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I looking into options. and one is having the rear drivers side door having a suicide conversion. Are there any 4 door car owners of similar sized cars to the mk1 Neon who either are wheelchair users or know people who are who've done this? This is not some random question on my behalf. I walked into hospital with an infection a few months back. And the following day they removed my right foot. I do not want to change my car, but know it's never going to be the same. So any info & images on that being done to a 4 door's rear doors please There are various types in the states but none really really for a similar sized car. This is a Chrysler 300c. The the youtube video shows a wheelchair user & his 4door with a suicide door for him to put his wheelchair on the back seat. This particular option appears to have very little cutting of the structure.  But I know nothing so please educate me with details, photos & diagrams |
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Sorry to hear about your foot.
Possibly dumb question but why do you need a wheelchair with only a foot missing? (sorry about the 'only' as I'm sure its a pretty big thing for you.
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IIRC it was done on Pimp My Ride, possibly more than once? But I can't remember what car...
Good luck, top banana for not giving up
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Possibly dumb question but why do you need a wheelchair with only a foot missing? They have only just referred me for physio, and I've been out almost 2 months! A referral to have a prosthetic would normally be 3-6 months but with all the curse word going on for the past 18 months it would be a a year! But even then there are going to be times when I won't be able to wear a prosthetic. Which means wheelchair bound. Plan & prep for the worst while praying for the best. |
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I'm going to show my ignorance again, but is there a reason you can't use crutches rather than a wheelchair?
I'm assuming your car is an auto? gonna be a bit odd learning to drive with you left foot at first. Good luck with your physio, you only have to see that young lad on formula one to see what's possibly nowadays.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Ive got 3 mates with prosthetics. Two of em can still drive manuals. One still rides his motorbike! It being the right foot and you still having a working knee means it’s Proably not going to be too much of an issue once you’re fitted up and been through physio. I certainly don’t see you needing a wheelchair or even crutches, prosthetics these days are pretty amazing things.
I’d hang fire a bit before you go making major changes you might not need to?
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Are hand controls worth considering?
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I’d hang fire a bit before you go making major changes you might not need to? The reason behind this thread, is to gather as much info before it gets to that point. Have every bit of each option available ready. That way I can give a nice neat pack of info to a garage that would do it. Why? I can't weld. Plus if the car needs other work doing it could be done at the same time. The variation between kits or those done is dramatic. Plus other members of the family may need to have it done to their vehicles. |
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Are hand controls worth considering? I have been out in the car I will say on private roads to cover this forum & myself incase of legal problems if stating anything else! I was driving left footed. And the Daily Drive is a 1997 Toyota Corolla 5 door, 3 speed with overdrive automatic. No hand conrtols needed. |
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Watching a rerun of ‘flipping bangers’ ( ok, ok, yes I know!) and they sold a 924 to a wheelchair bound guy who could lever himself into the car and then dismantle said chair and pull it in with him
Any use for you?
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The heavy duty kits, where you only need 1 hinge per side like in the picture you posted, aren't cheap... brabantcustom.nl/en/shop/heavy-duty-suicide-doors-kit/In all honesty you are going to need to cut a decent sized hole in the C-pillar for the hinge to mount into, plus holes into the door frame to mount into. The cheaper hinge kits (install guide here m.roadkillcustoms.com/install-suicide-door-hinges/) need a decent amount of space behind and inside of the door, so something to keep in mind. now I say go for it, if nothing else a 4-door with suicide rear doors is just cool. Mid 60s Lincoln for the win!   |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,586
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Wouldn´t it be much easier to buy a different car?
Like a peugeot 1008 with sliding doors, though I´m not sure if You could simply throw a wheel chair behind the seat so easily?
Or a gen 1 nissan prairie, the one without a b-pillar?
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Jun 10, 2021 12:11:35 GMT
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I still can't see why you would want/need a wheelchair - unless there are other underlying health issues.
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Jun 10, 2021 13:14:09 GMT
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We used to have a guy at work who had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident, there were many occasions he could not wear his prosthetic (mainly infections blisters etc on the stump) on those occasions he could drive and get around on crutches but for longer distances he needed the chair, I would imagine trying to lift it in the car while balanced on one leg will be a challenge.
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,833 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Jun 10, 2021 13:22:04 GMT
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bricol
Part of things
Posts: 281
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Jun 10, 2021 15:35:40 GMT
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I think I might place a call to my current insurance company first - and see if they will even entertain covering such a modified car on-top of the issue with the foot.
One of my colleagues lost a foot in a work accident in the US (blind fork life driver speeding . . ) - changed car to automatic, probably carried an emergency chair in the boot, but only needed a walking stick to assist in belting around the place pretty much as before.
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smellyferret
Posted a lot
Back in a retro after 7 years!
Posts: 1,121
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Would a less drastic way be to modify the current door hinge to go further and open wider? Again making it easier to get close but not being such a radical car alteration?
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mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,337
Club RR Member Number: 84
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I can't offer any advice on suicide door conversions sadly, but worth looking into a few things up front.
Firstly, will you legally be allowed to left foot drive? My mum suffers from 'drop foot' on her right leg and has to use hand controls, reason being that a lifetime of driving right footed means she doesn't have the requisite control through her left foot, particularly the instinctive reactions during an emergency.
Secondly, a friend recently became wheelchair bound - he now drives a BMW 5 series and has a collapsible chair he can stow in the rear footwell. No need for suicide doors
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Jun 11, 2021 17:09:56 GMT
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Firstly, will you legally be allowed to left foot drive? My mum suffers from 'drop foot' on her right leg and has to use hand controls, reason being that a lifetime of driving right footed means she doesn't have the requisite control through her left foot, particularly the instinctive reactions during an emergency. Well I've previously had to were calipers due to foot drop. Those calipers caused more damage to me feet than enough. So there has been many times I've driven left footed over the years. Admittedly with thinner thighs! It's only really been the last 10 years I've used automatics. Prior to that always a manual as a main car, so left foot feel for the clutch biting point even with calipers. Secondly, a friend recently became wheelchair bound - he now drives a BMW 5 series and has a collapsible chair he can stow in the rear footwell. No need for suicide doors It all depends on the size of the car. I also have a foldable wheelchair, If I drive it goes on the back seat. But it all depends on the person & the car. If raining I want to just quickley lift the seat into it's foldable/collapsible state and into the rear of the car onto the seat in one movement. With the corolla I have to reach over the rear door to do that. With the Mk1 Neon it has frameless doors, so I don't want to risk putting weight on the drop glass. Especially as they are getting hard to obtain! |
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