Gutted Cuda Doors

I was able to get a pair of used `Cuda doors that will be a side project. Plan is to strip the paint, cut as much weight out of them and use instead of my stock doors that still have the factory glass. Since it is mandatory to have windows down on a track day it makes no sense to carry around extra weight.

These doors weigh I would guess 85-90lbs each even without the glass windows and window mechanisms. They both still have the crash bars spot welded in which are easy enough to drill and take out as I have X-bars in my roll cage. The outer skins are banged up and have dents but fortunately AMD door skins are available.

Anyone do something similar to their doors? What's the best way to take the door skins off? How much of the structure should I leave behind?

This will be a long term side project that I'll update the progress of so any tips would be appreciated thanks!

A flap wheel ran around the edge will have the skin loose in no time. Just a few spot welds on the top edge and they are off.

Are you going to acid dip these doors as well? I read a great atricle last year on the all steel widebodied challenger, wish I could find it, talked about how he pushed for the lightest weight possible, using acid to get the sheet metal paper thin, it was a great read

No plans for acid, most likely just drilling a bunch of holes in the non-structural areas. I haven't planned anything out yet.
If I get the weight down to half I would be happy.

I was happy as hell to have a nice clean, base 70 Challenger... so this could have waited. Now i have a 74... so looks like i'm going into the doors too. I need roll up glass though. Shouldn't be hard to lose considerable weight. These suckers are HEAVY.

if this were me, i would start by trimming the inside panel, leaving roughly 1 1/2" around the perimiter, or the width of the edge of the central, lower access hole. then, fabricate a light weight mounting area for the inner release handle, although i would leave this mounting point until last to fabricate, so as to not have it in the road during the rest of the modification process. next, i would decide on how much of the bottom of the door i could eliminate buy using a plasma cutter to cut oval holes, leaving 1 to 1 1/2" strips "xxx" spaced along the bottom to hold the inner skin to the area used to fold the outer skin crimp. next, determine how much you can eliminate from the hinge and latch ends safely. next, get your large size unibit out and drill as many holes in the largest size[s] you feel comfortable with in the left over material. a unibit will work better than a standard bit drilling sheetmetal. next, i would remove the skin. lastly, remove the crash beam. the reason the skin and the crash beam are the last to go is they both will support the inner structure well as you cut it up. as i don't have the door[s] in question in front of my old eyeballs, this is just a generalization of what i would do. others will have different opinions as to what may, or may not, be the way to approach this project. good luck, and keep us informed as to what you do, and the reduction in weight you achieve.

Use them to build a mold and make carbon fiber doors that are the same contours but 1/4 the weight...Tim

Unlimited Fiberglass has a set of doors approx $500 pr, 10 lbs each

Does you car have any added rollbar/cage/crash protection? I assume its driven on the street, and without any of the above, removing internal door crash members leaves nearly nothing to protect you. I like weight reduction, but........?

Go back and reread the very first post.

You mean this "as I have X-bars in my roll cage."?

On a related note I was reading this morning the May? issue of "Race TecH", they were discussing "pole impact" issues with rally cars, in that contact with a pole or tree or like on the side near the center of gravity, usually causes the car to wrap around, vs if impact is forward or rearward, it has inclination to more glance off. They are now requiring like 30cm? between driver/crew and outer skin, with impact foam, etc.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication...g_championships

Why don't we just mandate they be driverless cars and we can all sit home in our mommies basement and be safe.

Basements have been known to flood.

spiders live in basements !

Be a BALLER. Not a bawler.

Passenger door skin came in

do they work with the factory glass or do u need lexan...p

Anyone ever weighed ALL the guts inside an E-body door? Glass, regulator, mechanism, tracks, lock, etc.???

I know a former NHRA E body stock class record holder that removed over 40 lbs. from his 1971 Challenger doors and still got through NHRA tech and NHRA tear down inspections when he would set the class records, them dang E body crash door bars are heavy
He strip that car down to a bare shell and only put back in what he thought the car needed to get through NHRA tech.
That car was really lightweight for a E body, he had to add over 180 lbs. ballast to be legal with him in it and he was not a lightweight driver

yes! I used to drag my '72 Cuda, 440 car. Removed 20# each door bar. FYI

I meant the non-structural stuff... the stuff that bolts in.