55.2-59 Door Panel Pockets

[BBPanel]

Want to make some panel pockets similar to these - what base material would be best; wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass, etc. Of course, the pocket also needs to be attached to the door panel which may be a consideration. First attempt at something like this.
Don't recall source of picture but if this truck belongs to someone here any information would be appreciated.

[mr48chev]

Slick and handy idea on a TF with the built in room for them.

Are you going to have full door panels like that? If so I'd make them so that they fastened to the door panel after it was covered with material and the whole unit fastened to the door.

Wood, metal, fiberglass might be what you feel you can work with the best to get the shape you want with the least hassle. We have guys on here who can shape that out of some wood and have it ready to cover with upholstery material in short order while some of us are great at turning nice wood into firewood and sawdust. We all have different skill levels with metal but it might be a fun metal working project. Fiberglass If you are a regular *****in rides viewer and saw the Mercedes 300 gull wing show you can figure that shaping the piece with foam and then laying glass over the foam and removing the foam after it all sets up might be viable. That gets me to wondering if all of those thrown away Styrofoam blocks that come as packaging in TV boxes an other stuff right now might work as a free foam blank source.

[BBPanel]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Slick and handy idea on a TF with the built in room for them.

Are you going to have full door panels like that?

No, probably only from the door panel insert down (partly to cover up the large hole the Nu-Relics PW install left me with) - I'm thinking about moving that pocket up just below the door panel insert.

I thought about using 1/8" plywood or PVC to make the face of the pocket and then fiberglass to make the radiused corners. Skin the whole thing with fiberglass to give it rigidity.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by BBPanel

I thought about using 1/8" plywood or PVC to make the face of the pocket and then fiberglass to make the radiused corners. Skin the whole thing with fiberglass to give it rigidity.

yes you could make it out of any material your comfortable working with
i looked at doing door pockets, briefly. i think they'd collect more junk or dirt. those are to small for anything practical
food for thought... thin backing will require more fasteners as it will be floppy
anything rigid with vinyl glued to it will cut and mar easily. you'll need to glue thin foam on before vinyl

[mr48chev]

They do collect stuff but it is usually stuff that ends up on the dash, on the seat or in the cup holder/console thing. It wouldn't be hard to put a flip up lid on one to hide the clutter though.

[_Ogre]

neither of my truks is very clean, but they are never cluttered
i worked construction for most of my life, my pet peeve was anything on the dash
other guys had rolls of blueprints and receipts piled deep on the dash, not this ogre