1969 Valiant Slicing

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It turns out that I can't have one big window to fill the front window frame. The front window channel inside the door has to slope the same as the rear window channel. There is not enough room inside the door to achieve that slope. The bottom edge of the window channel hits the bottom door hing. So I think I am going to mount side mirrors in the front corner of the window frame like on many newer cars. This will move the front window channel towards the back and give me plenty of room to get the front window channel slope right.

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why not make the rear channel more upright? much easier surely and you wouldn't have door mirrors to remind you of that compromise every time you see them.
neil.
 
mygasser said:
why not make the rear channel more upright? much easier surely and you wouldn't have door mirrors to remind you of that compromise every time you see them.
neil.
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That is an option. Don't think it would be easier. What is easier is to forgive myself for the compromise. :)
 
if you were to leave 2 handles on the doors i'd put a left and a right handle on each door, one at the front and one at the rear. people wouldn't know which way the doors opened then, lol.
especially with the 1/4 glass at the rear (front?) :lol:
neil.
 
I mocked up the mirror idea. It's all held in place with magnets. Don't love it and don't hate it. The front window channel looks too thick. Will try using the chrome window channel from the vent window. It is thinner.

Don't tell anyone the mirror is for a Chey. It will be our secret. I like it because it has led turn signals.

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This is a mock up using the window channel from the vent window. I like this better. Mirror needs to come up and out a bit. Still going to visit the pick a part yard to see what I can find.

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so you know how on a hardtop body the rear 1/4 glass winds up and down and there's no 'b' post? what if you had no rear glass channel from the window sill up and had the 1/4 glass fitted with the same type of seal on it's front edge that the hardtop's have for the drop glass to seal against? it'd lose the bulky glass channel there and the 1/4 glass could even slip out (forwards) from it's frame for that 'hardtop' illusion. hope you get what i mean, lol.
neil.
ps the door mirror needs to be of a chromed 'classic' type not a modern plastic type imo. like the one you have there now.
 
mygasser said:
so you know how on a hardtop body the rear 1/4 glass winds up and down and there's no 'b' post? what if you had no rear glass channel from the window sill up and had the 1/4 glass fitted with the same type of seal on it's front edge that the hardtop's have for the drop glass to seal against? it'd lose the bulky glass channel there and the 1/4 glass could even slip out (forwards) from it's frame for that 'hardtop' illusion. hope you get what i mean, lol.
neil.
ps the door mirror needs to be of a chromed 'classic' type not a modern plastic type imo. like the one you have there now.
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I understand what you are describing and am liking the idea. Hadn't thought about eliminating or reducing the width of the window channel until your post. Getting it to seal correctly might be a challenge. I could weld the original window frame back in if it doesn't work out.

If this works, the original front vent window may look better then doing the mirrors. Am not fond with the window shape with the mirrors in the corner.

We are in agreement about the style of the mirrors. Finding something that would look good at the pick a part yard is just a long shot.
 
Fabrication of the right door is finished. Just need to finish the welding. Which I will do after I do the left door.

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wildman2bad said:
Did some more picture studies. Someone said that having the rear triangle window would look wierd and they were right. So it will have just the front vent and one roll up window per door. My favorite is the 5th pic. What is your favoriate?

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Definitely #5. In post #65, I see you have the same magnetic base flashlight as me. I LOVE mine. What are you thinking for paint / graphics? If I missed that, sorry. I think silver with a red interior would look awesome on Stubs. BTW, I think Stubs would be a great name for her. BTW, great fab skills. Every time I get to thinking I am pretty good, I see work like yours. I am impressed!
ALSO, I had a thought. I know it would introduce a blind spot, but the triangle area could be filled in and blended to be level with the C pillar; kind of a Landua roof look.
 
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harrisonm said:
Definitely #5. In post #65, I see you have the same magnetic base flashlight as me. I LOVE mine. What are you thinking for paint / graphics? If I missed that, sorry. I think silver with a red interior would look awesome on Stubs. BTW, I think Stubs would be a great name for her. BTW, great fab skills. Every time I get to thinking I am pretty good, I see work like yours. I am impressed!
ALSO, I had a thought. I know it would introduce a blind spot, but the triangle area could be filled in and blended to be level with the C pillar; kind of a Landua roof look.
Click to expand...

Good ideas. For paint I and thinking about purple or green. The interior will be black an gray.

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Too cool. A friend of mine turned a 4 door Fairlane into a 2 door for his daughter. The vanity license is "WUZA4DR".
 
looked up a picture of a 70 El Camino. the door you designed reminds me of one. a friend has one, going to see how easy it is to get in or out or if I hit my head. IF you made a pick-up version, you could call it a Valmino or El Valiant. great work!
 
abdywgn said:
looked up a picture of a 70 El Camino. the door you designed reminds me of one. a friend has one, going to see how easy it is to get in or out or if I hit my head. IF you made a pick-up version, you could call it a Valmino or El Valiant. great work!
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or a valchero, ford made a car/truck too.
 
The doors have everything spot welded in place and will be completed when the trunk cut is finished. Used a laser level to lay out the cuts to the rear end. Ten inches will be removed. The cuts zig zag so that the trunk will be cut where it is straight.

Finishing the welding is a slow process. You have to do a little at a time so that the metal does not warp. Since I am using MIG, you have to do spot welds and let them cool before you do more. With all the finish welding I have to do, the starting point should be cold by the time I get back to it.

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Son of a gun. I couldn't envision it, but now the proportions work!
 
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