Classic/Antique Car Repair: Truck Door, truck collectors, tight quarters

Question
Hey Mr. Benjamin,
I have a question hopefully you can answer. Now I know you dont deal with modified but this is kind of a side question. I love old cars and I am just starting to work on them. I have always wanted to modify an old 40's or 50's COE Truck. Now I know they are very rare. Well I found one in my area but it is in pretty rough shape. I have no idea how much they want for it or anything yet. The problem that I see is that it doesnt have either of its doors. My question is....are missing doors for a vehicle that doesnt have readily available after market parts a lost cause. Will I have to search everywhere for doors of a similar model or is it actually possible to make or have doors made? Im not saying the doors have to even be that similar to the stock ones Im just asking is it even possible to have a door built? I know thats a random question but any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris

Answer
Well, the simple answer is that anything that was made once can be made again, it is just a question of how much you want to spend on it, and that will depend on how close to original you want the door to be.

Many of these old COE trucks ended their useful lives as a "yard truck" and were never expected to be on the road again, so the doors were discarded for the convenience of the guys who were using them to move junked hulks or empty trailers around the yard.  The short wheelbase of the COE trucks make them very useful in tight quarters.

If there is no hope of finding the original doors stashed behind a shed somewhere, I think I'd look for another truck, because it is going to be very expensive to duplicate them.   Of course you could always put a piece of sheet metal on a pair of hinges and make a sort of cut-down door that would at least cover the bottom half of the opening.  The hardest part of that would be finding the hinges and the latch.

There is a truck collectors club - I suggest you join the local chapter and let folks know what you are interested in - I'm betting you can find a complete truck, cheap, and not too far from you.  We have a lot of them out here in Southern California, and they are usually in pretty good condition.

Check the club out at www.aths.org

Good luck,
Dick