Window door frames

[03Marauderman]

Does anyone make resin window door frames & "B" pillars to convert a hard top to a sedan?

[espo]

Depending on what car you are trying to convert to a coupe, they roof line is usually different between a hardtop and a coupe. I have seen a few Resin Casters that have done the conversion by adding a B pillar. The only problem is it looks like they just added a B pillar and didn't change the roof line. A good example is the current Revell '57 Ford coupe and the AMT '57 Ford Hardtop. I used the roof from the AMT to convert a Revell kit into a low line hardtop. The coupe roof from the Revell kit could be used on just about any Ford model from '55 thru '59. The same could be done with the roof from the Revell '56 or '57 Chevrolet model. But the only thing you might do there is make a nicer Revell '55 coupe from their Hardtop kit.  

[Jantrix]

3 hours ago, 03Marauderman said:

Does anyone make resin window door frames & "B" pillars to convert a hard top to a sedan?

The answer is likely no. However, assuming just a b-pillar and window frames would do the trick, this would be a pretty simple conversion to scratch build even for a beginner.

[SfanGoch]

Make them yourself. It's very simple.

1. Cut a piece of .040"/1.0mm styrene sheet a little larger than the length and height of the window opening.

2. Trim and adjust the rear portion to approximately match the contours of the C pillar and roof on the inner side of the body.

3. Take the piece of styrene, place it inside the body, with the front edge abutting the rear edge of the vent window frame and the upper edge as close to the roof.

4. Holding it in place, trace the shape of the area from the outside. Mark off where the door panel line is. This will be a reference point for the center of the B pillar. check reference pics to see if the B pillar is straight (90°) or,as found on some cars, at a rearward angle. If there's an angle, mark the appropriate location on the tracing near the roofline.

5. Mark a 1.0mm border, measured from the outer edge of the tracing, around the entire traced area. This is about the scale size of the frame. Scribe a line from the B pillar mark to the top of the tracing. Measure 0.5mm on either side of this line and draw vertical lines to the top. These lines will be the borders of the door an rear windows.

6. Scribe the inner areas until you can remove them. The lower portions of the windows on the finished part can be filed/sanded to 0.75mmif needed, to match the narrower ones seen on some cars. 

7. Finish by smoothing the cut surfaces and, with some minor adjustments, it should fit perfectly into place.

I try to explain the steps as clearly and concisely as possible; so, please excuse the verbose instructions.

I converted the Lindberg '53 Ford Vic into a '52 Mainline Business Coupe using the above procedures. I wanted to build a car replicating the Fords used by the NYPD in 1952. This is a NYPD Mainline Business Coupe I want to model:

This is the Lindberg body with the scratched window frame:

Of course, I had to cut the window at and along the lower trim line and move it forward 9mm to get the proper rear glass dimensions. But, It was easy work. And, as David pointed out, the rooflines of hardtops and sedans can be different; so, use a lot of reference pictures to determine how much conversion work will be required.

Edited May 25, 2018 by SfanGoch

[OldTrucker]

I tried this years ago and found that in most cases you end up with what appears to be a sedan with a slight roof chop when you are done as the greenhouse of the hard top is lower than the sedans.

[03Marauderman]

Sfan Goch...Thank you so much for your detailed reply....Excellent result on your 2 dr. Mainline.....Perhaps I should have been more specific on the car I want to convert to a sedan....a  67 4 dr Impala to a Biscayne 4 dr sedan....Our common point is that of Police cars.... While most of the 67 NYS Police cruisers  were Mopars, the NYS Thruway Authority had a fleet of 67 Biscayne's 4 dr, equipped with a 427, 4 speed, disc brakes, P/S delete....Knowing this first hand, by riding in one, as a gas attendant at the Hot Shop. In the trunk there were two, 5 gallon gas cans mounted, with marine type chrome vents mounted to the quarter panels on each side to vent the trunk....Anyhow the Trooper stopped at the gas pump, and I was at the right place at the right time to fill the can. He told the supervisor, he was taking me to assist a stranded motorist who had ran out of gas.... The Trooper didn't want to smell like gas...He didn't burn any rubber, but he did go through the gears....His only complaint was, the car was hard to steer.... Anyhow that was a life long experience that made quite an impression,  I was then 17 years old..........As best as I can recall, 67 was the only year the Thruway Authority used a specific vehicle....By 68 they were all Plymouths.....Back to my conversion....The roof line is real close where I don't see an issue going from an Impala to a Biscayne, and looks like styrene strips will do the trick. I was just wondering if there was another option....Thank you all for your replies......

[ChrisBcritter]

There's just a handful of cars on which this will work; the '57-'59 Ford Fairlane 500 and Galaxie, '58 Edsel Pacer/Ranger, and '62-'63 Galaxie (only the notchback promo hardtop in '63) all used the same roof for sedans and hardtops. Same with the '57-'58 Buick Special/Century and '57-'58 Olds.

IIRC, the senior series '55-'56 Mercury pillared sedans used the Ford/Mercury two-door hardtop roof. 

[maxwell48098]

One thing not to overlook is that the sedan roofs were usually about 2 inches higher than hardtop roofs.  Look at Joe's images above and you can see the difference.

A.J.

[03Marauderman]

Agreed...Then again there's a sedan in development right now, so its worth the wait....Thanks again....