[rmjjensen]

Updates
08/03/2005



I finally got started today at work. We barely had anything to do but I still got interrupted from time to time helping customers. I think I can definitely have the passenger door up and going by tomorrow! It's quite exciting.

About the kit:
This is a liteglow SkyDoor kit, also known as the GT Factory lambo door kit. This is the hardest kit to install (only comes in "universal" form factor) and generally is only put on show cars. For the consumer looking for a lamborghini door kit we push the VDC (Vertical Doors Conversion), Decah, or AutoLoc kit (motorized). Like I said - the SkyDoor kit is a pain and not worth it for a shop to install on a customers car. The kit is not designed for lowered vehicles or vehicles with 19" or bigger rims on them. However, it is the only kit available that can make the door open a full 90 degrees (so that the door is now perpendicular to the car - in the air). However, I don't think this is going to be possible on the SVX. The clearance between the fender and the frame is not big enough to allow the hinge to open to a position so that the door can raise 90 degrees ............but I'm going to shoot for that 90 degree mark so people know it's NOT a decah or VDC conversion.

SVX Concerns:
Woah, the SVX sucks. We've done lambo doors (again VDC/Decah kits) on other cars that had GOBS of room in the fender. Now the SVX, different story.

...Hinge Mounting: The actual frame of the car leaves very little room for a hinge to sit on. The Decah kit as well as this SkyDoor kit encroached into the wheel well area. It doesn't look like it will be anything major but the wheel well will have to be slightly modified (looking to cut out the encroached area and fiberglass a bubble like cover.

...Strut Placement: On both the Decah and SkyDoor kit the strut ALSO gets into the wheel well area. The SkyDoor kit is much worse (hence no wheels bigger than 18" and no lowering springs) but both have issues.

...Fender Clearance: You can take a LOT away from the inside of the stock fender but there's still some issues. The VDC/Decah kit will have NO issues with fender clearance (guarenteed). You'll still have to cut away and roll the fender but that's simple. The SkyDoor kit will also fit in the stock fender space. However, my preliminary install leads me to believe that for the SkyDoor kit to open 90degrees the hinge must first open normally about 30-40 degrees (which I don't think is possible with the SVX's clearance ....bummer but we'll see.

...The Door is HEAVY: we'll see how the struts hold up

To the pictures:

8/2/2005:

Stock door harness boot and wires removed

Ghetto door jig. This is important so that the door doesn't shift it's position or sag. you don't have to worry about it falling off because the latch will hold it but this is my car, the door is heavy, and this is not a bolt on kit

Hinges removed and the door hasn't moved - thank god. It shifts slightly over time but nothing major. The silicon glue really hold the hinges on there even with no bolts ...impressive stuff

Hinges removed, silicon removed, wires removed (except one added to fish them out later)

The SkyDoor kit is universal - so this piece is fixed to the door, and then the hinge gets fixed to this piece. I made a template out of wood first so that I can contour it to the SVX's bolt holes. I lined up the two bolts that would fit best to the SkyDoor hinge. The wood is exactly the same shape and size as the metal counterpart. However, the ends have been shaved and holes drilled. The bolts to hold this piece on are temporary. Remember, this is a weld on kit and welds will be added for safety - but this is good to make sure it works.

After making a cardboard template, one hole was drilled (the others marked) so as to check position/placement of the lambo hinge. Everything looked on the mark so the rest of the holes could be drilled. Now check out the problems talked about earlier. You can see that there's no much surface area to weld the hinge to on the car. Also you can see how much the hinge encroaches into the wheel well. It looks worse then it really is. It's only about 1/2" at the biggest point

All three holes have been drilled into the hinge assembly. The stock hinge is sitting on top

The bolt holes are way too close to the inset of the actual moving hinge. The head of the bolt and washers will not be able to sit in the inset so I had to bore out the area around it. Can't really disassemble the hinge for this so I just took the grind wheel to it. Next is that top bolt...same procedure. Of course, why would this be easy

Rolling the fender. The hinge has to move up and down and the fender will get in the way. To easily roll it relief cuts were cut and bent in by hand. But before that the guts of the fender have to come out to allow for clearance of the hinge

Scraps of metal cut away from the inside of the fender ...guess I just killed some structural integrity but the fender is still solid.

The completed fender ...guts removed and fender rolled (by hand of course ...with some dowel assistance)

The metal piece is ready to be cut to the proper shape. The wooden template is aligned on top and the metal is marked to be cut and drilled

Metal door plate fixed to the door and hinge mounted to the car. The struts were placed on the hinge to check the best way to mount these bad boys

Another look at the struts ...note - that's not going to be their position ....right there they're just resting on the plastic wheel well.

The welding begins tomorrow. Time to affix the hinge to the metal door plate ....The end for the day


...not bad for about 4-6 hours of work on it so far. I should have this door up and going tomorrow and god knows when I can start the driver one....hopefully we don't have a busy week. But yeah - the SkyDoor kit is not for everyone ...not for anyone really.

Hope you enjoyed the show!