In the '40s and early '50s there was a trend to take old sedans and section the heck out of them, move the roof panel back to be the rear deck, swap stuff around (often from other cars), and make a "sports roadster" out of it that may have only resembled the original donor car in the grille area. The cut down doorway was a common theme. The "fad" drew enough attention that Popular Mechanics even had a how-to article in an early '50s issue.