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69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion #1832092
05/22/15 12:28 PM
05/22/15 12:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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I bought this car over a month ago on ehay. Looked too cool for the price to pass up and wasn't much info in the auction. Someone talked me into buying it, so took a chance without more info since it was in the south west. I figured worst case good parts car. Well it arrived, floor was shot, lots of wiring and stuff I didn't like plus a slant 6/3 speed with a floor shifter I couldn't shift well laugh2 I didn't want to put $ into a 4 door so decided instead of cutting up for parts, I'd make it into something I'd like.

So here it is, the not as easy a the older b-body 4 to 2 door conversion.

How it looked when it arrived:

0505151208.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832093
05/22/15 12:31 PM
05/22/15 12:31 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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Time to start cutting!

0514152003.jpg0515151322.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832094
05/22/15 12:33 PM
05/22/15 12:33 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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Roof had to go

0516151326.jpg0515152003.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832095
05/22/15 12:35 PM
05/22/15 12:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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More metal removal

0516151349.jpg0517151611.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832100
05/22/15 12:37 PM
05/22/15 12:37 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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And the donor and roof section

0509151605.jpg0513152003.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832103
05/22/15 12:39 PM
05/22/15 12:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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And with a little help setting in place, the roof section went on fairly easy

0517151904.jpg0518151926.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832106
05/22/15 12:41 PM
05/22/15 12:41 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
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Rust Belt, SW PA
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All welded at pinch weld and so on... and new quarter starting to be installed

0519151902.jpg0520151425.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832108
05/22/15 12:42 PM
05/22/15 12:42 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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Quarters fit so good, goodmark, that I got them and the deck filler done in an afternoon... still some welding to finish, but more than happy with how well it went

0520151921.jpg0520151928.jpg

68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832115
05/22/15 12:46 PM
05/22/15 12:46 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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That's as far as I got on it in the last week or so now. My garage is too full so have to work on it outside. Weather didn't agree yesterday.

I can say it wasn't the easiest conversion, but definitely not the most difficult either. I still have to change the roof skin. I wanted to use a structure that was all one piece to keep things square.

I was told I was crazy for taking doing this... but I don't think it was any worse than doing full frame rails and such.


68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert
340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z
66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832124
05/22/15 12:59 PM
05/22/15 12:59 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,828
east side of Ohio
basketcase Offline
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will be watching this one. popcorn crazy? maybe so, but isn't anyone messing with old cars?
you got some mad skills there! sawzall weld primer thumbs


Dave


1981 Dodge D150 360 auto
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832132
05/22/15 01:10 PM
05/22/15 01:10 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,319
Marion, South Carolina [><]
an8sec70cuda Online content
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Very nice! I'd have done the same thing...if I had your welding and fabrication skills, lol.


CHIP
'70 hemicuda, 575" Hemi, 727, Dana 60
'69 road runner, 440-6, 18 spline 4 speed, Dana 60
'71 Demon, 340, low gear 904, 8.75
'73 Chrysler New Yorker, 440, 727, 8.75
'90 Chevy 454SS Silverado, 476" BBC, TH400, 14 bolt
'06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Duramax
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832150
05/22/15 01:41 PM
05/22/15 01:41 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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I already have two 2 doors, but both I couldn't justify cutting/modifying to do what I wanted with. The satellite is already redone and way too original... my roadrunner is 95% plus original sheetmetal. So figured with this I'd have no problem putting in a rollbar, minitub it and so on. It will be a street car, but more of a track car.

It really was easy in my mind, just a ton of cutting and drilling. I did the apillars to the factory spots. The rear panels to rocker and wheel houses, they were in between, so I overlapped and welded in place... reason for the seam sealer. That and I wasn't going for a perfect factory look. This was far less work than drilling thousands of spot welds to use the good panels on a rusty car.

I learned how to do body work on wrecked cars. Doing clip, rad supports etc. So this was really no different than that. When it's done it will look just like any other 2 door and you'd really have to look to tell it was a 4 door... or look at the vin laugh2

Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1832256
05/22/15 03:34 PM
05/22/15 03:34 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,268
NY
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70440+6bbl Offline
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Wait, who's this fool that "talked" you into that car???


'70 Super Bee 440 6 pack 4-spd 4.10 Dana N96 EB5
‘70 Super Bee 440 6 pack 4-spd 3.54 Dana FC7
‘70 ‘Cuda 440+6bbl 4-spd 3.54 Dana N96 EB5 V1W

Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: 70440+6bbl] #1832522
05/22/15 11:01 PM
05/22/15 11:01 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
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Chilliwack B.C. Canada
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Ha! At first I thought yeah that guy is nuts. But really this is a great project and another 69 stays on the road. Kudo's!

Sheldon


Sheldon
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: 70440+6bbl] #1832635
05/23/15 02:09 AM
05/23/15 02:09 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
Silver70 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By 70440+6bbl
Wait, who's this fool that "talked" you into that car???


The same guy who told me to put the pipe down I was smoking when I said I was going to do this laugh2

Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: RUNCHARGER] #1832637
05/23/15 02:12 AM
05/23/15 02:12 AM
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Rust Belt, SW PA
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Originally Posted By RUNCHARGER
Ha! At first I thought yeah that guy is nuts. But really this is a great project and another 69 stays on the road. Kudo's!

Sheldon


When I was all in pieces I felt like I was nuts. Had it been solid and not needing rust repair, I probably would have left it a 4 door. But 2 of the 4 doors are damaged, floors front to back and the rear window opening was shot including the corner sections that are part of the quarters. Then the package tray was all hacked up too.

Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1833485
05/24/15 10:14 PM
05/24/15 10:14 PM
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Minnesota
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You're a better man than I. I'd have bet money you couldn't convert that vintage. Whole lot more difficult than the early-mid 60's b bodies. Well done!


Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1833531
05/24/15 11:20 PM
05/24/15 11:20 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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Your not the only one who thought that. I have plenty of b-bodies around to look at plus built quite a few over the years... so did all my research by comparing them on my own. I couldn't find much info on the differences. There are more things I got to do to finish the conversion, like the rockers dip in where the post previously was. But the hard parts definitely done. Now to get some other cars done in the shop, so I can get it inside and do some body work.

Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1851005
06/17/15 12:09 PM
06/17/15 12:09 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,094
Western Md.
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SW PA isn't too far for me...I may have to ride up and check this out...As you found out its much easier to hack up something with no real value than something rare and original...Nice Job thus far... up


...FAFO...
Re: 69 Belvedere 4 door to 2 door conversion [Re: Silver70] #1851280
06/17/15 08:12 PM
06/17/15 08:12 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 836
Up a holler, down a crick
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booger Offline
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Up a holler, down a crick
A frankenbee sold on ebay once, they'd split a superbee horizontally to get rid of lower body rust and welded that to the bottom from a 4-door.

It has a WM23M9A VIN on it when finished.

0e95_3.JPG
Last edited by booger; 06/17/15 08:12 PM.

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