67-69 Valiant 4dr to 2dr conversion

-
S

strang3majik

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
84
Reaction score
2
Location
Englewood, Fl
The more I've looked into my 67 2 door Valiant, the more disheartened I'm getting. More and more rust is being found in tougher and tougher areas to fix.


Well, the two doors aren't exactly common, especially here in Florida, so...my question...

the car I've been pulling parts off of and planning on cutting all the metal off of to fix mine is a 69 4 door. The car is actually nice, kind've a shame. But its a four door. Has a title and everything.


So my question....

Is a two and four door the same? Wheel base/distance between a and c pillar?


Can I pickup the four door, remove the doors, center post, cut out my rear quarter window/panel/post section and weld in onto the four door car?


The c pillar looks the same.

I'm just wondering if this is a possibility because that project would be a whole lot easier than replacing:

Lower quarters
trunk floor
floors
framing at the door hinges (both sides)
filler panel behind the rear window
rear quarter panel tops
trunk drip rails

etc.

Not to mention the process of cutting it all from the four door car (which has good all of that). Even the fenders, etc, I pulled from that car for mine.

The part thats good on my car is what makes it a two door. The front quarter, rear window, post, and doors. Lol.


So, any input?

Thanks in advance.
 
strang3majik said:
What are you wowing?

By the way...these two cars are a distance apart. Not exactly able to look at both at the same time.
Click to expand...

If the 4 door has a title and is as clean as you say, just swap everything into it from your 2 door. Thats a big can o worms your wanting to open.

At least thats,what id do. Make less work for yourself.
 
Is your car a hardtop or a sedan? The 4 door is a sedan and the windshield is taller than on a sedan so that means the entire roof is taller. If both are sedans than you might be able to make it work since they are all 111" wheelbase. The question would be is it worth it because it won't be easy and it will take a lot of time.
 
Build the four door and enjoy driving it. Unless you are a hell of a welder and have mad fab skills. If you don't like the four door sell it and part out the two door. Find a clean two door and save yourself the grief.
 
I'm no body man, BUT

This has been done to some cars

It undoubtedly is a hell of a lot of work

No matter how much time and money you put into it, it will STILL be a 4dr so far as the title is concerned
 
My car is a 2 door post car.

And before I'd stick with a 4 door I'd find another project altogether. No offense to anyone who has one. But not my thing. Lol.

But it was just something I was thinking.

The four door will be donating:
Fenders
Door jamb on both sides (a pillar to rocker)
Trunk Drip rails
Filler panel
Rear Lower Quarters
Tops of quarters (will replace along with drip rail)
Trunk floor
Floor

I'm just starting to wonder if it's worth fixing mine or if I should be looking for another shell. Problem is I can't find any without going to California. And I've searched up to pa and over to Texas.

And being money is a concern.



But the reason I was considering this is they look identical other than there's a door instead of more quarter and the front door is shorter.
 
yes it can be done. is it worth doing? that is up to you, you will probably have in welding supplys about what a valiant is worth. even the rarest valiant is still a valiant. personally my favorite cars are valiants, but we are a rare breed. check out waggs build thread, he did this to a valiant wagon.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
Is your car a hardtop or a sedan? The 4 door is a sedan and the windshield is taller than on a sedan so that means the entire roof is taller. If both are sedans than you might be able to make it work since they are all 111" wheelbase. The question would be is it worth it because it won't be easy and it will take a lot of time.
Click to expand...

Did they ever make a 67-70 Valiant in a hardtop? All I ever remember seeing is sedans. At once I thought they did, but have since started thinking it was only the 63-66 that were Hardtops or sedan. Anybody else know?
 
As long as you have pretty good welding/fab skills, and you realize it won't be nearly as valuable as a factory-made 2dr, I'd say its doable. I am pretty tired so my thinking may be somewhat clouded, but, in my head lol, you could use the 2dr doors, jambs, door pillar, etc, and incorporate that into the 4dr. You would have to section in a peice to make up the difference between the rear of the rear doors to the rear of the front doors. You would have to probably have rear windows made, and either make them stationary or modify a mechanism.

Thats all alot of work for a car like that. If it were me, I would sell them both as a pair and let someone else do all the work. I started building my Dart Sport as a basket case, and I am really starting to kick myself. It always takes longer than you thought it would, and I just want to drive it and enjoy it.

Good luck either way!
 
There's a guy on the sweptline.org website that made one. I'll try to find it. From how he explained it, it wasn't that difficult.
 
B-onefan said:
Did they ever make a 67-70 Valiant in a hardtop? All I ever remember seeing is sedans. At once I thought they did, but have since started thinking it was only the 63-66 that were Hardtops or sedan. Anybody else know?
Click to expand...

67/69 valiants are sedan only.
 
My cousing is a Ford Mustang, comet, falcon restoration expert. He has made quite a few 2 doors from 4 door cars. I can put you in touch with him if you'd like.

The reason he got into it was that he can take a 2 door that is beyond restoration and put those VINS on a 4 door car.
 
I've seen guys go it, but it is a lot of work.
If you decide to sell your parts car, post it here. I love the 4-door Valiants!! I had one in high school.
 
I've seen this done on a 63 belvedere, it didn't look like that monumental of a task. I'm with you on not wanting to restore a 4 door car. Sure they might be more practical... But a 2 door will always be more in demand and worth more.
 
IIRC, there was a magazine article about converting a 4 door into a 2 door. You use the 2 door doors, b-pillar, and quarter glass, and have to make a filler piece for the quarter.
I'm thinking the article said it took the shop about 8 hours to do one side (finish bodywork not included).
I've thought of doing the same thing to my totally rust free 4 door '70 Valiant. However, I sold my rusty 2 door parts car and haven't found another locally.
Dallas
 
I have seen two different body shops in my area do this same thing to at least 6 cars over the years. The first shop was doing altered wheel base mopars. And the other was doing 55-57 chevys. They all looked great when done. I was always impressed. The chevy guy was very fast and had the metal work roughed in in a couple days. The Mopar guy was more of a perfectionist and would sometimes take years. To his defense he said the customer could
have sped the project up. Budget issues.
Your welding and metal working skills should be tuned up nicely by the time you get done.
If you have more time than money and its the car you want, sounds like a great plan.
You will need at the very least a welder,grinder,cut off wheels and a tape measure.
I feel your pain on the rust damage. I am going to be splicing in complete front frame rails,floors and torsion cross member from a donor valiant to save my barracuda.
If I could ,I would start with a better car but Its not in the budget.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top