Technical Suicide doors on a Model A?

"....if the car didn't come that way....", may I assume that all your cars are completely stock? The essence of this hobby is to build what we like and to "improve" the car's appearance and/or performance in a way that pleases us, regardless of what others may think. Ford put "suicide doors" on their 3w coupes for 32-33-34, how is it not right for this man to modify his car in a similar manner? Do you feel the same way about hydraulic brakes?

 

Saw this on a 31 roadster by Doug Juonis. He lengthened the doors ~2" as well.
Anything Doug does is over-the-top, his Hayseed Corvette was spotless.
As far as I could tell, the door mods made entry easier. It falls into the street rod category.

 

My statemint,It was just for funny,but hay if whoever likes to take it wrong its fine with me too,I have known for a long time I an't making $ at writing books,but have built an fixed a lot of hotrods n racecars.

 

Atta boy!

 

I tell people when they got boogers hanging from their nose and food stuck in their beard too... They are usally grateful I didn't just let them walk around in public looking like that... Just sayin

 

I did em on my Roadster and got a lot of compliments. It did make it easier to get in. Bear Claws and a saftey strap.

 

Remember the famous Bob McGee roadster that graced the cover of Hot Rod magazine in October of 1948? as I recall Bob's 1932 Ford had hidden hinges and no door handles. HRP[/QUOTE]

Slick idea in 1948..... Good way to make a steel body look like a fiberglass body in 2016.

I always have to smile, whether you put suicide doors on a hot rod or gullwing doors on a tuner car......at a car show, the owner always displays the car with the doors open.

 

I always disliked the suicide doors on my '34 coupe, but with the design of the car there's not much choice.

 

There are worse designs, however....

 

My Opinion of Traditional build is what evey year you decide in that time frame ,that year & back , what ever was Available /made
Let say 1957 back to 1900 , so if you want to put in a Allison V 12 in a 57 Vett ,do it !!!
its traditional ,, but not a 327sbc ,
I really think some do not know what traditional build means
Again all over the United States and overseas there's plenty of ideals & builds that we're not in the mags , Hot rods are up to whatever you can dream & do !!

 

This is why I am building a steel T-bucket. I am SO looking forward to standing around quietly listening to all the trad-holes publicly outing themselves as to how little they really know...

 

Oh hell yes, that design was faulty from day one, no idea why they designed it like that , I mean they look good but do you want one in your house full time? maybe just borrow one from time to time for kicks

 

so cool

 

10% of the people ruin 10% of the cars!

 

Leading and trailing edges on T sedan doors are vertical, so why not suicide the doors? On the other hand, why suicide them? It seems to be six of one and a half-dozen of the other. I suppose there are ergonomic arguments for and against, too.

Suicide doors really started to become a thing when designers wanted the leading-edge cutlines on the doors to be non-vertical. Look at the rakish way a '32 three-window's a-pillars flow out of the door cut-lines, compared to a five-window. Hinging the door at the back is a way to achieve that, and a lot lighter, simpler, and likely more durable than huge single hinges low down at the fronts of the doors, especially on a car where all the structure is in the frame.

 

Change for the sake of change is not a good reason to do anything. Hence, gull wing,lambo and suicide doors that did not come that way originally. Hell, just ditch the doors all together! Looks great on CJ7s!

 

Non-stock suicide doors are the same as any other Hot Rod modification; split bones, QC rear ends, Dzus fasteners, moon discs, disc brakes, OHC engines, etc. The Model A never 'needed' any of these features, but it's fun to re-imagine Henry's masterpiece. Frankly, I'm glad some of us still have the minerals to ask 'what if' in this forum. Like it or not gents, this IS the very spirit of traditional Hot Rodding!

 

I'm thinking the design was a space saving measure. Plus, if you've ever tried to open a car door into a busy European street, this looks like a whole lot better idea with less wait time. Might save you a door or two as well.

 

You have traditional and period correct mixed up. Period correct is using no parts earlier than your time frame. If you were so inclined you could build a period perfect Rat /rod or steampunk Rube Goldberg ride. Just use antique plumbing fixtures, antique mailbox, antique fence post and hinges. That's a period build - use only parts available.


Traditional hot rod build is firstly defined by the root word "tradition".
Pay close attention to the synonyms.



Then we look at "traditional"
Again pay close attention to the synonyms.


There's always a debate when folks rewrite history and when "traditional" is redefined. Build what you want to make you happy. If a traditional hot rod makes you happy ,,,traditional can not be redefined so it fits what you've built and there are some parameters to not cross if the title of traditional hot rod is what you want.

For some here, the only thing they know about "traditional hot rods" is what they have picked up wandering thru a diluted website populated by the delusional.

years ago this place was so rich with accurate history and tradition. It's changed much as it grew and grew because we aren't getting more holders of history as it grows they leave us. The ratio of of history to opinion is off now.

 

A guy around here did his A sedan years ago with hinges off an Essex. He shortened them up a bitt off the bottom. Worked fine but always looked a little "off", like you see it and know something isn't what it's supposed to be.

 

So when Edelbrock Sr created the sling shot , was it traditional then ?
If you buid a car that is 1906 to 31 for a traditional build and you install a Flatty .
Its not a taditonal correct build , Flatty was 32 & newer ,

No one knew even up to 60's what others where doing from on town to another , unless seen in a Mag or with their own eyes ,
Majority of the people did not move further then 30 miles away from the Hometown they grew up in ,USA is a big place
My A has parts from 1930 to 2016 , it a Heinz 57 , Not a R-R , Street Rod , trailer Queen
Just a plan no paint , few dents ,Race car that looks like a Hot Rod & is a HotRod

 

and that proves a few of my points

 

So did Fords in '21-2, might have slopped over into '23?

 

Well after looking around and the shape my body is in I think i have made up my mind to build a non-traditional Tudor Sedan into a Tudor Phantom with suicide doors!

 

You could do it, but would it look right? There is a beautiful 40 Ford coupe about 60 miles from me that has been on Craigslist for sale for almost a year now. The price isn't really out of line, it looks to be a nice car, ......but.....it has suicide doors. With them shut, you don't really notice it that much, but with them open, it just looks funny. I suspect that is why it hasn't sold. If you plan on keeping the car forever, go for it if you want. If you plan on selling it, I think I would leave the doors hinged at the front....

 

My 29 Hudson has factory suicide doors, with piano hinges.
They work great, but might look silly in a Model A.
I think it's the builders choice, there's pros and cons both ways.
If it were 1961, and I was building a Model A Hot Rod, id suicide em, just to be different.

 

Maybe I am miss under standing this ,,
Sorry if I am !!
Just build yr cars & drive them, our hobby is under attack and for many of years now people don't pay attention to what's going on

 

Geez.........so many frustrated bitches here

 

Really! In a matter of hours we are going to find out which egomaniacal wacko is going to take control of our lives. Now there's something to get worried about!

 

Same shit different day. The guy asks the best way to do what he wants to HIS car and the same few jump on to tell him the only way to build a car is their way. They haven't figured out yet that only their little group of narrow minds give a shit what their opinion is.