Automotive vehicle with front and rear sliding doors

An automotive vehicle comprising:

• a front door adapted to close approximately the front half of a door opening and having upper and lower slider assemblies;
• a rear door adapted to close approximately the rear half of said door opening and having upper and lower slider assemblies;
• first upper and lower guide rails engageable with said upper and lower slider assemblies of said front door for slidably supporting said front door, said first upper and lower guide rails extending along upper and lower vehicle side frames and secured thereto, and said first upper and lower guide rails serving to reinforce the vehicle side frames;
• and
• second upper and lower guide rails engageable with said upper and lower slider assemblies of said rear door for slidingly supporting said rear door, said second guide rails extending along said vehicle side frames and fixedly secured thereto, and said second guide rails adapted to reinforce said vehicle said frame,
• wherein said vehicle side frames are sufficiently reinforced by said guide rails to resist bending stresses applied thereto;
• wherein said upper vehicle side frame has first and second seals lying essentially parallel to the direction of movement of said doors, which first and second seals are adapted to sealingly contact the upper edges of said front and rear sliding doors for establishing water-proof seals;
• wherein said front sliding door has a third seal on its rear vertical edge and said rear sliding door has a fourth seal on its front vertical edge, said third and fourth seals being adapted to establish a two-point water-proof seal between the opposing vertical edges of the front and rear doors;
• wherein said third seal is adapted to sealingly contact the front edge of said rear door to establish a first water-proof seal and said fourth seal is adapted to sealingly contact said third seal to establish a second water-proof seal;
• and
• wherein each of said vehicle side frames is formed with a step extending parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and supporting said guide rail, each of said guide rails being secured to the step of the side frame to reinforce the side frame.

An automotive vehicle comprising:

• a front door adapted to close approximately the front half of a door opening and having upper and lower slider assemblies;
• a rear door adapted to close approximately the rear half of said door opening and having upper and lower slider assemblies;
• first upper and lower guide rails engageable with said upper and lower slider assemblies of said front door for slidably supporting said front door, said first upper and lower guide rails extending along upper and lower vehicle side frames, each of said side frames being formed with a step extending parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and supporting said guide rail each of said guide rails being secured to the step of the side frame to reinforce said side frame;
• and
• second upper and lower guide rails engageable with said upper and lower slider assemblies of said rear door for slidingly supporting said rear door, said second rails extending along said vehicle side frames and fixedly secured to said step of said side frame, and said second guide rails adapted to reinforce said vehicle side frame,
• wherein said vehicle side frames are sufficiently reinforced by said guide rails to resist bending stress applied thereto.