http://www.bulletproofme.com/Bullet_pro ... alog.shtml I found a source for old cheap bullet proof vest panels. I looked it up out of curiosity because I've wondered about reinforcing a car door to help provide some protection in case you try to drive away from a carjacker and they fire at you. Of course, it would also help to be able to cheaply reinforce your side windows as well. Anyway, am I the only one who thought of doing this with car doors?
I wouldn't bother doing this for a vehicle unless I knew I was going to be keeping it a really long time, including having the engine rebuilt and the transmission replaced as necessary. By the way, I know a guy who is a sales & marketing rep for Executive Coach Builders. They turn cars and SUVs into regular limos, stretch limos, and discreetly armored limos. Based in Springfield, MO, but they ship a lot of their vehicles to the Atlanta market. If anybody is serious about wanting an armored luxury vehicle, of if you know someone who is, PM me and I'll put you in touch with him.
P.S. I shot my old Kevlar vest when it was 10 years old. The manufacturer says to replace it after 5 years. At 10 years it stopped everything it was supposed to stop, but it didn't stop .30 carbine rounds (and I didn't expect it to-- I just wanted to see for myself.) Later I found it stopped a fairly big lock-back knife stab ( I broke the blade on the second stab attempt), but a military bayonet stab punched right through it first try. That's my experience. Your mileage may vary. Notice this website says that they sell heavily used and really old vest panels for "entertainment" and "testing" only, not for lifesaving applications. (But if they always hold up when tested, why NOT use them for lifesaving applications? That's like saying don't use use a 3/4" thick rope rated with a 3,000 pound breaking strength to build a swing in your back yard for your 80-pound kid to swing on. The manufacturer will say you need their special life-saving-approved rope with a 50,000 pound breaking strength that costs $2 a linear foot for any application involving "ovehead lifting or the support of human weight."