I'm thinking about making a fiberglass dash for myself. I'm doing this because my dash has cracked, and i think it would look really good with a gauge pod or two integrated into the dash. What i'm looking for are any reasons you guys think this is a bad idea, or won't work (sans money issues). Namely, do you think it will crack, is the shape to hard to replicate, does it need to be flexible.

I'm looking for anything here, so go ahead and tell me how stupid this idea is. THanks a lot guys.

P.S. If i do this, i'll probably end up making a mold for it, so i might do some for people if there's interest and you like the results

 

I see no reason why the dash would need to flex other than installation.

If you integrated a spot in the middle of the dash on a slant twards the driver with spots for 3 gauges ( i forget the diameter of the most widely used gauges) or hell even right infront of the steering wheel. I'd for sure buy one off you. Maybe even throw a good sturdy spot, pre-drilled and all, on there to mount a nice Tach.

*shrug*

 

Are you planning on glassing over the stock dash and doing the pods etc? Or making your own. Im into the custom and minitrucking scene and I've helped my brother alot of his truck. We glassed his dash and included a custom bezel to mount his air guages for his bags, he also ground down the dash before we glassed and reshaped the whole thing....It turned out awesome. If your just planning on adding a pod to the factory dash. You can use actual fiber and resin all around the pod and then just use some heavy resin on the rest. Then sand to blend then use filler. Its worth it in looks...My brother sanded his perfect and painted to match the outside....Its kinda interesting when you gotta wax your dash...

 

at first i was thinking about making a completely new dash out of glass, but you're idea about just glassing over an existing dash isn't bad either. I'm afraid that it would become too thick with some of the stuff i'd like to do with it though.

And jestah, thats kinda what i was thinking of doing. I'll let you guys know of any progress i have with this.

and any other comments are still welcome

 

Thats why you only use the matting over the areas you need custom work and just use resin over the rest...Dont worry about going too thick...Glass goes down in thin layers.

 

If you are going to make a production quality one the best thing is to make a mold from an orginal dash pad. Then make a glass pad just like the orginal. Then on the new pad cut and mold on the new additions and modifications. Then make a mold of the final product. Then cast the new dash pad, unfortantly doing this will leave you a little short in the pocket expect about 200 per fiberglass casting in materials. But then you can sell the orginal fiberglass version and the improved one.

As for issues with fiberglass, there isn't many. First it will have to be painted and thus could get scratched. Also if you have a wreck fiberglass will hurt more than the foam pad. But the mini trucks have been doing it for ever and all the night rider cars with the dash from the tv show is fiberglass.

 

Aviator

Why do you think that the casting will be so costly?? are you talking about the glass part or the mold... or both??

 

Yea mold, resin, glass matt, it gets expensive. once you get the final mold made it would probably be about 60-70 per pad made then.

 

Yeah hes right on the price...I had about $100 in resin and hardner and matting and brushes in my fiberglass sub box I built

 

hey slowfiveoh, I have been looking into this project for a little while now and u seem to know ur stuff, all I am looking to do is make my dash smooth as glass and paint it up, dont care about the waxing, thats a cool factor to me who else waxes there dash. Anyway, I dont want to mod the pad at all just use the stock one, can I glass right over it then paint it? Very new to this fiberglass thing so any help is greatly aprreciated, thanks.

 

yea you can glass over the orginal dash, just watch out for thickness at the edges. Be careful with going to shinny of a paint job, the slope of the windshild is so that you will see the dash in the windshild if you go shinny. All you will really need is to use some resin on the dash except where you may have cracks then you need to use some glass cloth. Then block sand, fill any lull spots and sand off any high spots. Then spray it with filler primer or gel coat and x it with black paint and block sand and repeat untill you have it smooth.

 

I actually started glassing over my dash pad about 6 months ago, just never finished it. i started with a layer of mat, then a layer of duraglass, then im gonna gel coat. without the gelcoat its already hard as a brick. just be careful of the thickness of the corners around the a pillars, it gets tight.

 

If you just want the smooth look and dont plan on doing any mods to it, you might be able to get away with just sanding the dash till its smooth, taking all the ridges out of it...I've seen quite a few people do that on S-10s...Just sand till its smooth then prime it, spot putty if needed and paint...If the Camaro ones are too thin to do that, I would just lay down a layer of resin over the whole dash and sand, Then use filler and spot putty to fix any imperfections...No use adding layers of matting if you keeping the stock dash...I know in my case, Im just tweeding my whole dash pad! But my brother's first dash he just sanded and painted. Now he went custom and made a fiberglass dash...Cut some stuff out and glassed over some things...Looks pretty sweet!

 

slowfiveoh

You got any pics of your brothers glass dash pad??
I'd be interested in seeing how it came out

 

I think I might have some progress pics of the dash, dont know if he has any completed pictures, He just got his license today so hes out riding...I'll ask later tonight...

 

thanks, any pics would be great

 

Hey SLOWFIVEOH, when you guys made a mold of the old dash for the truck, did it get ruined? I have a 99 T/A dash I want to swap into my 91Z28, but before doing the swap I was thinking about using the dash to make a mold for a fiberglass or carbon fiber dash for my 89 RS. I'm not going for production quality or even show quality (just weight savings), but I'm wondering what will happen to the original dash. If it gets ruined then I'm not gonna do it.

 

wow thanks for all the help guys, never expected a response like this. I will be keeping the dash pad stock, looks clean and smooth, dont really wanna mod it at all. Im not sure but should be starting and if all goes well finishing this project this weekend, I personally dont have a digi cam but my buddy does so i will take before during and after pics and post them. Another question can I do this with my headliner also? should I do it with the headliner in the car for most of it then remove and complete or do the whole thing outside the car? I have t-tops if it makes any difference. thanks again fellow thirdgens

 

Well soo on my brothers dash. He took the grinder to the dash and took alot of the rough corners etc off. He ground his whole dash, Then glass over it to smooth everything out and to fill over some areas. One option you might have is covering the whole dash in aluminum foil using masking tape to hold it where you need it. Then glass over that and pull the whole thing off once its set up. Thats how I made my fiberglass box to fit in the rear well of my car. I lined the whole thing in foil and then did one layer of glass, removed the whole thing from the car, And added layers and started working out stuff on it. Also on the headliner...I dont know, never had a t-top car...I dont get my Iroc till this Sunday so I dont know what the headliners are like!

 

personally I think it would be awesome if somebody made a mold and sold fiberglass dashes for about $100 a pop. I just got a new dash pad, and my friend was messing with it outside of the car and put a huge crack in it!!!! All he said was "oops" and I was pissed!! They're too fragile, and I'd love a fg one.
Or maybe real good detailed instructions with pictures, if anyone does a real good successful job.

 

hey guys, got all my resin, filler, and putty, getting ready to try this out. what would be a good paint to use upon completion? as far as color goes I was thinking just stick with black, but worried about glare in the windshield. Any suggestions?

 

Personally I would use truck bedliner. It will give it texture kind of like the stock dash so it won't look so out of place.

 

That kinda defeats the purpose, Especially saying alot of these guys were talking about not molding in pods and just glassing over the pad...

 

yea slowfiveoh, im going for the smooth appearance, no bumps or anything, want it smooth as a babys behind

 

please post pictures of the progess.

Also SLOWFIVEOH I would like a little more info on how you bouilt your fibe box.

john

 

Yeah I dont know to much about this subject but pictures of progress would be great.