78 style doors on a 79 Spider

spidernut · Post by **spidernut** » Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:22 am

I searched and couldn't find anything on this - will 78 doors fit a 79+ chassis without modifications? I like the older style door handle on the 78s and older and I found some good doors off of a 78 that I could swap out with my 79 doors. My concern is over the hinges and door strikers. I'm looking for a simple swap and don't want to get into modifications of the latching mechanisms.

juvius · Post by **juvius** » Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:31 pm

i'm putting doors off a 70 on my 82 body. i didn't really take time to align it, but it appears to fit the same...

edit... I actually just spoke to mark. He said there won't be a problem at all....

BEEK · Post by **BEEK** » Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:06 pm

there are at lease 3 style / location variations of the fiat spider door lock / latch. i do not know the exact year and changes, but from 74 on they do stay the same.

juvius · Post by **juvius** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:00 am

i put the door lock strikers on and found out that it it doesn't line up for me. it's about and inch and a half off - give or take. So i get to do some modifying to the body to make this work....

BEEK · Post by **BEEK** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:04 am

just have to move the car side striker, shouldnt be a real issue

juvius · Post by **juvius** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:09 am

BEEK wrote:just have to move the car side striker, shouldnt be a real issue

no doesn't look too bad... i actually aligned the top bolt hole of the early striker in the bottom hole and it's too low. i just have to find a happy medium. I'd like to find someone parting a 68 to 73 car that would cut out and sell me that section so i can weld it in. it would just be easier...

seabeelt · Post by **seabeelt** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:53 am

78 was a change over year. You can find 78s with both door styles. Mine had the newer style doors, so I imagine going the reverse should be no issue.
R/

spidernut · Post by **spidernut** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:21 am

That's all I needed to know. If it is not a unbolt and bolt on affair, it isn't worth it to me. I had a line on some good clean doors for $75 and thought it might be worth it just for the look of the older handles and mirror. Thanks all!

bradartigue · Post by **bradartigue** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:02 pm

spidernut wrote:I searched and couldn't find anything on this - will 78 doors fit a 79+ chassis without modifications? I like the older style door handle on the 78s and older and I found some good doors off of a 78 that I could swap out with my 79 doors. My concern is over the hinges and door strikers. I'm looking for a simple swap and don't want to get into modifications of the latching mechanisms.

Half of the 79's ever made left the factory with doors from the 78. Call it a rolling evolution...

78 style doors on a 79 Spider

78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider

Re: 78 style doors on a 79 Spider