Cars with suicide doors

[tomster2300]

Hey,

I'm looking for any type of car which has suicide doors on it. They would have two normal doors, but then behind them they would have two doors which open outward, instead of in.

The element is a good example of suicide doors. If you dont know what they look like then look here as an example, but remember, what I'm looking for is a car.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...00/element.jpg

If anybody could find some for me then post them here it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[mikezel]

Mazda RX-8.

mike

[Tin]

if you wanna roll with suicide doors...roll in style. hows about a 67 lincoln continental . hell, you could even do it up like the one in the matrix if you wanted to.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by tomster2300 They would have two normal doors, but then behind them they would have two doors which open outward, instead of in.

All car doors open outward. I've never seen any where the doors open inward.

One of the most famous cars that had suicide doors was the Lincoln Continental from the 1960's (like the 1963 convertible that President Kennedy got shot in).

Cricket

[mc2phat]

It was popular (according to my father) to take one those suicide Lincolns, chop the top, and drop a 500 (501?) CID Cadillac engine in it. Rent the old 70's flick The Car, if you can find it, for a beautiful example. If I was wealthy, I'd have one sitting right beside a '48 fat fendered Merc beside a Hemi Cuda beside a...

[Cricket]

There's a black 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible in the movie "Kalifornia" too.

Cricket

[mc2phat]

You're right Cricket. What year is the one in Animal House? '63?

[tomster2300]

Lol, I need a car with suicide doors that's being currently sold -- I could go and pick it up on the lot today.

[Hi Ho]

I don't think their are any new cars with real suicide doors. (The RX-8's rear doors are tiny) They were called suicide doors for a reason and they aren't really safe. If you don't mind me asking, why do you need suicide doors?

[tomster2300]

No reason, but that is what I'm looking for. I know a Mercury came out that had suicide doors a couple of years ago, yet I can't find it online.

[DragonNOA1]

Question
How did suicide doors get their name?

Answer
Suicide doors are automobile doors that are hinged on the edges closer to the back of the vehicle. The name refers to the perceived greater danger of such a door falling open at speed.

Such doors were commonly seen on cars manufactured in the first half of the 20th century. Post-World War II examples are almost universally the rear doors of four-door cars. The last true, independently opening suicide doors were fitted to the 1971 Ford Thunderbird, after which their use ceased due to safety concerns.

More recently, rear suicide doors that cannot be opened until the regular front doors are open have been used on a number of vehicles.


For my reference if no one elses.

[tomster2300]

Hey Dragon, I ordered your video card last night -- what do you think of it?

[tomster2300]

Plus...am I even saying the right name? (I feel stupid now). I need a car that has those rear opening doors in the back -- aren't they called suicide doors?

[Tin]

if you want to wait a year get an 06 Continental with the suicide doors .

[DragonNOA1]

Love it. It's a biggie but I love it. Check the settings I run with the latest DX9 games. Right now I'm playing KOTOR with 1024x768 with 4AA and 16AF. I could go higher, but why? LoL. First time I actually had a latest gen vid card. You won't be disappointed. It prolly won't overclock too high, so don't be thinking it will o/c high.

Normally I would say PM me but this is your thread so we can talk about whatever, lol.

[tomster2300]

Lol. I'll tell you all why I need this type of car.

I'm 17 and paralyzed from the waist down. I'm looking for my first vehicle and I want a car over a van. The problem is getting the wheelchair into it -- I need a two door vehicle since they open wider. A four door car wont work for me since there would be no way for me to put anything into the back through the back door since they open the way they do. I need the extra space without that dividing bar which separates the two doors on a four door car. The only thing I can think of which would give me the extra room would be a car with the suicide, or clam shell (I guess) doors in the back.

I have to be able to somehow get the wheelchair into the car while sitting in the driver's seat. I can pop the tires off, but then I still have to deal with the frame. The back of my chair folds down, but the thing is still kind of large.

Here is a picture of it. This is the type of chair, although mine is a bit lower to the ground I think, plus it's wider -- this'll give you a rough idea of what it looks like. The back folds down on mine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...wheelchair.jpg

I hope this isn't too confusing and hopefully it'll help clarify why I need this thing. I'm still looking and trying to figure out how I would get the wheelchair into the car -- it could even go on the passenger side, yet there is not enough room for me to pull the frame over my lap through the driver's side and place it on the passenger seat.

[glc]

I don't know if it's big enough for you, but check out the Saturn 3 door coupe. It's discontinued, but I'd bet there are some on the used market.

http://www.autointell.net/nao_compan...c/saturn51.htm

I believe there were recently some extended cab pickup trucks with a similar configuration - a suicide door on the driver's side. Dodge and Chevy come to mind.

[HAL9000]

Actually, I know a guy in the same situation as you and he is able to do it quite nicely with the Saturn 3dr... slides himself into the car and tosses the wheelchair in the back thru the third door. As far as I'm concerned, having been a passenger in the rear of a Saturn 3dr, the back is no good for passengers anyway... VERY uncomfortable and awkward to get out of even with the third door.

[Hi Ho]

I believe there were recently some extended cab pickup trucks with a similar configuration - a suicide door on the driver's side. Dodge and Chevy come to mind.

All extended cab full size pickups from Ford, Chevy, and Dodge have rear doors. Smaller trucks like the Ranger usually have a door on one side.

[hobey19]

the new ion has rear doors on both sides

http://www.saturn.com/saturn/showroo...ex.jsp?nav=200

here's a pic to show it off. i had one of the 3-doors you guys spoke of, and it would be perfect for what you

http://www.saturn.com/saturn/gallery...20&starthere=0

craig

[nubbler]

Originally Posted by glc I believe there were recently some extended cab pickup trucks with a similar configuration - a suicide door on the driver's side. Dodge and Chevy come to mind.

Not sure about the others but Chevy Silverado 1500 extented cab trucks have suicide doors.

[tomster2300]

Thanks for all the help. I'm looking for something which would sit lower to the ground so that I could transfer into it. I just got back from the Honda dealership and got a first hand look at the Element. I always thought that it would sit extremely high, and although the vehicle itself does, the seat is fairly low. It would be a slight incline if I were to transfer from my wheelchair onto it with a board, but I do believe with some practice it would be managable. Plus they make modifications where they can do all sorts of things to seats -- like creating a seat which would extend out from the car then lower itself, allowing me to hop onto it and then it would raise myself back into the vehicle.

I didnt know anything about that ion quad, but I will definately be looking into it. The things I really liked about the Element were that there is enough clearance between the driver's seat and the clam shell door for my wheelchair to slide through, the back seats are designed to fold up into the walls, and it's made to be manhandled; I could drag the chair up into the vehicle and not worry about damaging or denting anything cause of the type of flooring it has.

Thanks for any and all help, believe me it is greatly appreciated. It's like a treasure hunt trying to find different cars which have what I need.

[glc]

The Element looks like exactly what you need as long as you can get your butt in and out of the chair and in and out of the driver's seat. It's going to be a lot roomier than a Saturn. The other option would be a minivan with power operated sliding doors on both sides.

[Mac Medic]

Rolls Royce Phantom, then there are the pickups with extended cabs like the dodge ram that have rear suicide doors.

http://www.rrab.com/rphantom.htm
http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-200...ce-Phantom.htm

[HAL9000]

Ya, sounds like the Element might be a good choice... cool thing about one of those is you can pressure wash the inside too

[tomster2300]

I just realized that on the ion the seats fold straight back -- like in the Element.

[tomster2300]

Anyone else have any more ideas?