I've been pretty depressed since I quit a good job traveling to work a shitty job back home and spend more time with my son, but I've seriously been thinking of making some fiberglass body panels and custom parts for our FB's in the near future to get me out of this rut. The car keeps me excited and I love wrenching on it, but there are really no dependable, quality manufacturers that make custom parts like hoods, fenders (stock-style and custom), door shells, vented header panels, etc.

I have access to plenty of fiberglass mat and I'm sure that I'm going to make some custom parts for my own first gen, but I want to ask you guys what you'd like to see manufactured for these cars.

If there's a demand for certain parts, I'll probably get started even sooner to satisfy all you guys that have helped me out with my project. Thanks in advance for all your time, input, help, and cooperation...

-Adam Collins

 

Everything Fibermaz can't make enough of in Carbon Fibre.

 

Fenders (not flairs, but the whole front fender assembly), and trimless (smooth) bumper skins. I'd be down for a set of those.

 

I'm still up for someone to develop a 1 piece flip front end. :-)

 

a lightweight hood, simple, for people on a budget please.

 

I agree with Doc, I have seen some bad *** one pieces on other cars.

Also what about simple parts like the whole dash cover and the steering wheel cover? I know those are really cracked and falling of on some of our cars...

Also that rear flush bumper kit sounds good, I still have yet to hear or see someone explain how to do it in a thread.

 

Please please please please figure out a way to emulate the lines of this guys front and rear bumpers!!!

I cannot speak for others but I would love to have this kit available, please think about it

Lastly, nothing against anyone who wants a CF hood, but our stock hoods are ridiculously light... there is no weight savings to be had there... just aesthetics

 

I think I'm going to start out with a vented header panel and a smooth rear panel-the piece that fits between the taillights. I really want to make a completely different one-off kind of hood for my car, and a cowl panel that holds a gauge pod(for a fuel psi gauge most likely-I've got a couple of gauge cups that I cut from a universal style a-pillar pod that I can mold into a cowl panel and make a mold from), but I think that that first hood I'd make would just be a light weight stock version...

Smooth bumper covers would be a good idea-I just bought the Extreme Dimensions GP-1 body kit and it does away with the moulding, which makes the car look SOOO much smoother. I'd be up for making about anything that you guys want, I just need to get a few pieces underway first...

I've been working with a few guys that have a lot of experience in fiberglass work, and I really need a new means of replenishing the $ I've had saved up that I've just been blowing on this car lately. Hell, I've even been shopping around for garages to rent so I can really get started with the fiberglass work. I'm dead set on making at least a few parts, and if I can get to the point where I'm working for myself doing this then I'd be thrilled!

Doc and DemonSpawn-great idea, but the only drawback (for the current time anyway) would be the "negative draw" that the entire front end lacks. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to try that and see how it turns out but the first things I'll be making would have to be a bit simpler. A hood, header panel, headlight cover, rear panel, etc. can be pulled out of a single mold or molded in two pieces and epoxied together whereas an entire front clip would have to be vacuum-formed in a multi-piece mold-and I just don't have the ability to do that yet...

I'm interested in making better looking front bumper replacements also, but like the front clip would require complex molds. I'll work my way there eventually (hopefully sooner than later), but I need to keep at least the first few items and production runs made from simpler molds. I love the "EVO" style front bumpers and would like to make a version for the FB's sometime...

And carbon fiber parts are made pretty much the same way as fiberglass-there are minor differences but working with carbon fiber is basically the same. I want to get into that also, but that would be a while off. Keep the ideas rolling and I'll do my best to try and satisfy your desires...

 

What about a Dash?

I know that would be helpful to a lot of us that want to replace our cracked vinyl dashes?

 

More great ideas-I love the look of that FB, swbtm! I must've still been typing that last post when you replied. I've thought about a dash also, DemonSpawn. I've got a lot of gauges to install and have been dreaming of a dash with a couple of gauge pods in the center, angled at the driver. Complex items like that are a while away, but I'm going to order the rest of the materials I need to get started in the next few days and hopefully we'll be seeing some parts in about a month or so...

One great thing about fiberglass is that it's pretty inexpensive, even using high quality materials. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I'd make sure everything is top-notch, too. Keep the ideas coming, and I'll keep you posted on the progress...

 

That blue 7 is from greece... the owners name is ΝΙΚΟΣ he put that body kit together himself... just for your information.

If you could eventually get something like that going... I would defitenely buy the whole kit... front rear and skirts

good luck with your work!

hoping for the best

Pete

 

I would trade my left arm for a LHD dash for my SE...

 

A vented hood would be nice.

 

I know you guys have been disappointed in the past by the promise of new custom parts for our cars, but I've got another update on the subject here for you: Yesterday I placed an order with CST sales on the West coast for all the rest of the materials I'll need and a lot of quality 5.8oz fiberglass cloth. The epoxy resin I've ordered is one of the best you can buy, and I got some slow hardener to start with. I expect my order to ship today and I'm hoping to receive it before the end of next week, which will give me a bit more time to practice and research methods, materials, processes, etc. If all goes well, I should have a few smaller parts ready by around this time next month...

Assuming all goes well, I'd like to get into vacuum-forming larger parts over positive molds after I've gotten the hang of the wet-lay up, but that'll be a while down the road yet. I'm doing my best to keep you guys satisfied and informed, so just bear with me-I will come through with at least a few smaller parts as soon as possible. The motivation is there for me to make some bigger parts, I just need some practice on a smaller scale first...

I probably could've found a better deal on the materials I ordered from CST, but their help and customer service was excellent, and the woman whom I spoke with guided me in the right direction and helped me pick the components that suited my desires. I'll keep you guys posted on progress, and once I figure out how to post pics, I'll make sure I post some of the first few molds and parts...

 

As to posting pics...
I've found it easiest to rezise the pictures since digital camera shots are huge these days.... here's how i've done it

open up the original picture file so it fills about half the screen
take a screen shot by pressing the "print screen" button
open up paint and press "control v" on the blank paint window... or right click and say paste
this should give you your screenshot from a moment ago.
Move the whole shot so that the pics upper left corner is even with the paint window corner
move all the way to the right and down
in the lower right corner you can crop the image by just dragging the white background to the lower right corner of the picture
go to file save as and save as jpeg, bmp, tif.. what ever you like most.. i've found jpeg's work well

If the file is still too big repeat your steps from the screenshot and just make the original picture a little smaller in your viewer window before the screenshot... this eliminates paint's horrible ability to pixilate when shrinking or stretching pics

From there you can just post pics by going to the advanced post and clicking on manage pics

hope this helps...

Good Luck with your glass!!

Pete

 

well, i have a mariah mode 4 front bumper. it has some damage, but i was going to fix it and i have NO FG experience. if you want it and think you can fix it and make a mold off of it. let me know, youre welcome to it. i need to clear up some room.

 

swbtm and aws, thanks guys! I'll try to post some pics tomorrow of other things (like my steering, suspension, and fuel management systems) in their respective places on this forum, and I'll try your method of reducing pic size and see how that works out for me. That's probably just what I needed to know to get the pics I've tried to post to show up-most of them were even HUGE on photobucket.com when I posted links there...

aws, thanks a lot. The problem that I see with producing copies of that bumper cover would be some type of copyright infringement, or something of the sorts if I were to try to EXACTLY duplicate it. With a bit of modification and the addition of some extra light holes, vents, etc., I'm sure it could be produced and sold without the worry of Mariah's lawyers attacking. Most of the front air dams/bumper covers sold for our cars are pretty similar in appearance anyway, with the exception of the GP-1 Extreme Dimensions kit (I have this entire kit, by the way-I'm hoping to improve upon the rear bumper replacement piece in the future) and the Kamei or Kaminari kits. I have an air dam that's similar to Extreme Dimension's other kit and it looks to be pure fiberglass. It also resembles the Mariah Mode Four version with minor differences. It was included with the sale of my GS, and I believe the PO or one of his fellow RX-7 enthusiasts had purchased it from Black Dragon (or whatever LMC's Japanese car sister company is now). To make a long story short, I'd definately be interested in it and would gladly pay the shipping, packing, and boxing or handling fees if you'd be willing to ship it (or there's a possibility that I may be headed to Florida in the next month or so and I could plan time for a bypass and meet you in person to pick it up if that pans out). In return, I'd give you one of the first "copies" (I would have to at least eliminate the moulding around the bumper and probably modify it to better suit any consumers that would be interested in a production run), or your choice of products that I'll be making. Like I have previously stated, I'll have to start on a smaller scale and work my way up to the bigger items like air dams and hoods, but I'm hoping to be producing flush and flat rear panels, a vented header panel, and possibly a wiper cowl panel with a gauge pod angled at the driver for a 2 1/16" fuel pressure gauge (or whatever gauge the consumer would like to install) in about a month from now or so. If I can keep up to that deadline, then hoods and airdams could be just a couple or few months away. aws, I'll send you a PM with my cell number if you'd like to call me with the details of the Mariah piece.

I'll continue to keep you all updated and informed of progress as often as I can. Until then, please continue with the ideas. You guys have helped me get my car this far and provided me with priceless information, so I'm looking to return the favor and make the products that you can't get anywhere else...Thanks again!

 

I definitely like the idea for a flat tail light trim piece. I would also like to see flat clear outer tail lenses if you wanted to get into any plastic work. Flared fenders would be awesome as well as maybe 20-30MM wide fenders for a subtle stance without going full widebody. They could also be used with the stock front bumper and valance and so forth instead of having to get everything new. Hey aws, you should let him borrow your IMSA front end for him to make replicas of that. I'd definitely be down for that. A vented fiberglass hood would be cool too, something functional for anyone wanting to run a v-mount intercooler set up. What about a fiberglass unibody? JK LOL. There's definitely alot of potential for parts

 

Bolt on style fender flares, per FAI Group C rules.

Replacement panel for rear storage boxes with intent to relocate the battery and mount amplifier, speakers and a 10" sub.

Hood with early Fox style scoop for V8 guys.

 

I'm not really into big sound systems myself, but the idea of a replacement rear storage box area is a good one. I intend to relocate my battery further back (optima battery buried partially under the rear hatch lid right by the passenger's side taillight) but I may be able to do something with the storage box area in the future...

There are so many different style hood styles that I'd like to see for the FB's-once I get into making those it's going to be hard to decide what style I'll go with first. About that time, assuming everything's going well, I'd like to start wet-laying carbon fiber also. If I can make this work for me, by the beginning of next year I'd like to have the ability, products, materials, and tools to not only wet-lay fiberglass but also vacu-form fiberglass and carbon fiber as well as wet-laying carbon fiber and other synthetics. Keep the ideas rolling, and I'll keep you guys informed on the progress...

 

Another idea to throw in for the hoods. I know the guys doing Turbo II swaps would love a Turbo II style hood that is perfectly functional. Of course I say any scooped or vened hood you make to be functional!

 

Stock hood, fenders are a must!!! Maybe door skins?
I would be the first to pony up some cash, dude.

 

I've been looking into that duraflex GP-1 body kit for a while... think you can take some pictures of it? It would really help to visualize it since all the pics i've seen are the iso, direct side, and direct rear views on solid color backgrounds... I completely loose all sense of scale. If you could that would be awesome!

Also, just remembered something. The Kamei air dam. It's a really nice simple dam that seems to be a relatively strait forward piece to mold. Here are a few pics of it

This is another piece that I would buy the moment you had one ready to go!

Thanks again

 

An FB version of that would be interesting... you know a full bumper replacement...

 

Second and Third pictures are not the Kamei but another demanded SA air dam