Projects 1936 Lincoln Zephyr Sedan 4door to 2door Conversion.

Anyone got a lead on a set of doors from a 2 door zephyr?

 

Above, someone said that there is a two door at the Gilmore museum in Michigan.
I'd call them and see if you could get the measurement you're looking for.
https://gilmorecarmuseum.org/

 

Agreed, I was taking a shot at that gap and it is a challenge to step into a Customizers/Automotive Designers shoes and nail the desired look.

 

I know a suicide is still possible. Rear fender crown makes easy egress for the door

 

I only mentioned it, as it looks like there'll be so little space for hinges. A single hinge maybe? You can't put them where Lincoln did.

Also it looks a lot like coupe/roadster doors are the same length as two door sedan doors.

 

I measured a 2 door tears ago and the scrap of paper is very faded now but I'm thinking the door at the swage line will be 43 1/2" and the cavity at that line is 43 7/8", 3/16 " gap either side. I had it all marked to cut but changed design to suicide front doors over a fade away type front fender. Sorry, no pics, it's all buried in storage

 

If your floor is still reasonable, maybe there is a swage where the b pillar of a 2 door would weld to as a double check or rivet holes for the pillar crossmember in the chassis.

 

Photoshop is really incredible for Inspirations...It's even in many ways like the real thing however it ends there as the real steel will pose a much bigger challenge...

Suicide rear doors no problem...I have no doubt it can be achieved...I think the bottom hinge would be quite unusual. You could also run hidden hinges on the center post and open the rear same as front as that would be easier, but what fun is that. Anyways I had fun with these...Other things I did were make the side hood panel one piece to the grille and stretch the side hood venting, shave the bumpers. drop the mirror, fiddled some with the rear door window openings albeit I kinda like them long. Hotrod/Custom is such a personal thing...and I like it that way...And @fruitygreen, I get why you want to lengthen the doors...Please share the journey with it...No pressure either...

By the way Stretch is only in the Doors not the wheelbase...(Note this was a 2dr image modified and it looks as if they all had same wheelbase)...The other thing I did was ditch the rear door handle and left an optional key/button for the what will be a sophisticated entry to the rear for the Ladies as Hotrods win the race and Customs get the girls...

Regards,
Stogy

Credit to All That Inspired These


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Unfortunately the hinges need to have an imaginary line running straight through the pin holes or they won't work. The lower hinge in this picture would need to be in the middle of the tire.

 

I did say Photoshop was great for inspiration...will it work....hmmmm......I was also thinking something that would allow the door to come out then pivot back...or the bottom hinge could be a hidden track that rotates out with the upper hinge doing something lesser. Or he can angle the hinges and cut the fender and skirt and fix it to the door...but that wouldn't look to great would it...

Or maybe a gull wing style...if it was me I'd hinge forward. Hidden at that. I don't believe rear opening doors would make entry any easier.

It will be a challenge that's beyond my expertise that's a given.

 

Paging @Squablow, @James D

...This is a top view showing kinda what I was thinking...MIGHT work...It would be pretty fancy...The bearing arm would be robust and rotate through a guide and have a stop which could actually just be a strap and pin in the rotating shaft that would prevent it from rotating out...


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I’ve got some misalignment hinges next to some sky hooks at the shop

 

So they make stuff like that eh!...Anthony was it you that posted some hinges earlier in the Thread that were as you describe?
I was just thinking what I depicted could be a simpler semi circular plate pivoting in the center as long as the arc is correct...

 

Posted a wide/thick single hinge.
Been part of 2 suicide door mods. One was a 40 ford that we used 48ish Plymouth rear door hinges.
Took several heatings and bendings to get the arc to work.
The other was custom built hinges. (I wasn’t the fab person)
They worked better but needed to be made out of thicket material. If you allowed the door to swing open fully, the door would work its way foward. So a check strap was added to help this. The internal door check on the hinges worked but the hinge itself needed to be more substantial.
So if the OP builds a new hinge, that needs to be considered

 

Ill check this. Being that the cab was a universal size, there might be marker for it.

Thanks. Ill go mark it out and see if these dimension will work for my idea.


Appreciate all the comments and efforts, especially the renderings, but dimensions was all I were seeking.

 

He seems quite set on it so it seems it can be done even with my hinge locations way out of alignment. Good to know and thank you "Teach"!

 

@fruitygreen, Do you have any other shots of your Lincoln before you stored it. We enjoy doing inspirations. It may even help motivate those grinders and torches...

 

Not sure what is meant here. The car is still intact. Just rustier since I got .

Please specify.

 

Like any pics of the car not buried in the garage...for example my Sport Coupe and a Buick I owned. I mean, most here don't mind sharing a full pic of their rides...It's entirely up to you...I enjoyed doing the inspirations, I think we had the year and Model correct...and I found through websearch that the wheelbase was the same for 2 & 4 drs...






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Give me a few days. Dont mind sharing . Got photos somewhere or ill even move stuff out of way.

 

I havent put a grinder to it of this day, so it is not quite set. Although I havent discovered a good reason yet not to do it , Ill always be open minded until I either face regrets or a point of no return.

 

We'd all enjoy them...I can't wait to see what you do to it. Are you considering other details such as, lowering, hopping up the v12...I think they had them didn't they? Possible chop...What do you think of the hood mod I did, eliminating the curve and extending the trim/vents also on the hoodside?

 

Give yourself a pat on the back...You still have it...

 

For what it’s worth, I REALLY like the photoshops that have been shared especially the unchopped versions. Sleek and smooth while still retaining the charm of the original. Of course chopped would be very gangster.

 

I like the details/proportions on the 4dr Linc Zeph Stretch. The rear door hinge line being straight is worlds better than a curved line following the rear window corner. That appears as if it's trying 'way too hard. The straight also mimics the other door opening lines.

From the drawing, it appears that there's ~ enough vertical room for ~3 std hinges stacked. I'd seriously look at making them one long ~7 1/2"(?) long hinge, at least the same thickness as oem(Somewhat like the one Anthony posted.). Like a super-duty version of the hinge-style Essex used in '28/'29.IDK iffen it matters, similar to an early hood hinge. I'd also incorporate a number of hinge "fingers", instead of the usual 2 short & 1 long finger-wraps, if for no other reason to spread load/wear over a larger(more wear points) area. Maybe not actually needed(? Does anyone actually *know*?). & I'd also look to put bushings in(AMC did this on a lot of their 80's cars, & but the pin was really a pin - 'way too thin, but easily replaced, as were the bushings), to make either them or the pins easily replaceable, since I also don't know about the wear factor. Guessing it's not really needed, but... Attaching the hinge to the body may not be too bad, since you could connect to both the wheelwell, body C pillar & roof area.

Only other thing, for better proportions, like say mimicking a "Life" magazine ad drawing, the top needs to be chopped ~1" - *maybe* up to 1 1/2". Not so's it's noticeable, actually so's it's *not* noticeable, to get the "experts" & the waah-fo's to wonder that somethings been done, but just what... ?

Marcus...

 

Im gonna go for this look