Model A sport cpe to roadster conversion

What would be the best thing to do to the doors of a sport coupe if you are going to make it into a roadster? I know the body does not line up, so do you chop down the doors or make a piece that goes behind the door to tie it in to the flow of the body? What else would a guy have to do to make it look right? Just a young buck looking for suggestions from the wise ones. If there is any other ideas/solutions, I am all ears. Thanks for your help, Matt

 

i've seen both done...usually the window frames are cut and wood is formed around the rear deck to bring the body line up... also, folks have been known to get roadster doors, cut the body, shorten it and use the roadster doors which are shorter than the coupe' doors.good luck.
nic

 

Lot's of ways to do it.
DO you have the body now?

 

I cut my doors at the bodyline.Then we formed a piece of wood to flow with the tops of the doors around the back of the car.
Its a roadster with room!
I have a buncha pics.....Shiny

 

AH yes. that is the good thing about the sport coupes turned roadsters. more room inside!! both methods are exceptable. Shiny's looks good using both methods together.

 

i can;t find the picture of mine to post again....but im using a roadster cowl on mine..shoterned it 3 inches in the doors to fix the proportions....ive got alot of work to do but theres a picture on here somewhere where you can get an idea of what ive done to it...basically im adding a 3/4 inch bodyline around the back of the 1/4's and raising the top of the cowl posts 1-3/4 inches to match the body line on the coupe doors...im also adding a body line on the bottom of the doors and 1/4's to match the body line on the roadster cowl posts..mine started as a sport coupe....oh i channeled it all to the bottom of the frame too...its just an A frame
also you'll havew to thin out the doors a good bit of you donlt want them to look too fat from just capping them off with the window channel and all

i wish i could find the picture again...i haven;t done the doors yet...just took the 3 inches out of the subframe...in the last pic i put up it had a peice of cardboard on it to give an idea of what it might look like


good luck
zach

 

kustomkoupe, it sounds like you are doing yours right. I started off with my current project about a year and a half ago by trading my halfdome 62 sunliner for a really nice 28 sport coupe body and frame. Then all the roadster conversions I researched just looked like coupes with the top lopped off. The huge doors and fixed windshield had alot to do with it and if you can even do anything with the windshield it really helps. Armed with alot more info and knowledge of the Model A, I am taking another run at the project with the thought of doing just as you have only now it has morphed into a roadster pickup project.
BTW the picture posted of the roadster conversion with the top is one of the better looking ones, now just fix that ugly windshield.
I've got about $400 into my cowl and windshield roadster pieces for 28-29, more expensive and difficult to do on a 30-31 tho.

 

there was a post on this a while back. lot's of pics too. not sure how long ago though.

 

Sport Coupes are cool, leave the window frames in place.

 

My '31 was a sport coupe before it was made into an open-top car. The original builder cut the doors down and inserted wood blocks that were then upholstered. A friend of mine is a fabricator and builder from way back and says we can lose the wood and make a nice cap. He's done this before. Hopefully, this will be our winter project. Also, the windshield posts have been cut down pretty short, but stand straight-up. I am either going to lay them back or replace them with a pair of '28 roadster stanchions.

 

coupe turned roadster:























You need to pie cut the doors. Coupes are too fat at the top (where the window is) roadsters are pretty narrow.

 

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BTW the picture posted of the roadster conversion with the top is one of the better looking ones, now just fix that ugly windshield.
I've got about $400 into my cowl and windshield roadster pieces for 28-29, more expensive and difficult to do on a 30-31 tho.

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I built my own windshield frame outa tubing which you can't see.The windshield is actually laid back,but not the posts.
I'm also putting a model A coupe roof on my car that will be removable for winter driving.I have a set of 'winter'doors for it too.So I can keep the heat in a lil better.
Willowbilly3,show me your daily driver,I showed you mine.I can't stand it when guys say something bout my car then get in there SUV and drive off.Willow,if you don't like it keep your keyboard shut!LOL
I just sold off all my roadster cowlposts,Kustomcoupe got a set off me that hes using on his car.I didn't wanna do the conversion to make it look like a roadster.I like the straightup in your face windshield posts on my car.
Besides I don't like parking it long enough to change the oil,let alone parking to cahnge anything else.Its too damn fun to park!

 

I think SteveO from the Swanx in CA built a sport coupe and left the doors slightly taller than the rest of the body. He got the car from Jivebomber... pm jivebomber and he'll give you more details. Car looks cool by me... I'd post a pic if I had one with me.

 

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Sport Coupes are cool, leave the window frames in place.

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I totally agree. Why not be different and build a Sport Coupe with a folding (or removable) top? The best of both worlds. CF

 

great step by step KILLER!

 

29EHV8, right on about the not parking it thing, I respect that. I don't drive an suv and I still don't like coupe winshield posts on roadsters but hey you didn't build your car to suite me and if we all liked the same shit it would be a pretty boring world. And I said I liked your car but if you want everyone to just kiss your butt because you put a picture of it up, I won't be in that line.lol
And you definately got me on the cooler daily driver, right now my business truck is a 96 F-150 and my other drivers are a 75 F-250 SC a 68 and a 69 F-250 crewcabs
In the last 3 years I have had a 62 sunliner, a 64 300 Custom 2 door post and a nailhead powered T-bucket. My current rod is under construction.

 

Killer, you pics are great and the car looks really good. I was just giving it some thought, I got a line on a solid sport coupe and was looking into what was all involved it making it a roadster. Thanks to everyone who posted, much appreciated. Lata, Matt

 

There is one on ebay that is taking it's third run. No engine/tranny, no trunklid, welded shut doors. It seems like he wanted $1500 or maybe that was the high bid.

 

Sport Coupe under construction in the UK.
This is going to be a very hot car. It has a 3" chop, will run full door frames and has a Taylor Engine-built 100bhp Winfield carb'd four banger.

 

Another shot. Car is further on than this now. Paint is going on.

 

Sport Coupes are very cool.
This one will be out later this year.

 

im resurrecting this one,

Im looking for info on this in regards to the windshield setup from coupe to roadster.

Also, the back of the "cab" area below the body line in the car...how is that filled?

 

Exactly...

(yelling) xadamx....hey...where are ya!

 

Haha...ok, ok! I will take some shots when I get my car back from the muffler shop in the morning. I'll try to get some close-ups and such.

Adam

 

xadamx...where are ya

 

Still waiting on more photo's.........


CBB

 

Took photos but cannot get the memory card to work in my computer to transfer the photos over, and the cradle I used to use got damaged in a trip years ago. I may have to go to Kinko's and see if they can read the card and put the images on a disc or something. I will keep you updated...sorry for the delay...

 

Why does ik feel like that,s the body i sold to Ian Lacey in St- Simeon, Geurnsey about 5 years ago. Funny how you feel things like that.

 

Sorry, it isn't the same one. I bought mine off John Reid about 8 years ago and it was delivered to my door flatpacked in a 4' x 3' trailer. Before that it sat in a California yard waiting to be rescued. I was trying to trace your former one a while back as I had so much missing from mine that I needed a reference point to get some bits made, lost track of it though.


Here's a picture of how it looked when it was first leant together, this was the good side!




And here it is now painted, trimmed, chopped, no hood or aprons, 16 inch wires and a fresh motor.