Okay, here’s my blog post about my “suicide doors SUV” project:
So, I’ve always been into cars, messing around with them, you know? And I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while: suicide doors on an SUV. Sounds crazy, right? But I wanted to see if I could actually do it.
First, I got my hands on an older SUV. Nothing fancy, just something I could experiment on without feeling too bad if I messed it up. I’m not made of money, people! I think this vehicle has lived through a lot of periods.
The Prep Work
I started by doing a ton of research. Turns out, there’s not a whole lot of info out there about putting suicide doors on an SUV. Plenty of stuff about classic cars, but SUVs? Not so much. So, I was kind of on my own. I’ve prepared for that.
- I spent hours looking at diagrams, trying to figure out the hinge mechanisms of regular doors and how I could modify them.
- I watched a bunch of videos about car customization, even if they weren’t directly related. Just trying to soak up any knowledge I could.
- I sketched out some ideas, trying to visualize how the doors would swing and how to make sure everything lined up.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Then came the scary part: actually cutting into the car. It is really the moment. No turning back after this!
- I carefully measured everything, like, a million times. I didn’t want to cut too much or in the wrong place.
- I used a reciprocating saw to cut out the section of the door frame where the hinges would go. Man, that was nerve-wracking.
- I welded in some reinforcement plates to make sure the body was still strong. I’m no expert welder, but I did my best. Don’t be too professional about my skill.
Hinge Time
This was the trickiest part. I ended up fabricating my own hinges, because I couldn’t find anything off-the-shelf that would work. It wasn’t simple, and it not easy.
- I used some heavy-duty steel and a lot of trial and error to get the angles right.
- I bolted the hinges to the reinforced plates I welded in earlier.
- I tested the doors, opening and closing them slowly, making adjustments as I went. So many freaking adjustments!
Making it Look Decent
After I got the doors working, I had to make them look, well, not terrible. I have to drive it to go out with my family.
- I used body filler to smooth out the welds and any rough edges.
- I sanded everything down until it was nice and smooth. So much sanding.
- I painted the modified areas to match the rest of the car. It’s not a perfect match, but it’s close enough.
It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. And it actually works! It’s a head-turner, that’s for sure. I’ve learned a ton, messed up a bunch, and had a lot of fun. Now, I’ll think about my next project.