Sedan chop?

[JayNaga]

Just curious of what you guys would think of this. Im seriously considering doing this to my 86 sedan. I understand that cutting off a large section of the unibody will require me to add additional support which is not a problem. Has anybody else done this before? I think it would be nice to have a little bed to use. I dont want to buy a pick up though. I already have an eagle and never use the back seats and cutting is basically free. And if I ever did want to take more than one person to go  two tracking or fishing with me I could always bolt some seats down.



This is my sedans current state

[carnuck]

Take a look at where the back of the front seats are in relation to the door post before you consider it. I'm so cramped in my Comanche that I bought another (and I'm looking for a basket case for body parts) to make an extended cab out of it.
   I considered doing the same thing to my '82 Spirit (2 dr) but the seats are still 1/2 past the B pillar.

[JayNaga]

That was one of the first things I thought about. The cab would obviously need to be extended slightly but I plan to leave it open in the back and only cover it with canvas during bad weather.

[83Eagle!]

I'm so cramped in my Comanche that I bought another (and I'm looking for a basket case for body parts) to make an extended cab out of it.

I would love to have an extended cab Comanche.  I have always thought that  would be a great rig.  I have always like car-based pickups.  I have seen a few trucks made out of cars, and some were done really clean and logical.  Then there are the hack jobs.

I have seen a number of renderings of a Jeep Pick up and I have always liked small, car

[carnuck]

I made a pickup out of a '66 Pontiac Grande Parisienne years ago (tree fell on the back) that started as a hack job, then I did a wood lined box with wagon rear fenders, which pulled it all together nicely.

[GRONK]

I've hacked a few cars in the past.  Fun for a while but ultimately junked the cars resale value.  The cars always flexed and never felt quite the same after chopping.

I recommend buying a trailer and leaving that sedan alone.

[rohnk]

I have to agree with Gronk. I don't think you would get much benefit from it other than your own convience. Besides, the sedans are kind of more rare I think since I only see wagons and SX/4's at most meets.

Maybe you could find a nice El Camino in the yard? Would cost you as much as chopping the sedan to get it going again I bet.

What ever you decide, I am anxious to see how it turns out! Cheers!

[Sunny]

The idea's been thrown around a few times on the site with a wagon.
A sedans's not a bad idea either.

Personally, because I don't really like sedans, I think it would be a huge improvement.
HOWEVER.. that said..make sure it's within your skill range, so like people said.. it won't end up a hack job and to for scrap.

[Jurjen]

Although it is a nice design, please keep this beauty original.

[JayNaga]

Im not really concerned with resale value. Up here in northern michigan we have enough people who wheel that I dont think I would ever have a problem selling it. We also already have one sedan and one wagon driving around our town daily. We don't have an eagle truck driving around town though. A friend of mine use to have a bronco and it was a blast to take the topper of the back to go wheeling or fishing with on a nice day. Which is kinda what Im looking for. I already have a Subaru Svx for driving on pavement. The Eagle is for playing in the woods and going fishing.

[JayNaga]

The SVX

[shaggimo]

Somewhere on here there are pics of a sundancer (Chopped into a convertible) undercarriage, do a little search for it. That may give you a few ideas on what bracing may be required, I personally would add a cage as well. Sedan would be tought to get proportioned right, but with a little imagination, a few beers, the right tools (other than beer), and some skill, one could pull it off. The Pacer one looks killer, if you haven't seen it yet.

[JayNaga]

A full cage is something I do want to do in the future. But for starters I think I would using tubing to brace the bed and probably a simple roll bar too.

[shaggimo]

That would look sweet exo'ed 

[captspillane]

The sundancer simply added a section of subframe to bridge the unsupported floor between the front and rear subframes. The piece they added was about equivalent to the frame rails on a stock CJ7. It doesn't have to be very big or thick.

I personally think its a terrible idea because you don't have a tailgate and because you are starting with a four door. I want to create my own convertible one day, but I will start with a two door sedan. The seats are behind the post on the four door, so you would have to make a very large targa bar or a second bar. I don't see how it can be done without being hideous. I also just don't see the point of a pickup bed without a tailgate.

There is potential if you make a softop over a full length roll cage. I'm imagining a softtop station wagon, and that would be all sorts of awesome.

I'm enthusiastic about making one of these out of a Kammback. I'm sure that will be a knife in the side of the purists, but the kammback I'm starting with has no front subframe left. Most people would have scrapped it already. I'll be making a new subframe and continuing it the length of the car. The original lights and plate in the rear will be modified to hinge downward. An XJ fuel tank is the exact same size as the smaller SX4 or Kammback fuel tank, except that it has the fuel inlet on the drivers side instead of the center. My kammback will have an XJ fuel inlet on the side and a XJ fuel tank. That tank doesn't fit into a four door sedan without modifiying your spare tire recess. I will continue the bottom of the window rearward and remove the roof behind the pillar while keeping the slope of the rear tailight area. Here's a picture of my other Kammback to imagine that with.

I suggest making one out of a two door Cherokee. I love those when they're done right. The Commanche tailgate really ties it together and makes it practical as well.