Sport 2 door to 4 door conversion

[ExplorerJoe77]

I have spent hours reading this forum and it has help me make a lot of decision for my X. So on to the new question.
Has anyone turned a 2 door sport into a 4 door. I don't mean replacing the body. I'm talking about just cutting and building quarter doors for more rear seat access. If you did what did you use as a donor? ( ie.Tacoma, Colorado, or a Ford I don't know about.) Thanks in advance
Joe

 

[yostyexplorer94]

I never read anything on here about someone doing anything like that. A ranger quarter door would probably be a different body line from your first gen explorer.

 

[Jason94sport]

The 4 door frame is longer. Most things after the front fenders are not going to line up.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

The 4 door frame is longer. Most things after the front fenders are not going to line up.

I still plan on using my 2 door frame. I don't want add a full door.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

I never read anything on here about someone doing anything like that. A ranger quarter door would probably be a different body line from your first gen explorer. Good luck and keep us updated as it sounds like a cool custom project.

I keep you updated as soon as I start the project maybe mid to late may. Thanks for the heads up about Ranger quarter doors I'll look in to it. This project needs to be planned and replanned before I start.

 

[MONMIX]

You want to do what?
Make an unsafe death trap what ?

These boards make my head hurt....

Sectioning a unitised frame ( or any frame really ) is an unsafe practice. Unless you really know what you are doing, and I am gathering you don't because you are asking this question I would tell you emphatically "Put down the sawz-all "

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

You want to do what?
Make an unsafe death trap what ?

These boards make my head hurt....

Sectioning a unitised frame ( or any frame really ) is an unsafe practice. Unless you really know what you are doing, and I am gathering you don't because you are asking this question I would tell you emphatically "Put down the sawz-all "

Sorry no frame cutting or sectioning. I'm talking about making body mods. Secondly you should always ask questions weather you know, think you know, or have no clue. But thank you for your concern and your concern for others.

For those who willing to risk it all, pick up your sawz-all, plasma cutter, or grinder and have at it.

 

[MONMIX]

Sorry no frame cutting or sectioning. I'm talking about making body mods. Secondly you should always ask questions weather you know, think you know, or have no clue. But thank you for your concern and your concern for others.

For those who willing to risk it all, pick up your sawz-all, plasma cutter, or grinder and have at it.

What I am saying to you is there is no way to turn a two door into a four door without altering and modifying ( read: cutting, relocating and replacing ) the structural sections of the unitised body of your Explorer. I know you are asking questions in order to learn and I am responding with answers. The answer is, this task is far above and beyond DIY, IF, you want it done correctly and safely.
When you say " For those who willing to risk it all " am I to assume you mean the safety of all occupants? The structural integrity of the vehicle for both safety and corrosion protection ?
If that is the case then I have nothing further to add to this conversation.

 

[corkey]

You're talking about doors like that Saturn thing that access the back seat with a smaller door that swings out the other way,, they call it suicide door ,, ??

i think it might be doable , but the stress points for seatbelts, the support for the Roof and proper front door latching are all concerns,, , body integrity is the form of support for all of them currently,
so that must be taken into account in the design stage, and is a bit beyond a diy stage ,,,
other then them concerns i think it would be an interesting project,, but address the safety concerns as you go along,,,

 

[1992explorerMi]

well this pretty much takes the cake for the worst idea in the first gen section. But hey have at it. I have been wrong before

 

[RangerX]

Explorerjoe, what's your experience level at fabrication and bodywork? Just wondering if this will be your first project, or if you have years of doing similar level modifications.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

Alright Folks I'm going to say this once. If you have nothing constructive to add to this thread then don't.
I don't sit and tell you that you have $#it ideas. Because if you like I can be a d!+@ too. This forum and these threads are supposed to be about a community helping each other out. So if you're not being helpful piss off.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

Explorerjoe, what's your experience level at fabrication and bodywork? Just wondering if this will be your first project, or if you have years of doing similar level modifications.

I actually do R&D for a auto company.I've done some hot rod work in the past , you know choppin' roofs and stuff. But I've never tried to add a door before.

 

[mounty71]

Not that I think this is a great idea any more than the others who have posted...but just for fun, have you thought about how the current front doors will latch once you remove the body behind them? My thought is to leave the door jams where they are so you don't need to mess with the front door latches. Cut down along your door jams behind the latch and right before the sheet metal turns out to the outer skin of the body, then get 2 more door jams from another explorer and cut down them in the same location. Then graft them in behind what stock door jams you have left on your car, but put the second driver's door jam/latch on the passenger's side, and the second passenger's door jam on the driver's side, so you will end up with a B-pillar with 2 latches. Hinges could probably be sourced from a variety of vehicles but maybe try something with a suicide rear door like that Saturn or an FJ cruiser, or even a Ranger. Preferably something that swings the door away from the body. For the suicide doors you could probably start with a set of front Explorer doors because you know the body lines and latches will match. Cut them down to the size of the 2-door's quarter panels in front of the rear wheels, cut the top half/window frames off and graft on the little triangular window/upper body of your 2-door.

 

[mounty71]

I just remembered that I'm pretty sure the 2-door Explorer's doors are longer than the 4-door's front doors. So because the B-pillar I was talking about would end up being right in the way of passengers getting into the back seats, what you'd probably want to do is install a 4-door Explorer's front doors, cut out your entire B-pillar and door jams and graft in a 4-door Explorer's door jams, then proceed with what I explained above.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

I just remembered that I'm pretty sure the 2-door Explorer's doors are longer than the 4-door's front doors. So because the B-pillar I was talking about would end up being right in the way of passengers getting into the back seats, what you'd probably want to do is install a 4-door Explorer's front doors, cut out your entire B-pillar and door jams and graft in a 4-door Explorer's door jams, then proceed with what I explained above.

I actually got the idea after getting into my buddy's FJ.
I will probably build a latch and striker setup on the top of the new door. And I may incorporate the pillar into the new rear door so the front still latches the same.

 

[MONMIX]

Alright Folks I'm going to say this once. If you have nothing constructive to add to this thread then don't.
I don't sit and tell you that you have $#it ideas. Because if you like I can be a d!+@ too. This forum and these threads are supposed to be about a community helping each other out. So if you're not being helpful piss off.

You ask a question in a public forum, you are going to get a variety of answers.

I for one would definitely consider concern over the safety of the occupants and the structural integrity of the vehicle as "being helpful" .
Maybe I am crazy. I am sorry you didn't care for my answers, but I felt obligated to respond.

 

[ExplorerJoe77]

You ask a question in a public forum, you are going to get a variety of answers.

I for one would definitely consider concern over the safety of the occupants and the structural integrity of the vehicle as "being helpful" .
Maybe I am crazy. I am sorry you didn't care for my answers, but I felt obligated to respond.

Actually I agree with you. I would never purposely put anyone's safety at risk.
I do a lot of things others consider risky but that is me and those who join me understand the risks I take. And that's what I meant by those willing to risk it all, those willing to charge that perverbal hill.
As far as the various remarks go, I disagree. I'm on a focus based form. It's not like I posted it on Facebook. I posted my question on a community forum. With that being said if you and others feel like this is the place to treat people disrespectfully let me know so I can fire back with an equal attitude or I can find a new place. My skin is pretty thick and my feelings aren't hurt but I will treat people the way they treat me.

 

[MONMIX]

Actually I agree with you. I would never purposely put anyone's safety at risk.
I do a lot of things others consider risky but that is me and those who join me understand the risks I take. And that's what I meant by those willing to risk it all, those willing to charge that perverbal hill.
As far as the various remarks go, I disagree. I'm on a focus based form. It's not like I posted it on Facebook. I posted my question on a community forum. With that being said if you and others feel like this is the place to treat people disrespectfully let me know so I can fire back with an equal attitude or I can find a new place. My skin is pretty thick and my feelings aren't hurt but I will treat people the way they treat me.

Okay, was it my comments that you viewed as disrespectful ? It certainly was not intended to be received that way I can assure you. As you can see in my signature I do collision repair. Been doing it for more than 25 years. You can see my credentials, and the training I have received. Would it be safe to say I know a thing or two about the subject? Would it be safe to say that based on training and experience I can say with a fair amount of certainty I can speak with at least some authority on this subject? I am not a mud slinger. I fix the big hits. I have been places on unibody cars human eyes were never intended to see. There absolutely is a correct way and an incorrect way to perform these repairs, and there are very clear and defined reasons why some ways are correct and other ways are not. Granted what you are doing is not a repair, but the same principals apply. In order to turn a two door into a for door you will be altering the unitised structure of the vehicle. Period.
Altering the unitised structure of a vehicle will alter the way vehicles will perform in a collision. Altering the structure of a vehicle will change the way the vehicle directs the energy ( force ) of an impact around the passenger compartment.

The long and short of it all, these modifications you wish to perform will come with consequences.
If I am being a disrespectful jerk by wanting to make you aware of this then so be it.

 

[Jason94sport]

I'd cut the top & rear & make it a vert...then you could just hop in & out of it....

The problem, I see is the B pillar(or lack of one) Even if you could graft a 4 door section, the space inside is still a problem. How would one get in & out of the rear? At what point? Might want to do what limo builders do... cut & extend the frame to make it longer to fit.
Or do this with a 4 door instead of the 2 door. I could see fitting the front sport doors, then fabing an extended B pillar, then inverting the stock rear doors, fab hinges/locks & then you'd at least have room inside where you open the door & can actually get to the back seat.