How to Fiberglass your dash

[yokotas13]

This is going to be an Ongoing tutorial, because if i don't start it now, i never will. And i get questions all over from a ton of forums, on how to fiberglass stuff, because i used to do it back home. So i figured since I'm fiberglassing my dash, i can help everyone out and do a tutorial. Another will follow on making two fiberglass enclosures for the rear of your 240 on those two triangular shaped pieces where your back seat used to be.

SO here it all starts

supplies needed
1. 1 gallon fiberglass polyester resin (do not use Elmer's brand, use bondo or the kind at home depot, American housing or something like that)
2. OZ measuring cups (the plastic kind from Lowe's or home depot with ounce measurements for your resin/hardener ratio)
3. Paint brushes (i use the 3 inch kind to make it faster)
4. Razor blade
5. Dremel tool (if modifying your dash like i did)
6. Sandpaper (from 60 grit to 800)
7. Bondo or kitty hair (i use bondo because i cant read kitty hair in Japanese)
8. Fiberglass Matt, or fleece, whatever you want to use, either will work
9. Spray adhesive
(if i forget some ill get to it later)

Procedure

Take your dash out of the car, self explanatory
Begin removing the colored vinyl covering on the dash. It will be a PITA and could take up to 3 hours as mine did because it was SO hard from being in the sun, it just kept breaking and i had to take it off inch by inch. It sucked.
figure out what you want to modify. I had to personally cut a half circle by the edges, for where my 7pt cage front bars go through and rub against the dash, So i needed to channel it so it wouldn't stress my dash once installed.
Clean the dash off with rough grit sandpaper to get any crazy unevenness out
Use your spray adhesive to put the fiberglass matt onto the dash, It doesn't have to be perfect, but make it as perfect as you can, it will cut down your sanding time HUGE!
(its not completely trimmed and ready for resin yet, but you get the idea.)
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3676/img2509ur5.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8356/img2510gl7.jpg
Take your time and make sure that trimmed everything before you mix your resin, you will have minimal time to do your work after it is mixed.
Now go ahead and apply your resin to the dash from left to right. I do it like that so i dint miss anything. Make sure you overlap the edges onto the plastic, so that everything is covered, you can trim that with a Dremel later. and it just makes it easier than having to go back over it after your other coats because you missed a spot. It should look something like this right after your done applying resin. My first coat too 24 ounces to cover the dash with a small amount to spare/
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/662/img2511ha0.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/32/img2512wt6.jpg
You can see here where i notched out for the cage
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6424/img2513wi3.jpg



This is the point I'm at now. Ill update tomorrow for the thread, should be complete by Wednesday

[BoostinGST]

this is a good idea for a tutorial... thanks :)

[drifter808]

nice...cant wait to see it finished

[GSXRJJordan]

AWESOME. I was actually gonna do a tutorial when I get around to 'glassing my dash (with my guage pod), but haven't had any time. So far, you're right on the money.

And to emphasize, 30 mins in prep work to make sure the matting on the dash is as even as possible will save HOURS on the other end - do a good job getting everything as flat as you can before you resin ~

[yokotas13]

yeah, ive build countelss dashes, entier backseat enclosures, pods, kick panels, etc etc etc so im not all that new to it, but i think i didnt mix my batch of resin hot enough, it should be almost cured by now, and its not. so i mixed a super hott (twice the hardner) batch and put it on to help out

[NIK90s13]

Nice so far, I'm very intrested!!! Thanks so far!!!

[yokotas13]

no prob
im in the process of sanding right now. more to come whe ni get more sandpaper

[GSXRJJordan]

more pics ~ I want to see how long it takes to sand lol.

[BaliLover]

I've seen people mix bondo and mixed-resin together for the next layer. They mix it so its not really thick, similar to the texture of toothpaste so it goes on easier and flows out smoother than just using bondo alone. I don't know if they adjust the resin hardener for the added volume with the bondo or not though.

[GSXRJJordan]

I've seen people mix bondo and mixed-resin together for the next layer. They mix it so its not really thick, similar to the texture of toothpaste so it goes on easier and flows out smoother than just using bondo alone. I don't know if they adjust the resin hardener for the added volume with the bondo or not though.

We call it the "milkshake" layer, and you do it if you dont want to use body filler (which has close to the same consistency). The exact mixture just depends on how runny you want it to be

[Ricks15]

Thats pretty cool.

[gun]

kinda off topic question, but: after step 2, where u take off the vinyl covering, is there anything u can use that would work as a glue so i could lay a sheet of carbon fiber instead of making it fiberglass? sorry to everyone if its a stupid question!

[GSXRJJordan]

kinda off topic question, but: after step 2, where u take off the vinyl covering, is there anything u can use that would work as a glue so i could lay a sheet of carbon fiber instead of making it fiberglass? sorry to everyone if its a stupid question!

Totally! Not a bad plan... basically you'll want to use some heavy duty spray adhesive, because the foam is kinda sketchy under there. I don't know how well some carbon weave vynil crap will hold up under the socal sun...

[HellonFire]

Good writeup. Waiting for more pics. :)

Tyler

[TipStylez]

looks cool.

123456789

[yokotas13]

im takign a break for a little bit, working on soemthing else. Ill finish sanding it this weekend and get more pics. i still gotta pick up sandpaper lol

[bik]

did it 2 years ago =P

now is all black, O_o
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/bik/DSCN0979.jpg

call me ricer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am!!!!!!!! =P or was?

[TipStylez]

^Looks slippery.

[LB.Motoring]

I love the steeringwheel cover :keke:

i remmber seeing this s13.4, mexico right?

[bik]

yes mexico...
and the wheel is a momo ¬_¬

[LB.Motoring]

hahaha your such a ricer :keke:

but I approve

[LA_phantom_240]

Pimp. Both of you guys. And about using fiberglass, it CAN be done with enough patience and cash.. but in my honest opinion its too much of a pain in my ass to even attempt it. It is MUCH harder to work with than fiberglass... that is if you want it to look good

[yokotas13]

yer dash is all wavy lol
Im thinking of covering it with something, instead of painting, becuase it would cut down my work by multitudes

but i dont know if i can streatch Coach fabric that much

[HyperTek]

so im tryin to understand, are you just covering a gutted stock dashboard with fiberglass as a way to fill vents/holes?? or is the stock dash mainly just used as a mold and after its all done, to split them apart and use just the fiberglass?

Cool thread tho!!! All for the DIY!

[gun]

im assuming this process will be pretty much the same for an s14 dash? yesszz?

[yokotas13]

process is hte same for anything, door panels, dashes, consoels etc

Just strip and lay over
that easy

[Sir]

so im tryin to understand, are you just covering a gutted stock dashboard with fiberglass as a way to fill vents/holes?? or is the stock dash mainly just used as a mold and after its all done, to split them apart and use just the fiberglass?

Cool thread tho!!! All for the DIY!

hes not pulling a mold, hes just laying fiberglass on top and paint to suit your mood.

[HyperTek]

OoO.. but then your adding weight. I presume your going to paint it correct? Flat black would look clean but might as well left it stock

hmm.. someone should post how to flock/ add suede to a dashboard. benefits is it cuts down glare.

[ThatGuy]

OoO.. but then your adding weight.

hmm.. someone should post how to flock/ add suede to a dashboard. benefits is it cuts down glare.

Talk to Bill Washburn from Dent Sport Garage. They did a full CF dash for the 240RS Maxi, and then flocked it to reduce glare.
His screen name here is driftstyre: http://www.zilvia.net/f/member.php?u=12890

[HyperTek]

yah i saw that thanks, didnt they jus make a cast out of the stock dashboard to produce a completely seperate one in carbon fiber right? I thought that was the idea of this thread

[ThatGuy]

That's the idea of a GOOD fiberglass or CF dash. If you're just too cheap to buy a replacment dash from a junkyard, or want to have a car show dash, than this method will work fine. No offense to bik and yokota, but if you are just covering the stock dash with FG, it seems pretty useless to me.

driftstyre and DSG did indeed create a mold for their dash. Completely kick-ass! Fully functional + saved weight + unlimited possibilities in customization for guage/electronics placements = teh uber w1nNaRrR!! :rawk: :keke:

[HyperTek]

yah, im sure it will be nice, yokota's car looks pretty sick hehe

[91ka]

nice. waiting for updaTE

one up.

[illvialuver]

I saw a guy with a white zenki about 6 months ago on the 405 with suade, I like the idea of it. but it gets dirty easy, so if you go to dd and stuff make sure you dont go off intothe dirt. butyeah cuts down on the glare big time and looks baller.

[yokotas13]

dude, im adding MAYBE 3 lbs to the car, maybe 5
come on dude. thats like dont eat a cheeseburger or something
its purely for assthetics

Sorry i havent ben able to work on it, 12 hours shifts all week sucks

[Sidewayzzz]

bump...any updates?

[GSXRJJordan]

I guess making a mold would be the best possible way to go, but that increases the time needed for the project exponentially.

The whole reason a lot of 240 owners (myself included) like to fiberglass the dash is to get rid of the shitty dash look! People spend hundreds of dollars on an "uncracked" dash, why not spend 6hrs and make your dash uncracked, while modifying anything you want about it (he did a cutout for his cage, I have guage pods and a boost controller to mold in, etc).

The stock dash is pretty damn hollow btw, basically plastic with a layer of foam, covered in vinyl, and weighs about 10lbs. Go on a diet if you're that concerned about 10lbs.

[infinitexsound]

i agreee adding all the composite stuff doesnt add to much weight... but making a mold is no easy task for someone who has never even tried.. its messy and takes a long time, just to get a perfect mold... and a dash isnt a an easy plug to begin with either... but its not too hard at all... theres a bunch of fiberglass forums and tutorials online about making molds..

[yokotas13]

i was at nikko circuit all day, no work done on it yet. I have to repair my bumper too now.

[yokotas13]

ok update but no pictures
I spent about an hour going around hte edges of the driver side of the dash gettign everything even with a dremel tool and 10 or so sanding bits. its turning out decent, i need to touch up some spots but other than that its not too bad

[Bay_Area_sr20det]

so do you just use fiberglass when its strong enough to start sanding or can you also use bondoglass or bondo. to get it perfect?

[yokotas13]

since i have some Carbon fiber bondo mixture ill use that. But you can use anythign from bondo, to kitty hair, to whatever you want to use. Just like filling in anythign else.

[brainfood]

I pulled my climate control and am going to move my radio to the lower din in my s14 so I am going to fiberglass the stock plastic molds and then cut out holes for boost controller, gauges, switches ect. then either cover with cf or paint match to car. Along the same lines and its easier than making a new fill since the stock pieces have the clips on them already so they would be plug and play.

[Blackhat]

I had looked into this a lot a while ago and even started working on replacing my backseat with fg panels for my speakers. I'll admit I've had trouble working the fg, does anyone have any good links for us fg noobs? I found a couple but most of them were for corporate fiberglassing and they were not very helpful for a DIY'er.

Awesome thread btw. I had been fighting with the idea of a mold and dreading the thought. I don't think I would have figured out the removing of the vinyl crap idea. :tweak:

[infinitexsound]

find a fiberglass forum.. best bet.. look for tutorials or search that word...

[FrickU]

Great writeup...you have inspired me to do my dash.

[brokeAs240sx]

any final pics?

[PBucch]

any final pics?

Word, or how about some pics of your back seat panels?

[Prime]

Ugh... you guys are hurting me here... polyester resin and carbon? I guess it's possible, but why would you buy pearls and throw them to pigs?

Honestly, epoxy resins are what you want to go with for any high cost specialty fabrics. A bit more expensive, but a lot better for using carbon or kevlar and the like.

Oh, and for the milkshake layer... fillers, much better. You can just add talc instead of using body filler. Much less expensive, a lot stronger, and drips less. Other stuff you could use, but for cost....

And for anyone wondering why someone with a post count as low as mine knows, I work in the plastics industry. I deal with this stuff daily.

[yokotas13]

no finl pics, i got bored LOL
im using the dash as a mold to make a gauge pod

i thouight about how id have to take out my own dash again. and iw as like fuck that

[GreekRPS13]

pics please im really curious

[yokotas13]

when i finish i will
i still haev quite a bit of time left to finish it!

[Skeeg]

progress?

msglength

[LongGrain]

this thread is 2 years old dude...

[Skeeg]

yea... i forgot i bookmarked this for myself... muh bad hahaha.

didn't bother to look at the dates.. anyways, how did this all turn out if there is still pictures?

[PBucch]

Did you ever finish this?

[SR240DET]

edit: nm old thread