So, the above incomplete door frame has taken me probably 20 hours to get to where I am. It’s really fiddly. I think the remainder of the other door, which needs the armrest and bottom pieces cut, fit, and then shaped, will probably go a bit faster.
After these are finished, I have to raise the dash hoop about 1/4″, which means altering the little connector pieces, and then I’m going to build the bulkhead and seat bases while the woodworking machinery is still out. I plan on building a storage box on the left side where one of the original batteries would have sat, and an enclosed space for the battery on the right. These will be accessible from the load area. I’ll add another lightweight cross-member to the rear part of the frame to attach them to.
The battery doesn’t really need to be enclosed, but the structure will provide a way of securing it…and maybe keep the connectors from “fuzzing” for a bit longer than usual. On the right, the extra storage will work well for oil and a toolkit, things normally kept in the front tool tray, but they’ll be a bit more secure and dryer in the back. Plus on a trip it could potentially hold about as much as one of my motorcycle cases.
The box pieces will all be removable if something suspension or axle needs servicing.