homemade half doors for a gator 825is4

[scoobieguy]

Here are my homemade half doors for a gator 825is4, I will build the top part for the winter to have a full cab.
Over the past 3 months I guess it took me 50 plus hours to build.
A long time but worth it!
Check the full album here: https://1drv.ms/1JvzmYk P6060260.jpg
I had no welding experience and used a Lincoln Electric mig 140 flux core.
Parts List:
3 – 20ft 1 inch x 1 inch X 1/8 inch square tubing - $60
1 – Spare angle iron, and Channel, 3/16 plate - $20
1- 4 Ft X 8 Ft X 1/4 inch HDPE sheet black - $75
4 - Bear Claw latches and door pins - $100
8 – 3inch weld on hinges - $20
4 – Black Fence Tension Band 1-7/8 inch - $5
3 cans 14 oz - POR 15 Professional use Chassis Coat Black - $90 ( This stuff is indestructible and bonds to metal) https://www.por15.com/TOP-COAT_p_102.html
Approximate price $400
To bend the bottom radius I used a pipe bender with a homemade square tube die.
To cut the HDPE sheet I used a jigsaw with a 18tpi metal blade.

[Dane]

HDPE sheet is wonderful stuff. I've made some panels for my Gator and raised beds in the garden from it. There's almost nothing you can do to kill it especially if it's virgin material.

[duling]

Impressive! Nice work!

[Bunky]

Looks good!

[osiris]

Looks good

[MBDiagMan]

Looks good. Keep those pictures coming.

[scoobieguy]

Top of doors added, now have the full cab.
Not completely air tight, but much better in cold weather. Would just need to add door molding, however that would mean fogging up without a dedicated heater which maybe the next thing

PA160387.jpg

All pictures added to original album https://1drv.ms/1JvzmYk


3 – 24ft 1 inch x 1 inch X 1/8 inch square tubing - $60
2- 4 Ft X 8 Ft X 1/4 inch HDPE sheet black - $150
1- 4 Ft X 8 Ft X 1/4 inch Lexan - $200
40ft of windshield molding FAIRCHILD(0600-25) - $150
2 cans 14 oz - POR 15 Professional use Chassis Coat Black - $60

Approx $650

So overall for full doors a little over $1000 compared to $5000 from JD.

[jcummins]

Come do mine.
​

[BillT]

Gonna build a pair for my 2 door '14 w/ power steering Scoobieguy. Wondering if you have anymore info on these doors? Have they held up, any problems you didn't forsee?

1. How much do these weigh? are the hinges up to the task?
2. Have you tried to build a sliding window into them yet for ventilation? I ride w/ at least 1 dog in the cab you see. Yes he's spoiled, he'd drive if he was tall enough!
3. I want to add a heater & defrost kit to mine too, any luck finding 1 for a Gator w/ power steering?

Any thing you can add will help, thanks.

[scoobieguy]

Gonna build a pair for my 2 door '14 w/ power steering Scoobieguy. Wondering if you have anymore info on these doors? Have they held up, any problems you didn't forsee?

1. How much do these weigh? are the hinges up to the task?
2. Have you tried to build a sliding window into them yet for ventilation? I ride w/ at least 1 dog in the cab you see. Yes he's spoiled, he'd drive if he was tall enough!
3. I want to add a heater & defrost kit to mine too, any luck finding 1 for a Gator w/ power steering?

Any thing you can add will help, thanks.

1- The weld on hinges have held on even with the top part on, no issues at all. My guess for the each full doors the weight must 80 pounds, half would be 35 pounds. We did a long ride 50miles of difficult trails with the half doors I we had no issues with rattles, the bearclaw latches hold really well.
2- For venting I just flip up the bottom of the front windshield, I've seen some aircraft vents that looked interesting, or I was thinking about those old style Quarter glass vent style. Again didn't need them.
3- haven't needed the heater with the half doors, so much better. Even at -13F it was really nice with heat from the rad. I needed a heater I would get this one : https://www.ebay.com/itm/MaraDyne-H-4...81fa4f&vxp=mtr
Cheap and would sit between seats in center console. However I didn't want to cut into my cooling lines while machine is under warranty.

The only gotcha I have to find a solution for is actuating the bearclaw latch on the full door from outside, I need some kind of handle to actuate it. I don't want to drill holes in the bottom half.
For now I use a hockey stick from the of the windshield :-) yes I'm Canadian :-)

You will need the front fender guards to create a mount point for the hinge post. The only thing I modified was to drill 2 holes for the post and I used larger grade 5 bolts and lock nuts.
I also added a rectangle piece of steel 1/2 stock where they mount to the rocker, this was to stiffen up the mount point to the bottom of Gator.