Doors for a hard top.

[Go Joe]

I have a 1956 CJ5 with a Kelly All-Steel hard top. The doors are missing for the hard top and the odds of find a good set of doors for it are pretty slim. I don't have a ton of money and probably couldn't afford them if I did find a set. I'm thinking of making a set of doors out of plywood or PVC panel. I'm wondering if anyone here has ever made a set of doors. I'm not sure how to do the windows. I would like to be able to open and close them somehow. Any ideas?

[51 CJ3]

I haven't ever tried to make a door but I don't think I would use plywood unless it is highly unlikely to ever get wet. I might try the PVC, maybe with windows that snap or zipper in like on a soft top. For that matter, could a set of soft top doors be made to work? It kind of depends on what my intent is. If I wanted stay with metal I think I would try aluminum or steel using square tubing or angle for a frame and sheet metal skin (PVC sheet would work too). Windows could be soft top style or plexiglass windows mounted in a track with a way to manually slide them up and down and lock them in place with thumb screws.

Jeff

[Go Joe]

I agree on the plywood. I would have to repaint it often if I used it. I'm probably going to go with 3/4" PVC panel. Azek is the brand I'm familiar with. It runs around $170.00 a sheet but I can make both doors out of one sheet if I doesn't screw up. Azek is easy to work with, paintable and almost indestructible. I work in a shop where I could easily make a nice set of metal doors but they don't allow home projects and I don't have to equipment to do it at home. I have a half a sheet of 1/2 plywood. I think I am going to make a test door with it and then use that as a template for the Azek. I will never be able to make it air tight like a car door but I live in Iowa and I want to drive it year round. I think I'm going to make the windows so they slide. They won't open as wide but I'll get some air in. I might hinge the doors so they are suicide doors and make them so I can latch them open if they will clear the back tires. I'm going to try and get some Lexan for the windows. It isn't as brittle as Plexiglass but it is expensive. I don't want to buy a whole sheet.