Well, I know there are others that are probably looking to make a tailgate lid for the 200 but I'm going to move forward on my vision for it since I walked away from doing it for the 80s.
There are more than a few things to work out concerning making and installing a tailgate lid for the 200s. It needs to follow the same fit and finish as the useless plastic insert that is in there now. Currently there are two carpeted doors in the lid and I'm planning on keeping the dual lid design. This is for two reasons: 1) there is already two lids in the tailgate and 2) because for those that utilize their tailgate for camping, it makes it easier to get inside when you don't have to clear off the entire tailgate just to get in.
I will be making carpeted lids as an option and I'm already working with a shop to make these up for me. But...there is something else I want to do on these and I happen to have three shops close to me to make this happen, and thats making an ABS vacuum formed liner that drops inside that is far larger than what you have now and allows you to hard mount accessories, tools, supplies, etc.
The CAD file for the tailgate itself is done and I've already been playing with different lid designs. The biggest issues are the torsion bars that run in the middle of the tailgate and the latching mechanism that is just below the sheetmetal. I can't have people potentially cutting the mechanism so I'm just going to have the cut out go around it altogether. The rib supports themselves just need to have their spot welds drilled out. Not such a big deal and I may just supply the tools needed so that folks can do this themselves.
I'm also talking to a shop that makes torsion bars and I might be able to make an upgraded torsion bar so that the added weight of the tailgate doesn't feel SO heavy for people.
Thoughts? Input?
There are more than a few things to work out concerning making and installing a tailgate lid for the 200s. It needs to follow the same fit and finish as the useless plastic insert that is in there now. Currently there are two carpeted doors in the lid and I'm planning on keeping the dual lid design. This is for two reasons: 1) there is already two lids in the tailgate and 2) because for those that utilize their tailgate for camping, it makes it easier to get inside when you don't have to clear off the entire tailgate just to get in.
I will be making carpeted lids as an option and I'm already working with a shop to make these up for me. But...there is something else I want to do on these and I happen to have three shops close to me to make this happen, and thats making an ABS vacuum formed liner that drops inside that is far larger than what you have now and allows you to hard mount accessories, tools, supplies, etc.
The CAD file for the tailgate itself is done and I've already been playing with different lid designs. The biggest issues are the torsion bars that run in the middle of the tailgate and the latching mechanism that is just below the sheetmetal. I can't have people potentially cutting the mechanism so I'm just going to have the cut out go around it altogether. The rib supports themselves just need to have their spot welds drilled out. Not such a big deal and I may just supply the tools needed so that folks can do this themselves.
I'm also talking to a shop that makes torsion bars and I might be able to make an upgraded torsion bar so that the added weight of the tailgate doesn't feel SO heavy for people.
Thoughts? Input?
