Floors Finished Now Getting Ready To Start 2 Door Conversion

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hemi446

hemi446

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I finished replacing all the floors in my 65 Dart Wagon now it's time to start on the 2 door conversion. I removed the doors today and found the upper door hinge has play in it. The next step is to remove the B pillar and mount the door off my Valiant and rebuild both of those hinge's. I'll be on my way. My biggest concern is I'm not a body man I have hung fenders and doors and can weld but doing the mud work takes a special talent that I don't have at this point but you can't learn if you don't try. So with that being said I post as many pictures as I can and if I'm really f'ing up you someone could let me know I would appreciate it, I don't mind critics as long as they are there to help. If anyone in the area wants to stop by and take a look and help that works to I'm always good for a beer or two. PM me if you would like to stop be and help in anyway. Thanks to all the FABO member that have any input

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Looks good on the pans. will stay tuned for the doors. Do you have a build thread on this? I see I'm not far from you. Little over an hour North in Red Lion PA
 
I haven't started a build thread most of the pictures of the floor pan install were lost in a computer melt down.
 
Wish I could offer some sage advice but I'm no body man either! I love what you're doing and will be watching along the way though.

Best,

CE
 
If I could find a wagon local and cheap I have all the parts needed to do a conversion. One day maybe that will happen.
 
Love the floor work, inspiration for work I have o do on my 65 wagon! Keep us posted!
 
So how is this done. I gather the wheelbase remains the same since your floors are currently finished.
Are your valiant doors from a two door post?
Which b pillar will you use?
I like the idea of the wagon as a two door myself.
Curious how you plan to do this conversion.
 
One of the members was at a car show on the weekend and posted this one. He said the work was very well done. 65 Dodge. Interesting project. Your floors look great.

 
hemi446 said:
I finished replacing all the floors in my 65 Dart Wagon now it's time to start on the 2 door conversion. I removed the doors today and found the upper door hinge has play in it. The next step is to remove the B pillar and mount the door off my Valiant and rebuild both of those hinge's. I'll be on my way. My biggest concern is I'm not a body man I have hung fenders and doors and can weld but doing the mud work takes a special talent that I don't have at this point but you can't learn if you don't try. So with that being said I post as many pictures as I can and if I'm really f'ing up you someone could let me know I would appreciate it, I don't mind critics as long as they are there to help. If anyone in the area wants to stop by and take a look and help that works to I'm always good for a beer or two. PM me if you would like to stop be and help in anyway. Thanks to all the FABO member that have any input

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looking pretty good. there is a user(Waggin) on here that did a 2 door conversion on his wagon. I would contact him for any gotchya's that he might have had and how he worked through them.
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Ok to answer SSBA question the wheel base stays the same I'm using Valiant hardtop doors and the front of the quarter panel to fill the space from the back of the door to the front of the wheel house. The guy I met at Carlisle several years ago did the 63-64 Valiant SW out of Canada. He has been lots of help with pictures and information and so has Waggin. My only concern is that I'm not a bodyman I have and Auto Repair Business and Machine shop so that's what I'm real confortable with but what the hell like I tell my new employees get started and if you run into a problem stop and ask questions someone here can help so that what I'm doing.
 
Hemi446... You can do it. I am not a body man nor a mechanic nor a welder and I did it twelve years ago for the first time. I am going to do it again soon. Look up online how it is done to B bodies. It is practically the same on the A bodies. The quarter panel can be done several different ways. I chose to keep it all together as one piece from the parts car to the car I was building.
 
Thats what I was told by my friend in Canada. cut it big, remove the glass but leave the regulator in the body and keep cutting until it lines up with the door then fix the body lines and door seems so it looks right and weld it in. Time with tell. How some pictures Valiant63.
 
That was a long time ago when I did that conversion and I did it for me and not for anybody else so I did not record it and take any pictures of it. The car was a light green 63 Valiant and I sold it 7 years ago. It recently sold to a guy in Connecticut on here and it now has a black hood scoop on it.
 
I did the 2 door conversion on this 63 wagon and put in doors from a 65 Valiant. But like I said that was years ago and I never did get the car finished and driving. I did put the frame connectors in first like you did before cutting out the post. I also did floor repairs/replacement and moved back the windshield wiper motor area on the firewall to accomidiate a V-8 engine. Hang the new longer door in there first and then fit the quarter panel in there and like your friend told you keep cutting a little bit off of it until it fits both inside and out. Make sure that you use a very good straight edge on the outside to line up the Body Lines. Tack it first and make adjustments before welding it solid. Weld a little at a time.

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