Anybody run a roadster with the doors welded shut?

I have a 29 Chevy roadster that is in pieces ,missing door hinges , latches . I have been kicking around the idea of welding the doors shut and hopping in and out of the car.The problem i may run into is my Wife is short and it may not be convenient for her. I would like to hear pro's and con's about this . Thanks for the input .

 

I would think that would get real old, real fast
Hinges and latches shouldn't be that big of a deal, maybe use Model A hinges and bear latches

 

Ran one for years. never got old. whatever turns your crank.

 

Niekamp did with spectacular results...

 

I did on Kevin's old modified.It keeps your arms in shape!

 

I think it can be really cool on certain cars...like a channelled 28/29 A Roadster.
It ultimately depends on just how much of a chore hopping over really is.
IF its a pain in the ass for the better half right from the start, it isn't likely to get better in a couple of weeks!

 

It's been done sucessfully many times, but for my old hips and knees I'll keep my doors thank you

I do think climbing over the side would get old, and you'd curse first time you or someone else put a boot mark down the side.

 

It's only been 4 weeks since I got mine running, but it's a blast. I'd weld 'em shut.

 

My last car had the doors welded shut. I didn't mind it but it was an issue when I went to sell it and my wife didn't like getting in and out in a dress trying not to flash the folks checking out the car

 

Where's Mr. Fields? He has one that if he gets tired of crawling in & out of, I'd be more than happy to try to take off his hands! I'll supply a picture but you'll have to wait for him to tell you the downsides (if any).

 

My car club volunteered to transport the high school homecoming queen and her court at the homecoming football game. A long dress and welded doors didn't go over well for one guy.

Charlie Stephens

 

Was that guy wearing the long dress

 

Maybe a he was wearing a Kilt.

 

sure, do it to a chopped coupe?

 

Probably has a lot to do with your age and mobility,,,years ago I had a strip down jalopy and the doors were welded shut and I just hopped over the side and slid unto the seat.

Now I'm a little older,,well,a lot older and having broken a lot of bones between my youth and 60th birthday,,I ain't as agile as I once was.

So if your still a kid,,or a kid at heart,,,weld them shut,,,,but the longer you keep the car the harder it will be to get in and out. HRP

 

If you can weld them shut, then you can weld in plates and adapt new latches. I had the doors on my modified temporarily bolted shut until I got around to installing the latches. It got old, very old. It didn't bother me all that much, but it was embarrassing to give someone a ride and tell them they had to climb in.

 

Two thoughts!

Is she really a "roadster" kind of girl? Some girls take one ride around the block and decide they don't like their hair all fluffed up, and that's their last ride in one.

On my Model A roadster I drilled and bolted the doors shut because I was inpatient and just wanted to drive the damn thing. Bolting them shut is a less permanent solution. One day I'll put to latches in, but for now I'm having fun driving it. Hopping in and out isn't a big deal yet...

 

mine were tack welded shut for a few years now..untill recently at least i got the passenger door opening and closing with verry little work...jeffrey

 

mine are welded up.

 

But the Niekamp roadster does have a passenger side door. HRP

 

Really?! Holy crap it does! I never noticed! I wonder why in the world he did that?

 

C'mon man you can't really be that thick in the head He did it for the ladies he wanted to haul around, or maybe even that one special lady.

 

Huh... if that were my motive, I woulda welded it up! "Yeah honey, hitch up that skirt and climb on in!"

 

You can always mount a step plate for her.

 

doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I don't think it would be too difficult to fab something up if you can't find original parts

 

Well some of us are more in the gentleman mode and feel the women in our lives deserve special treatment

 

my mod doesn't have doors

 

My advice? There's an old saying:

"If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."
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With that in mind, I'd use hinges and a latch on at least the passenger side. And since you're going to bother finding those parts, why not do doors on the driver's side, too?

Oh ... and maybe buy her a nice scarf for her hair, too.

 

somewhere on here i think i remember a tech thread about how to build hinges for cheap maybe? and latches are not alot of dough even if you buy roadster style ones straight from macs. just my 2 cents.

 

If it's channelled and low...shouldn't be a problem....ran a 30A that way for many miles and years...'course I dated TALL gals..