Custom Fiberglass Dash / Interior
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 845
Likes: 1
From: Columbus Indiana
Yeah, I try to take small steps with this fiberglass work. I pay a lot of attention to you guys who've had experience in this, and watching what davidm_comp is doing and try to learn as he moves along on his project.
John
John
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
From: Heartland
New guy chiming in .....
Fellas...go to [www.westsystem.com] and order their user manual for learning all about "epoxy" resins not polymer resins. There is little or no smell to the epoxy but caution for skin contact. It's great stuff to work with but not in the cold; it needs warmth to cure.
Use this stuff and throw away the gas masks.
interesting work guys....alex/plus
Fellas...go to [www.westsystem.com] and order their user manual for learning all about "epoxy" resins not polymer resins. There is little or no smell to the epoxy but caution for skin contact. It's great stuff to work with but not in the cold; it needs warmth to cure.
Use this stuff and throw away the gas masks.
interesting work guys....alex/plus
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
i have used the west system on a few other projects and it's a nice setup..there's also a filler you can add to beef it up a bit..... i might go that route if i can find a garage and fix my bodywork a bit
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 473
Likes: 2
From: Champlin Minnesota
Switched my focus back on the center console for now, was getting sick of working on the dash. I ripped what I had in there out and am taking a different approach. Only had time for this today, tommorrow I hope to get a lot more done...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
1/8" black/grey polester felt will be your friend...... dont waste your time on that thin stuff...seriously...... toooo much work involved when you get into layer chopmat on the outside and all that........ i've seen custom car audio setups done with ease..... resin up the felt and if you need more support then lay the chop mat on the inside of the form..... use filler to shape the outside.........
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 473
Likes: 2
From: Champlin Minnesota
1/8" black/grey polester felt will be your friend...... dont waste your time on that thin stuff...seriously...... toooo much work involved when you get into layer chopmat on the outside and all that........ i've seen custom car audio setups done with ease..... resin up the felt and if you need more support then lay the chop mat on the inside of the form..... use filler to shape the outside.........
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 473
Likes: 2
From: Champlin Minnesota
Got material streched, resin brushed on and waiting for it to harden so I can throw some fg mat on. I got some really bad sagging with this spandex like material, so I may try to find something a little less stretchy tomorrow. Should be able to fix the saggy areas by cutting them out with a dremel once it gets hard and patching with fiberglass woven cloth...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 473
Likes: 2
From: Champlin Minnesota
Layed it up in chop mat and tried a trick that someone told me; wrap whatever you glassed in plastic with heat and it setups up faster, from what I have seen so far it works really good, normally I would have to wait 3-4 hours before I could work with it, but with the wrapping in plastic it was 40 minutes.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
Got material streched, resin brushed on and waiting for it to harden so I can throw some fg mat on. I got some really bad sagging with this spandex like material, so I may try to find something a little less stretchy tomorrow. Should be able to fix the saggy areas by cutting them out with a dremel once it gets hard and patching with fiberglass woven cloth...
thats why i mentioned the polyester felt........i knew you were gonna have sagging issues with that spandex stuff........ if you cut out the areas and redo them.... make sure you have the form in place or secure..... so it wont twist/tweek on you....
b
a bit more hardener and a heat gun will spead up everything/... make sure you have great air ventilation though... might want to get a box fan and set it up next to you
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
any fabric store....... it's also called "kicker carpet"...it's that material that they would wrap subwoofer boxes in.....the black or dark grey color...... make sure it's polyester also and not a cotton......
they also use it to line trunks of cars........
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they also use it to line trunks of cars........
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 473
Likes: 2
From: Champlin Minnesota
Been really busy between work and the girlfriend lately, but here are a few shots of everything quickly thrown into the car...Will throw another layer of chopmat on tonight and clean the car out so I can put the carpet back in and lay some foil on it and get everything looking real sharp....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
From: St. Charles MO.
I would definately make another form like that with 2 cup holders in it, that fits right between the shifter and the bottom of the screen, It will serve as something to tie the whole thing together too...something that slopes upward towards the dash would really finish it.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,891
Likes: 3
From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
My buddy has an '01 Jetta with no cup holders in the center console. They are in a pop out tray above the radio, so that when in use, block the radio *****. The parking brake is located in the center of the console like our Corvettes. My '03 Jetta has a redesigned center console that has the cupholders located next to the parking brake. To make it happen VW redesigned the parking brake to mount on the drivers side of the console.
Reason for that little story is I'm wondering how hard it would be to move the PB over to one side to free up space between the seats. I have a spare handle to replace my broken one. After seeing it out of the car, I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to relocate to one side. I'm not sure how that equates to the underside of the car and the cable location. If and when I get to the point of making a new dash/console, I'm going to try this to make room for cupholders.
The rest of it is coming along nicely and looking real good. What are your plans to roll the smaller center section of the console into the wider transmission tunnel?
Reason for that little story is I'm wondering how hard it would be to move the PB over to one side to free up space between the seats. I have a spare handle to replace my broken one. After seeing it out of the car, I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to relocate to one side. I'm not sure how that equates to the underside of the car and the cable location. If and when I get to the point of making a new dash/console, I'm going to try this to make room for cupholders.
The rest of it is coming along nicely and looking real good. What are your plans to roll the smaller center section of the console into the wider transmission tunnel?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
next step i would do it to secure the gauge setup to the dash/firewall and see how it all layout out...... i have a feeling that you might have to cut back the area for the nav. system since it might be tooo close to the shifter and if you add cup holders........ i would also drill holes in the sides of the wood to allow the nav. unit to breath....... also consider where your dash pads are gonna meetup and attach to the gauges.....
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