shaving vent windows

[FORDification]

Oh yeah....I meant to throw in some food for thought here, in the form of pictures I got when disassembling my truck's doors a while back and writing up the How to Completely Disassemble a Door tutorial.

It's been mentioned several times that the upper hinge is in the way of a one-piece glass setup, and I wanted to verify this. So after the door was completely apart, I took the following pictures:



As you can see, the upper door hinge is right in the way of adding one-piece glass. The ONLY way this would work (that I can see) is to completely relocate the upper hinge.....which obviously is going to be a LOT of work.

However, while sitting back trying to come up with an easier way, it occured to me that it MIGHT be do-able by bolting the door hinge to the OUTSIDE of the hinge pocket rather than the inside. You'd have to reshape the hinge arm to keep things aligned.



If you could mount the upper hinge on the outside of the hinge pocket, and bolt the hinges on from the inside, there might be enough clearance that way. Of course, like I mentioned, you'd also have to rework the hinge arm to stretch over to the new mounting location. You'd have to move it over roughly the width of the hinge arm, and this could be achieved by making a 'Z' in the hinge arm, something like this, which I just whipped up in Photoshop for the visual:



This might be a lot less work. However, I've never tried this (obviously), so I'm just speculating. Any thoughts?

If anyone else has ever done this, I'd be interested in the specifics about what was done....and if anyone decides to try this, please keep us informed.

[FormerMarine1981]

I was thinking about doing this and was thinking of putting a newer style mirror in the corner in place of the vent. I'm not sure but that might take up just enough room to make modifying the hinge unnecessary. It would also keep you from drilling any holes in the door to mount mirrors.

[GT-Racer]

Somebody please...the suspense is killin me. I gotta know does it work?

[FORDification]

I was thinking about doing this and was thinking of putting a newer style mirror in the corner in place of the vent. I'm not sure but that might take up just enough room to make modifying the hinge unnecessary. It would also keep you from drilling any holes in the door to mount mirrors.

You can't just remove the vent assembly, since it's also the forward channel for the main glass. And anyway, it's not the vent window assembly that causes interference with a one-piece glass, it's the hinge pocket in the door....you'll have to remove the hinge pocket.

[kknip]

Keith,I think what formermarine1981 was thinking about is these type mirrors,the back side is acctually the window track.You don't have any vent windows,but the glass would be shortened up front to back to miss the hinge (maybe).I think the mirror mount it's self don't have the track built in it,but you could use part of the old track off the vent window.

[alvinator]

only thing I could think of would be to modify the door hinge, like Keith mentioned and maybe modify the door by notching out where the hinge would go and cover it up with the door panel to cover the bolts.

[snake]

I might be missing something here because I haven't studied the actual parts in person but.......

why couldn't the upper door hinge arm simply be cut off with a plate welded to it that bolts to the door 'edge' (or side) rather than inserting into the door. The plate would essentially be located where Keith shows the offset in his pics above. Then the hinge arm 'pocket' inside the door could be removed where it conflicts with the on-piece glass.

The doors on these trucks aren't very long or heavy compared to many car doors that simply bolt to the edge on the front of the door (ie - 89-96 T-birds...) You may want to slide a heavier plate inside the door jamb to act as a large washer and spread the load out so nothing starts to pull through but that seems rather simple by comparison.

Again, I might be missing something. At some point I will be considering this on one of my trucks and will be looking in more depth at the problem.....

[FormerMarine1981]

Keith,I think what formermarine1981 was thinking about is these type mirrors,the back side is acctually the window track.You don't have any vent windows,but the glass would be shortened up front to back to miss the hinge (maybe).I think the mirror mount it's self don't have the track built in it,but you could use part of the old track off the vent window.

Yes thats exactly what I was talking about.

[cathynkeith]

if it works , I'll pay ya to do mine

[averagef250]

Bolting it right to the jamb could make it alot harder to adjust the door.

[FORDification]

snake:

Sorry about that...I thought I'd included the picture of the Photoshopped version of the door hinge which describes exactly what you're saying. Here's that version:

[img]http://www.fordification.com/board/door ... shop]1.jpg[/img]

In this variation of the above-picture hinge modifications, the hinge arm that extends into the door shell is cut off and modified to butt up against the door. The bolt holes that hold this section to the door could be slightly oversized, to give you some adjustment, and you could mill/grind a little off the thickness of it (on the back side) and then use shims between it and the door to give you a little more adjustment.

I think to make this work, you'd basically have to get the door installed normally, and then with it in an open position you'd simply weld the 'T' portion onto the hinge arm, up against the door, and then drill the mounting holes. You'd then remove the hinge, cut off the hinge arm and mill/grind some of the thickness off that back, and then cut out the door's hinge pocket and fab up a steel plate to act as a large washer for the inside of the door shell.

[tybob81]

Over a few moths ago I contacted the company that makes the one piece glass for 73-87 chevy trucks. I asked the guy on the phone about if they were in the process of working on 67-72 fords or anything else. He told me that they were trying to come up with a lit for the bumpside fords. When they figured something out I was supposed to be emailed. Being that it has been over a few month since I talked to him and no email saying any progress I guess they are having the same problem. Heck with them anyway there kits sell for around $700.00 bucks anyway.

[Mooosman]

I don't think you'd have a problem attaching the hinge right to the edge of the door. Lots of cars with much heavier doors than our trucks have it set up this way, and they are fine. Look at newer Thunderbirds and most Camaros; those things have super heavy, LONG doors, and they are fine.

Nick

[Pipes71]

I havent had my coffee yet..or a chance to look at my bumps door yet..but couldnt you cut the existing hinge shorter before it enters the door its self, then weld the hole for the hinge in the door shut..and then find a hinge that bolts flat and weld that to the cut hinge. Then just bolt it to the door? You might have the modify the jam a bit to fit a hinge that mounts flat.

If I make no sense my apoligies..I've just have been got up and am still in a daze rubbing my eyes waiting for the coffee machine to spit out my wake up juice!

[Pipes71]

Never mind!..(coffee woke me up.