total fiberglass door panel

Long post, sorry... Hi I am starting my first solo fiberglass project (I helped my friend do one once, but he's good with this kind of stuff.) I have a 1984 mercedes 190d (i know, not your typical candidate for customization) that I am putting speakers in. In the front door panels, which currently do not have any speakers at all, I am using kicker's 8" free air midbass woofer, and all the other speakers in the car are polk/momos. The companions to the 8" are the polk 6 1/2in. components in the door as well. This is a lot of weight which is one of the main reasons I want to fiberglass. I've stripped of the driver side door panel (the external piece I am talking about now) down to the bare fiberboard. It is very thin and flimsy, but I think it would be a good base, because I am pretty sure I can apply the resin right to it. However I need to shape the front to fit the speakers, maintain a door handle, and still be able to fit it back on the door using the factory clips. The 8" will be on the left, 6 1/2 on the right, but up more, and the crossover in between, and i haven't decided where to put the tweeter, I'll figure that out when the time comes. In the space where the woofer is, the fiberboard comes away from the door about 3.5 in more than anywhere else on the panel, and creates the perfect spot for a little box. where I want the 6 1/2 in to go is flat against the metal of the door panel when mounted, and I cannot cut the metal there because the mechanical window mechanism and the vaccum stuff for the locks is right behind it, so I need to build outwards. I have plenty of space to do this before it would even start to become a nuisance for leg room or anything like that. On top of all this, though I want it to be rounded where the speakers are, I also want it to fit the mood of the rest of the car, so I don't want nice shiny rounded fiberglass door panels, I would like to be able to either put vinyl over it to match the current interior color, or carpet. And I need to build the door handle out of fiberglass as well, so it has to be strong. I will use the current handle to mold around, but as it screws in to the metal behind the fiberboard, I will need to secure the fiberglass handle another way. I wasn't originally going to do it like this, I was just going to fiberglass directly to the fiberboard and be done with it, but there are contours that created uneven surfaces for mounting the speaker, especially the 8", and there is nowhere to put the 6 1/2 without bringing it out from the door a bit. I'm trying to maintain the classy look that the interior has, so as I said I don't want it to be all shiny fiberglass. I ordered some fiberglass mat, I understand I also need some fleece. However, the last project I was helping my friend with, he used fleece that seemed to be too thick, and the fiberglass hardened on top instead of incorporating into it. Are there any other materials to use besides fleece? Thanks for any help, DanI wish I was cool enough for a cool signature

There are many materials to use other than fleece, you have...

Cotton fabric (t-shirt, etc..)
Grill cloth
Foam
etc...

Taking on a door panel for fiberglassing is a big project, and I encourage you if you are patient yet determined. Where there is a will there is a way. There are a few things I am concerned about, and that is your experience with fiberglass in general. I want your project to be successful the first time, and I am sure you do too(it prevents extra supply purchases/discards). Is there any section of the car other than the door panels you want to fiberglass? If so, I would take those first, the door panel can be complicated from vehicle to vehicle even for regular experienced installers, because you are creating it around factory mount locations.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

When you do not know what you are doing and what you are doing is the best -- that is inspiration.

Not really anywhere else I need to fiberglass right now... however i was going to do a few test runs first, I don't want to have to find new door panels. thanks for the input too, what have you used as far as the liner goes?I wish I was cool enough for a cool signature

When you say the liner, do you mean the headliner? Or do you mean lining the of the door?I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

When you do not know what you are doing and what you are doing is the best -- that is inspiration.

No i mean as the base to form on which you apply the resinI wish I was cool enough for a cool signature