Hi guys, I am a super happy new owner of a transit connect cargo as my bike and ski carrier. One of the things I have not been ecstatic with however is the hardboard panels on the sliding and rear doors. I am thinking of making up a replacement set out of a super impact resistant polypropylene composite called tegris. It was developed for ballistic purposes but is really hard wearing and used in other areas such as high end luggage. I happen to work for a helicopter outfitter who provides interior protection kits made out of the material.
I have heard of a few other complaints about the hardboard and would be curious to see if there was enough interest in such a kit to justify producing a few sets for sale. The material is completely waterproof, extremely impact resistant, temperature stable, and generally very wear resistant. A massive upgrade over hardboard. It also has a pretty cool looking finish somewhere between carbon fibre and tweed. I am considering two separate kits. One would replace all existing hardboard panels using OEM fasteners. A second would provide new panels for the window areas and likely affix using either industrial velcro (my preference and what is used in several helicopter kits) or customer drilled fasteners. The picture below shows the areas in red that I would like to make panels for.
Costs would likely be around $250-300 for each kit as the material itself is quite expensive. I have attached a few pictures showing the material. Around 5-10 sets on either kit would the point where we could consider production. Let me know what you think and about any questions or suggestions.
Cheers!
(PS individual modifications such as speaker cutouts or engraved logos could also be possible)
