Suicide Doors for Kaiser part II

Hinge before Install was Started


The left side hinge installation was a little easier because I knew what to expect but, still it took 3 tries to get the hinge pin as far back and to the outside of the car as possible. Next, I patched around the hinge openings in the door post and the doors. Finished fabricating and welding of the support plates inside the doors. Rehung and adjusted the doors allowing for the rubber door seals and scuff plates.


The latches turned out to be as challenging as the hinges. First the rear door handles had to be placed so they look right with the front door handles. With the help of my wife holding the handle at different spots we decided to put them level with the front handle and the same distance from the edge of the the door.



I removed the door handle backing plates from the front doors of the parts car, as the front is different from the back and have a bracket on them that hold the handle in place where as the back door the handle bolt is through the sheet metal of the door.

I used the backing plate as a template and cut the handle opening where I found a heavy inner metal liner that ran from the bottom of the door to the window (the old hinge support) and portions of it had to be removed for the new latch and handle location. The window channel was also in the way of installing the latch from the inside of the door. After studying the front door vs. the back door latch and window channel installation (stock) the front door window channels are removable to allow latch removal from the inside and the lock mechanism of the front door is for a rod straight up through the door molding where the back is a bell crank and strap operation.

I cut the latch area at the end of the door out of the front doors of the parts car then cut the end out the back door were the stock hinge use to be and removed the window channel by drilling out the spot welds.

I installed the handle and backing plate in the new location and used it to locate the latch assembly as there is a plunger on the back of the handle, that must press on a lever of the latch to open the door. I tack welded it in place and closed the door for clearance on the post.

After some minor adjustments it was welded in place and a bracket was fabricated and welded to the window channel to make it removable.

I made a cardboard template of the latch pin location, taped it to the post then marked the latch location with the door closed. The post opening had to be cut larger than neccessary because of the old hinge indentation and backing plate.


The template was trimmed down and fitted to the opening. Then the plate was cut out, drilled for mounting bolts and the old captive nut bar and bracket was salvaged and spot welded to the back of the new plate.

It took three tack welds in and grind outs before I got the depth and clearance with the latch right. The inside door handle was simple by using the right on the left and left of the right and shorting the straps that connect to the latch assembly.

I have 140 hours so far in this suicide door installation and still have the blisters to build in the wheel wells plus all the metal finish work before its ready for paint. But, it turned out good and I was able to use all the stock components except the hinges and retain the stock door handles latches and locks.