Convert to regular tail gate?

[Nates'90]

Ok, dumb idea or no? I'm sick of this tailgate opening into the side, it's dumb imho. I also want a place to sit, and put my hot dogs and soda during the taligaiting parties I go to during the summer...

I've got acess to all the metal tooks of a very well equiped school shop (welders plasma cutters bandsaws ect ect ect)

Now, how hard would it be to redesign this into a "normal" tail gate?

I havent popped the cover off it yet, but I really wanna reuse the stock handle (for better or worse)


So far, I've got that I need to strenghten the tail gate, add 2 heavy duty hinges, 2 eye hooks on the very edges, run cable between them and the seat belt towers.
Then (the fun part) figure out a way to make the gate latch. if all else fails and I say to hell with the stock handle (ugh o well) I'd add something like a garage door handle to the tail gate on the side of the tire, run some rods through the side of the gate, and into some holes in the truck.

Anyone done it, or feel like helping me out with ideas? Nothing too dumb, dont feel shy or anything. This is a ways off yet, I still have to do a clutch job, replace the ignition doors and tail gate with ones off my '90 (cause I dont have keys for the 95, except the ignition, and the '95 tailgate's JUNK)


Tks for listening, any help would be greatly appreciated
~Nate

[glinn]

What are you thinking of doing with the spare tire? Leaving it attached to the door seems problematic. If the gate would even open with it attached, it's going to make it very heavy to lift.

[BIG DOG]

It's probably pretty simple I would go to a junk yard and get donor hinges and all the parts from a truck with a tailgate.But like glinn said you will have to go without a tail gate or figure something out there.