69 Belvedere, 4 door to 2 door conversioin... hard parts done!

[silver70]

I bought this car on ebay a few months back. Just couldn't pass it up for the price, wasn't much info and took a risk thinking worst case it would make a good parts car. I got it and floors were shot, rear window opening rusted and 2 doors full of putty. So I figured instead of drilling thousands of spot welds and cut it up, why not just use the roof section and such off another 2 door and make it something I felt worth spending money on.

I do normal kind of body/paint daily, gets kind of boring, I really have a good time with this type of stuff when I get a chance to try something new. It will get finished over winter, body/paint and plan to put in a rollbar, maybe minitub and so on as it will be more of a strip car.

Here's how it looked when it arrived and early cutting


The donor/section removed



More cutting



And roof section installed



I welded it up to the pinch weld, fully welded solid... originally it was in between then seam sealed after some eastwood rust encapsulator

And on to quarters/deck filler. I used goodmark because I got good prices and they fit like a glove... didn't expect them to fit to the factory extensions, wheel houses and so on without modifying some, but didn't need to.



I still need to finish some quarter fitting, like adjust for doors, extensions and replace the roof skin. I have another nice roof, but wanted to use a section I could keep square easy while installing.

Certainly not the easiest conversion, but not that difficult either. I'd rather do this again than cut up a 4 door to use rails on a 2 door and all that kind of stuff.

 

[Car Nut]

Very cool!

 

[Dako]

That is looking as though it just may work out!

 

[Darter6]

Well you do seem to mind working hard. Good job ! I was raised in the Mon-Valley.Good beer was brewed in Latrobe.

 

[Belle66]

WOW!!! What a fun project. Please keep posting progress.

 

[jeepers007]

Good job, and adds considerable value to your investment!

 

[silver70]

I will post pics as I go. I spent a week on it to get it this far, but right now I have a couple other cars to finish. Most likely will be something I finish over winter. I kind of wanted to make it like my dads 69 runner was when he raced it in the 70s. Which means I'd paint it rallye green, but considering a matte silver too as I love silver b-bodies and it would save me a lot of time trying to make the body perfect.

I wasn't too concerned with the value really when it's done. Based on what I've seen/read, if I used the cowl off the 68 runner donor car, I could have technically titled it as the 68 rr. I know the a-pillar and cowl welded on the new bodies out there, that's all they require to use to vin. I wanted something I'd have no regrets building however/cutting etc... my 68 satellite it far too original and my 68 roadrunner has like 98% of its original sheetmetal, so wasn't modding either of those 2.

They used to make good beer here, real shame they moved it out of town... that's all I drank while it was still brewed here.

 

[conv67bdere]

I will post pics as I go. I spent a week on it to get it this far, but right now I have a couple other cars to finish.

You spent a "week" on the car and got ALL of that done . . . WHOA . . . I'm feeling really inept as I've spent far longer than a week on my car and I don't think I've made half of the progress that you've made in a week . . .

Incredible conversion . . . WOW ! ! !

 

[Coronet 14]

You are a God :icon_pray::icon_pray: Question do you use the Vin of the 2 Door or 4 door

 

[silver70]

It staying with the vin that was on the car, it will show its a 4 door... will match the rad support and trunk gutter #s also. I guess you could say I'm proving a point with it too. I've see people build cars around a vin, which if I cut the 4 door up for parts and moved them to the 68 runner, what little would have been left, would that make it a 68 runner or is it still really just the 4 door? I guess it's how you look at it, but to me this is a converted 4 door and still titled as one.

 

[Dako]

It staying with the vin that was on the car, it will show its a 4 door... will match the rad support and trunk gutter #s also. I guess you could say I'm proving a point with it too. I've see people build cars around a vin, which if I cut the 4 door up for parts and moved them to the 68 runner, what little would have been left, would that make it a 68 runner or is it still really just the 4 door? I guess it's how you look at it, but to me this is a converted 4 door and still titled as one.

Apply some paint that changes color depending on lighting and you could fight (and win?) any ticket you get in that car...'It's a two door - no four...it's green - no red.

 

[Greg Ducato]

Just incredible!

 

[Basket case]

you got some mad skills. as long as it's legal, and out in the open, who cares if it's titled a four door. have fun with it.

 

[silver70]

I'm not changing the vin, so nothing legal to worry about. What I was getting at is how people have built cars basically around the firewall/cowl/vin and such just because of the value of the vin/car with that vin. I wouldn't have to use much more of the white 68 runner to legally be able to vin this car as the white 68 runner. And it probably would worth at least double what this car is if not more.

It was pretty funny, the reactions I got when I told people what I was doing and showed them pics of it cut up... don't think maybe people believed me haha... but like I've said, it wasn't all that hard to do and I would do another if I had a solid 4 door and parts 2 door... now I regret cutting some up a few years back if I knew how easy this would be with the full roof and such section.

 

[silver70]

Got the one piece floor pan and 2 rear sections in, center of the trunk floor replaced, mintubbed, rollbar kit and new roof skin installed... also got the doors fitted up, they need work yet, but mostly metal work is done less the inboard spring relocation kit.

 

[Homstead]

Wow that's an awesome build! A lot of work but I like where your headed with it!

 

[Basket case]

you da man! fantastic job.

 

[kork340]

Outstanding!! Great work Joe. It was good meeting you.

 

[HT413]

Huh, nevr thought I'd see the day when someone creates a clone of my ultra rare 69 mini tubbed belvedere. Well, since imitation is the best form of flattery, consider me flattered.

 

[poly1963]

:headbang: