Good afternoon
Just bought my first bus to convert an have seen lots of useful information on this forum. I have seen bits and pieces of information on changing or modifying the bi-doors. Can anyone help me with this project.
Not much you can do except change to cafe doors or the high $$$ panograph door like MIC uses,the fold up bi/fold work good if kept in good condition with new lifts and rubber hinges.I personally do not like cafe doors on a Eagle
I may has used the wrong wording. The doors are 2 piece doors not bi-fold. They are air operated and have big bars that go from top to bottom in door way
Basically, you would need to take all the bar and hinge mechanism's out, weld the two halves together with appropriate spacing, re-side the interior and exterior of the door, install either a piano-style hinge, or two heavy-duty pivoting hinges, and install door latches and locks. Some redo the two windows by putting in a single window, or install a slider window with screens. There used to be a few places that would sell kits to help with this, but not lately, apparently. Check old issues of Bus Conversion Magazines, and the archives of the bulletin boards, and FMCA's Eagles International subchapter. It is not a quick and easy project; look for salvage Eagles that might have a single door. Check with Choo Choo Express Garage in Rossville, Georgia, they may have a Model 10 that will be available for parting out soon (do not know if it has a single door). There was a Eagle in Missouri on eBay that was being parted out a few months ago that did have one (the old I-44 Bus Sales place, has different name now).
I used to have a link to Gene Lewis's website. Gene lives in North Carolina (near Raleigh) and converted his "Miss Kitty's Saloon" doors to a single door with a hinge at the front and a useful lock. He said it cut down on road and wind noise and was much easier to seal against water and air leaks. It looks good.
I'll look around and see if I can find it.
Here it is:
http://www.coachconversioncentral.com/one_piece_door.htm (http://www.coachconversioncentral.com/one_piece_door.htm)
Thanks for the link oonrahnjay. That's what I needed.
Gary at B&B Coach in Las Vegas had a sedan door with the frame,the sedan doors are thicker than the 2 piece door and hold up a lot better than the 2 piece door welded together