Fiberglass Dashes; Designs and Creations - Page 2 - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

c72c · 09-06-2011, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandaroo

so you left the dash under the glass? seems like you could use some kind of mold release and pop the fiberglass shell off and have a lightweight dash.

That would only give him a shell for the dash. He'd still need brackets and mounting points all over it.

waxball88 · 09-06-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c72c

That would only give him a shell for the dash. He'd still need brackets and mounting points all over it.

What this guy said. A friend has got me thinking of making a mold using a release coat, followed by a gel goat, then laying the glass and taking it off. Of course i would have to build in the mounting points, but that wouldn't be TOO hard. The hardest part will be making the vents look nice.

Did a ton more bondo/sanding work today. Need to pick up some more bondo and sanding pads. Hopefully i'll have this thing ready to go this weekend. I', highly considering flocking the dash

Mikey McFly · 10-20-2011, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bushido

Quote:

Originally Posted by muffler

i like how the gauges are flat up top^^ seems to flow better IMO

This ^^^

Quote:

Originally Posted by c72c

That would only give him a shell for the dash. He'd still need brackets and mounting points all over it.

This would only be a bad idea if you don't want to take the time to make brackets, otherwise, it'd be pretty sick and be way easier to go under the dash depending on the fasteners you use.

I'm thinking cam locks.

waxball88 · 10-15-2011, 05:38 PM

Just a little update, been slammed with school, but i put in a solid day on it today. Found someone locally (Thanks Kyle) who gave me his vents as my defroster vent broke when i took it out, and i lost one of the other vents. I probably could have flocked it today but i'm not going to risk any imperfections, i did all the body work on my car and this is no different, if it shows in primer, it shows in paint. And if it is ready for paint in my book, it is certainly ready for flocking because it is thicker/doesn't shine so it will hide slight imperfections.

Spot putty and hand sanding to leave a smooth finish. (All has been sanded that is pictured)
Rounded the gauge cluster

All i have to finish is the pass side vent and the top defroster vents on the sides.

A WORD OF ADVICE FOR THOSE TRYING THIS that want the vents to look nice;
Wrap vent trim piece in 2 layers of aluminum foil, Bondo the area surrounding the vent and fill it thick, press vent trim into bond and let it dry. Then remove the gauge and sand, then the trim piece should fit flush with no gap.
(Note the sun sensor for dcc drilled out :P)

Then its time for this; Got 6oz (2 bags of black flocking) 2 cans of the black adhesive, hopefully it's enough. (Shout out to yellowxhoodie for the deal)

yellowxhoodie · 10-16-2011, 01:16 AM

msglngth.

waxball88 · 10-16-2011, 10:20 AM

They are Brix I reps(i know him)

ILoveJDM · 10-16-2011, 02:02 PM

VERY old

Sergio180sx · 10-16-2011, 02:18 PM

Nice can't wait to see the final product

waxball88 · 10-20-2011, 05:17 PM

In primer, about to give it a quick sand then flocking right after. I hope it goes well

fckillerbee · 10-20-2011, 05:25 PM

that looks awesome. How many hours do you have into this dash so far?

waxball88 · 10-20-2011, 06:51 PM

Only god himself knows. It would have went much faster if i utilized a few key things during that i didn't know.

JDMStanced · 10-20-2011, 10:38 PM

i have a question.
Which one would be lighter? plastic, aluminum or fiberglass dashboard?

pandaroo · 10-22-2011, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDMStanced

i have a question.
Which one would be lighter? plastic, aluminum or fiberglass dashboard?

what i did is start with the stock dash and peel the vinyl and wire wheel the 1/2 in layer of foam that covers the dash. and what your left is a light thin plastic dash. you just have to bondo a few irregular spots. ill post up pics when my flock arrives, and will weigh it when im done.

waxball88 · 10-20-2011, 10:39 PM

Are you talking about covering a dash board or what? That's such a broad questions. There are some very light plastics out there.
But a completely fiberglass dash would be very light.

JDMStanced · 10-20-2011, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waxball88

Are you talking about covering a dash board or what? That's such a broad questions. There are some very light plastics out there.
But a completely fiberglass dash would be very light.

like stock plastic dashboard vs aluminum sheet dash board.
stock plastic dashboard vs fiberglass dashboard like what op did.

waxball88 · 10-20-2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDMStanced

like stock plastic dashboard vs aluminum sheet dash board.
stock plastic dashboard vs fiberglass dashboard like what op did.

I am the OP lol. I'll weigh the dash when i'm done and i'll see if i can find a stock dash to weigh. I think i'm picking up another dash to make a gen. 2 dash, i've got a few ideas floating around.

JDMStanced · 10-20-2011, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waxball88

I am the OP lol. I'll weigh the dash when i'm done and i'll see if i can find a stock dash to weigh. I think i'm picking up another dash to make a gen. 2 dash, i've got a few ideas floating around.

haha.
thanks man!

drift_student · 10-22-2011, 01:14 PM

Not that much cheaper, but definitely easier and will always look good. I've had one for 3 years and it still looks brand new:

88-94 Nissan 240SX 10-890

We need to keep buying these so they don't stop producing them!

squatting pigeon · 10-22-2011, 02:58 PM

If only they made one of those for s14's^^

Matej · 10-22-2011, 04:07 PM

It makes me feel itchy just thinking about having a fiberglass dashboard.

waxball88 · 10-22-2011, 04:09 PM

Everyone always says fiberglass makes them itchy. It's never really made me itch???

Broadfield · 10-22-2011, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waxball88

Everyone always says fiberglass makes them itchy. It's never really made me itch???

Only when you sand it... and usually only on the arms where it makes contact with other body parts or clothing. So if I'm wearing short sleeves, it will start to itch in the bend of my arm or where my sleeve meets my arm. It never itches on my hands though... even though they are in contact with the most dust etc.

waxball88 · 10-22-2011, 04:53 PM

Ibe sanded glass many times and rarely get an itch. Maybe my thick arm hair prevents contact lol

Broadfield · 10-22-2011, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waxball88

Ibe sanded glass many times and rarely get an itch. Maybe my thick arm hair prevents contact lol

It usually only itches me at the end of the day... definitely not while I'm actually sanding. Let me know if you need any pointers or tricks of the trade... I've been doing it for over 20 years.

oOI WEST IOo · 10-22-2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadfield

It usually only itches me at the end of the day... definitely not while I'm actually sanding. Let me know if you need any pointers or tricks of the trade... I've been doing it for over 20 years.

why don't you do a "how to" thread on fiber glass I'm sure a lot of us would appreciate it?

Umbys · 10-22-2011, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oOI WEST IOo

why don't you do a "how to" thread on fiber glass I'm sure a lot of us would appreciate it?

Yes that would be GREAT ! my s14 dash is cracked now and i would really wanna give this a shot but i wouldnt know where to begin with fiberglass ....

beefyx323x · 10-22-2011, 11:36 PM

woa very nice! looking good soo far

Broadfield · 10-22-2011, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oOI WEST IOo

why don't you do a "how to" thread on fiber glass I'm sure a lot of us would appreciate it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umbys

Yes that would be GREAT ! my s14 dash is cracked now and i would really wanna give this a shot but i wouldnt know where to begin with fiberglass ....

The problem with a fiberglass write-up is that the work and technique will vary greatly from one job to the next. Simply because fiberglass fabrication can entail so many different things. I did do a write-up about 3 years ago on here for a fiberglass audio system I did. I'm sure some of the techniques can be used on other types of projects:

http://zilvia.net/f/off-topic-chat/2...brication.html

You can also check out when I filled the vents on my fiberglass fenders:

Filling Some Fender Vents « Broadfield's Blog

David48 · 10-23-2011, 09:57 AM

This thread is amazing.

waxball88 · 10-23-2011, 11:06 AM

To coat-tail Broadfield, fiberglassing isn't all that hard. Like most things you get better with experience.
The more you plan out what you're going to do the less finish work you need to do, and once the resin starts thickening up, its time to stop otherwise you'll end up with huge globs on your parts.

10-16-2011, 02:02 PM	#7
ILoveJDM Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SK Canada! Posts: 1,947 Trader Rating: (27) Feedback Score: 27 reviews	VERY old __________________ DODOlogic.ca

10-22-2011, 11:36 PM	#27
beefyx323x Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: 323 Posts: 206 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	woa very nice! looking good soo far __________________

10-23-2011, 09:57 AM	#29
David48 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tampa, Fl Age: 31 Posts: 991 Trader Rating: (11) Feedback Score: 11 reviews	This thread is amazing. __________________

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10-15-2011, 05:38 PM	#4
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	Just a little update, been slammed with school, but i put in a solid day on it today. Found someone locally (Thanks Kyle) who gave me his vents as my defroster vent broke when i took it out, and i lost one of the other vents. I probably could have flocked it today but i'm not going to risk any imperfections, i did all the body work on my car and this is no different, if it shows in primer, it shows in paint. And if it is ready for paint in my book, it is certainly ready for flocking because it is thicker/doesn't shine so it will hide slight imperfections. Spot putty and hand sanding to leave a smooth finish. (All has been sanded that is pictured) Rounded the gauge cluster All i have to finish is the pass side vent and the top defroster vents on the sides. A WORD OF ADVICE FOR THOSE TRYING THIS that want the vents to look nice; Wrap vent trim piece in 2 layers of aluminum foil, Bondo the area surrounding the vent and fill it thick, press vent trim into bond and let it dry. Then remove the gauge and sand, then the trim piece should fit flush with no gap. (Note the sun sensor for dcc drilled out :P) Then its time for this; Got 6oz (2 bags of black flocking) 2 cans of the black adhesive, hopefully it's enough. (Shout out to yellowxhoodie for the deal)

10-16-2011, 01:16 AM	#5
yellowxhoodie Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,092 Trader Rating: (12) Feedback Score: 12 reviews	msglngth.

10-16-2011, 10:20 AM	#6
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	They are Brix I reps(i know him)

10-20-2011, 05:17 PM	#9
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	In primer, about to give it a quick sand then flocking right after. I hope it goes well

10-20-2011, 05:25 PM	#10
fckillerbee Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Age: 40 Posts: 4,266 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	that looks awesome. How many hours do you have into this dash so far?

10-20-2011, 06:51 PM	#11
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	Only god himself knows. It would have went much faster if i utilized a few key things during that i didn't know.

10-20-2011, 10:38 PM	#12
JDMStanced Zilvia Addict Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: irvine Posts: 606 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	i have a question. Which one would be lighter? plastic, aluminum or fiberglass dashboard?

10-20-2011, 10:39 PM	#14
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	Are you talking about covering a dash board or what? That's such a broad questions. There are some very light plastics out there. But a completely fiberglass dash would be very light.

10-22-2011, 01:14 PM	#18
drift_student Leaky Injector Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 118 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Not that much cheaper, but definitely easier and will always look good. I've had one for 3 years and it still looks brand new: 88-94 Nissan 240SX 10-890 We need to keep buying these so they don't stop producing them!

10-22-2011, 02:58 PM	#19
squatting pigeon Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Space Ghost Posts: 169 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	If only they made one of those for s14's^^

10-22-2011, 04:07 PM	#20
Matej Post Whore! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N/A Posts: 9,423 Trader Rating: (39) Feedback Score: 39 reviews	It makes me feel itchy just thinking about having a fiberglass dashboard.

10-22-2011, 04:09 PM	#21
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	Everyone always says fiberglass makes them itchy. It's never really made me itch???

10-22-2011, 04:53 PM	#23
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	Ibe sanded glass many times and rarely get an itch. Maybe my thick arm hair prevents contact lol

10-23-2011, 11:06 AM	#30
waxball88 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gainesville Posts: 1,061 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	To coat-tail Broadfield, fiberglassing isn't all that hard. Like most things you get better with experience. The more you plan out what you're going to do the less finish work you need to do, and once the resin starts thickening up, its time to stop otherwise you'll end up with huge globs on your parts.