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Hi guys. I have been working on the car over the winter and have made a tonneau, doors, and fold down top. The tonneau is just on the rear and the doors are made of aluminum with windows. I don't like the snaps a bunch of people use so I made up an aluminum header bow and one to go around the rear of the car and the top attaches to them. They in turn latch to the body and windshield frame on the inside and the complete top can be removed in about 2 minutes with 4 latches and 2 bolts. The top can also be folded half way back for easier access and then pulled forward and latched down from the inside. The doors attach to the windshield supports and I made a slide/spring latch for the rear. Can be opened from inside or out. I put Lexan in the windows, they don't roll up or down. I had it up to about 60 the other day when it was sunny and 23 and it was pretty good. I still have to finish it up and paint the upper edge of the door to continue on my stripe etc. Doors weigh about 5-6lbs each. The top and tonneau are my first attemps at sewing so they could be better and I will make another later on when I sew some more stuff. It will do in the mean time. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Those doors look real good! Can you post a picture of the rear latches you talked about. Any pics with more detail would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Rod

Yeah I would like more pic's of the door. Everything looks great. Russ

Sure can.. They are a little fuzzy. I haven't taken one of the latch yet but I will and add that later.

Looks great! I like the aggressive look of the top. Sweetie says it looks like the Munster's hot rod!

Got any pictures of the door open?

-dave

Here are some pictures of the latch and the inside of the door. Not quite finished yet as I have some clean up to do etc. At the moment I have an allen head bolt as the handle. The shaft of the latch has a threaded hole in it. There is a hole at the rear of the shaft, this is where a cable will attach and it will be mounted at the front of the door. The shaft in the latch is spring loaded so when you pull on the cable the latch will slide allowing the door to open. The cable idea came from the early Minis (1960 era) The lexan is two sided taped around the perimeter of the frame, pop rivited along the lower edge and then painted on the inside to hide the attaching. Similar to how new cars have their mountings hidden. This is not a crash worthy door, just what I feel, a better version of the Caterham door. Looks more like it belongs on there rather than what somebody made from an old tent. Mine fits the top and seals up against the top. All the Caterhams I have seen have gaps around them. Mine will keep the rain out. Designed to be water resistant, not water proof.

So, to the windshield and the rear it attaches kinda like a Jeep top?

Caterhams use two leather(?) straps with snaps to secure the door - one at the door bottom and one near your shoulder. They remain unsecured when you are out of the vehicle.

I like your doors though. I need to make some....

G

Thanks for the pics Graham, excellent work!

Rod

Graham

Those are great looking doors. I like the idea of two sided tape for the Lexan. Let us know how it holds up in the weather.
This is good timing I just finished my hinges and door frames, and I have been trying to come up with a latch that would would. The problem I have is that my doors go all the way back to the roll bar. But it looks like your latch designed could be adapted to a pull cable that I could position mid way on the door frame. Is it spring Loaded?
Your doors looks real good with so few rivets, I had planned on riveting around the perimeter, but your looks much nicer. How did you fit the panels to the door frame, is it just the folded over the frame, did you use any glue.
You did a great job on the doors Dave W

Looking good, Graham!

Hi Dave. The skin is just folded over the frame like a regular car door. The rivets go through the skin, lexan, and into the center part of the frame. The screws for the hinge also hold it on at the front as I have just a folded (90 degree) edge there to attach weather strip to. The w/strip seals to the windshield mount. Seems to work for air so far but it hasn't seen the rain yet. Still snowing here.

Graham

I think I'm going with your rear latch design, I was toying with putting a latch in the center, actually made two latches but I don't like a post even a small one sticking up in side rail area that you would have to pass over. I have to think that the rear latch is going to be more effective. I 'm not looking off water tight doors, I'm just looking for enough to extend the driving season another month. I'm planning on putting a sliding window in half the section. We'll see how that works. Thanks for the info.
Another one waiting for the snow to melt Dave W

Graham,

That's looking great! What are the tail lights and the gas filler cover from? Were they big ticket items?

John

Both the tail lights and the gas flap are motorcycle ebay items. The tail lights are similar to the series one 7 which I believe were Morris Minor units.