors for a very simple and practical reason.
Oh I get what you're getting at. Yeah doors will be to regular two door specs. B pillars moved and all. Only parts of the original doors I'll use is the upper skins of the rear doors to weld in as quarters. Plus any patch pieces I may need from the original front doors to fix whatever two door doors I find for it. Actually eyeballing another 54 Chevy 2 door basket case that I want to part out and cut up to use parts and sheet metal from for both my 53 bel air 4 door and my 54 210 two door. Not sure I'll come up with the cash before it sells though. It's fairly cheap and to someone hunting a project still a viable project car
Niche, but these are the cool stuff. The stuff that demands money now and maybe more money later. I don't know the production numbers, but it would be easy to google, were the majority of 32 fords (for example) passenger and commercial vehicles or coupes and roadsters? I imagine the stuff we like here is not the "big portion of commercial vehicles" in 1932. Neither is it today. We like to be different, we like to be better, we like to be hoodlums. Let the masses take chairs and watch us from the curb. Sorry, I get carried away.
Since I can't yet post a picture directly here, here's a "link" to my Taxi. Still need to instal HAMB friendly rear wheels. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/close-to-a-hamb-qualified-car.1321430/ Mike
We are in the same boat. A daughter with seizures. Been looking for a DD big GM 4 door (60s-90s) for just that reason. Don't drive the hot rods enough to worry about that too much. besides, the wife can climb in the back easy.
Personally I don't want to own a 4-door classic car, but kudos to those that are keeping them on the road and enjoying them.
I’ve had some old four door drivers, they have been just as much fun as the non four doors, probably because I don’t give a shit about what others think is cool!
Yes, manufacturers are making 2-door cars still, but all those niche "cool stuff" cars you mentioned aren't the same as a 2-door 1932 Ford. That 2-door 1932 Ford was transportation, not something that was only driven on nice days (like most of the cars you mentioned). Also, I said consumer vehicles, not commercial vehicles. And notice I didn't say "the big portion" as you stated, which would indicate majority. I said "a big portion", meaning a significant percentage. Rather than voicing unsubstantiated opinions, I chose to use Google. You mentioned Camaro, Okay, in 1967 through 1969, Chevrolet sold an average of 269,567 Camaros per year. Numbers remained relatively high through Gen 2 and 3. In 2016 through 2023, they sold an average of 50,188 Camaros per year. A large reduction. Ford sold 559,541 Mustangs in 1965 and 607,568 in 1966. In the last 5 years they sold an average of 57,378 per year. Again, a very large reduction. What about Porsche? Well, in 1998 all they sold was the "cool ones" you talked about (2 doors). Between 1998 and 2021, Porsche's sales increased by 586%, while their sales of the "cool ones" (The only 2-doors they sell, 911 and Boxster) increased 34.1% in that time. 80.5% of their sales in 2021 had 4 doors. Back to older stuff. From 1958 to 1965, of all Chevrolet Cars produced 46.4% were four doors, 41.2% were two doors, and the remaining 12.3% were wagons (two and four-door). In 1932, Ford produced 78.5% two-door cars, 13.9% 4-doors, and 7.6% trucks. So yes, in 1932, or 1958-1965, or whatever older era you want to select, "the cars we like here" were a significant portion of consumer vehicles. That portion of the market has significantly reduced over time. A two-door in the 1960's could be an entry level economy car, but now they're a specialty thing for enthusiasts. The market has changed drastically, and it's mostly the older generation that lives by the "4-doors are parts cars" mantra. Personally, I think this new stuff like some of what you mentioned make better parts/donor cars for a lot of projects.
I just posted these in the '40 Ford thread. As I mentioned there, I've been finding myself drawn the "mordors" more and more lately.
I was just thinking, growing up (small family of 4) my folks never had a 4 door. I think their first 4 door was a small olds or Buick (whichever the quad 4 came in) in the late 90’s when my sister and me were long out of the house. Anyways, back to the thread.
That's a beauty. Ever since my daughter arrived, I find myself really wanting to build a fat fender fordor.
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