:cry::cry::cry:

...in the meantime, I guess this will have to do... :)

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1330.jpg
Door trims are next on the list of things to do. One set I already stripped of paint had hardly a scratch on it. The second set you can see they must have driven a lot with the window down and the elbow out the window. Get fined for doing that here now a days! :)

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1331.jpg
I needed the door lock button to come through the trim so tried a few different ways. The rear most one was using the donor piece but it jammed the button as the angle was not right. Tried a grommet and raised the metal to get it flatter, but still didn't like the look. So think I will go with the closest one with the flared hole.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1332.jpg
To make the flare I practised on some scrap first. Ground the top of a tube, that had the inside diameter I wanted, to match the curve of the trim.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1333.jpg
Then simply drove a rope splicing spike through the hole. Would be 35 years since I learnt this craft when doing my farrier training! Could also use a podgy or round bar shaped to suit as well.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1334.jpg
Looks better than just a hole with a sharp edge.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1335.jpg
The hole was drilled 10mm-3/8" with the final hole size of 13mm-1/2". I tapped the spike in a little from the backside as well to turn the flare outwards so an edge wouldn't dig into the button.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1336.jpg
I think this gives a neater finish than the grommets.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1337.jpg
Using a different frame for the front and rear sections to make up the 115mm-4.5" longer doors, meant the mounting holes in the middle were unevenly spaced. Originally thought I could live with that when I cut them this way, but turns out I can't!

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1338.jpg
Using my trusty old cobbler's hammer, I hammered the flare flat from the inside. Also noted the now smaller hole size to help with making a new depression later.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1339.jpg
A quick tack over a big old brass cable lug fills the hole. You can see how the underside of the top piece comes out using this technique.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1340.jpg
Pieces clamped down to the bench to keep it all aligned while welding.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1341.jpg
Now to make the new counter sink depression match the factory ones. I used the centre punch pictured and hammered it over a bar I drilled to match the outside diameter of the flare I wanted.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1342.jpg
The bar was drilled offset slightly to still centre under the hole between the trim edges. Bar was ground to match the trim and held in the vice like the lock button hole.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1343.jpg
The trim was also placed face down on the bench and hammered with the drilled bar to make the flare more distinct. Factory flare above with test piece below.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1344.jpg
Holes now evenly spaced. :)

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1345.jpg
I noticed the doors would change alignment too easily since the piece between the inner and outer sides was cutout for the one piece window conversion. I needed a way to brace the ends around the back of the window channel so I made up this piece to do it.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1346.jpg
I fitted a similar piece at both ends even though it was only braced at the front before. This was welded in later and it stopped all the movement I had and the doors hold their shape now.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1347.jpg
Trim now finished. I also added an extra mounting screw along the top as well. Needed to weld in a saddle into the frame for the screw to go into, like the stock ones had, otherwise the screw would go right through to the outside!

The finer details, that’s what I love about this build!


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http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1348.jpg
This is the harness from the donor I need to add. There is no way the rubber part will squeeze down to the 5mm gap I have between the door and the A pillar, nor do I want such big holes in either side.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1349.jpg
My idea is to have a hole only big enough for the round corrugated part to slide in and out of on the A pillar side. By removing the plastic housing the boot ends fitted on, the plugs pass through sideways and the wide part of the boot fits through once rolled up.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1350.jpg
I have drilled a hole 14mm-9/16" smaller than the round part of the boot in the A pillar. I made this tool to flare the hole.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1351.jpg
The slot fits over the edge of the hole like this.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1352.jpg
Then you pull up a little bit at a time and work your way around the hole. The T handle works well making sure the slot is always bottomed out while pulling on it. I used the small mallet to help it around as the flare got over about 45*. Could also hit against the underside of handle to pull the hole level if it sank in at all.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1353.jpg
Once nearly there I tapped through the hammer which was the size I wanted in the end. Helped round the hole a bit more too.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1354.jpg
It left a 7mm-1/4" flare which will stop the corrugated part of the boot getting caught as it goes in and out while using the door.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1355.jpg
Once the flare was finished I was able to pass a holesaw right through and drill out the other side of the A pillar to get the wires and plugs through. So the hole at the start was 29mm-1.1/8". The 10mm-3/8" slot opened up the hole to 43mm-1.11/16", 14mm bigger. I had done a test hole first to see what I would end up with. But the slot needs to be half the depth you want the diametre to increase by, plus about 2.5 times the material thickness.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1356.jpg
With the plugs all the way through the A pillar and the wide part of the boot inside it, you can push and pull the boot in and out even on the angles it will see with the door opening and closing without it catching.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1357.jpg
Now the door side I don't want to move so I want the final hole size to be the small diameter of the corrugated grooves. I am still going to make a small flare so the edge of the hole doesn't cut through the boot over time. Notice the angled cut along with the other one on top.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1358.jpg
The angled cut is so I can start the flare and clear the hinge and the edge of the door. I switch to the other slot once about halfway done flaring.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1359.jpg
So this hole was 25mm-1" to start with it ended up at 33mm-1.5/16", 8mm-5/16" bigger. This was with a 5mm-3/16" slot and with a 4mm-5/32" deep flare.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1360.jpg
With the big oval part of the boot inside the door and the depth of the flare inside the narrowest part of the boot grooves, it sits there firmly.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1361.jpg
A this is how it looks when all in place. Can also just make out one of the plugs in the cavity inside the kick panel area once it has passed right through the A pillar. To remove the door I simply unplug from there and pull the boot through followed by the plugs and only takes a minute or so.

Only a little update.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1362.jpg
Doing what I can on the windscreen trim. The windscreen is 220mm-9" wider than stock so each side has to extend half of that. No height change as the whole windscreen frame was lowered instead by sectioning the cowl 50mm-2".

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1363.jpg
The defrost louver lengthening finished. This is all you will see from the inside of the cab.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1364.jpg
Enough airflow to work the defrost from the longer stock louver. The mounting holes were welded up and moved and repunched to be even where needed.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1365.jpg
Now the door modifications are completed, I am stripping the doors right down and removing the hinges so I can spray the inside with a zinc coating. I drill a couple of small holes through the inner door skin and into the hinge so I can put them right back in the same spot. Each hinge was drilled differently so I know from where they came. When putting the hinge back, just line up the holes and screw it down.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1366.jpg
Played around seeing if I could use the stock door check strap with the bar going into the A pillar instead of the door, to aviod the one piece windows, but just couldn't get it to work that way. So I'm going the same way as many Jeeps have. Going to start by welding this heavier gauge angle inside the door and A pillar where mounts will be fixed.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1367.jpg
Angle plug welded into position inside the door. This is just to make sure the screws don't get pulled through should the door be caught by a gust of wind or let go when parked on a side slope!

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1368.jpg
Ground down the welds and pilot holes drilled.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1369.jpg
Bought some stainless steel footman loops and using an old leather belt for mock up.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1370.jpg
These a often called Chicago Rivets or Screw Backs. I got nickel plated brass ones with a 8mm-5/16" head diameter. They just screw into themselves making riveting leather easy. Strap can be wrapped around a bar for instance that is already welded into place.
http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1371.jpg
I have got it on back to front to make it easier to work out the length I need to make the strap.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1372.jpg
Works really well and this mock up strap will work as a template for when it is time to do upholstery.

http://willyshotrod.com/Willys1373.jpg
I'm actually trying to find another one of these belts that I used to have to make the strap from in the final version. Can't seem to find them anymore so if someone stops one, please let me know. The only belts I can find with Jeep stamped on them now have it only once at the very end with the belt holes too close to use it.

Are you a coach builder by trade Gojeep?