DemonicPupil

I've done some searching, and found a thread or two on the subject, but nothing amazing. The only thread worth reading had zero pictures because it was from 2002.

Anyways, I'm sick of the broken dash peices in my car and honestly, I really hate the textured rubbery crap that the dash was made out of. The dashes are also heavy enough to warrant removal.

Has anyone else attempted to redo the dash in fiberglass? Does anyone have any hints/tips/tricks to this?

My plan is to take my current dash out and take off all the plastics. I figured I could cover the entire thing in something like scotch tape and put down a few layers of fiberglass, then get it all off of there and continue building up the fiberglass from there.

Would a dash made out of this be sturdy? I understand that it would be a major undertaking and require alot of man hours, but I don't want to waste them on something that's going to fall apart after i put some mileage on it.

What peices of advice could be offered?

Thanks!

highwayinthesky

a fellow calgary guy did a fg dash, i think his name is smonty. he did one and it looks good seach him up.

ps i hope you dont mind that i named droped smonty.

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

If this is in anything other then a full blown show car that is trailered everywhere, dont waste your time.

The reason I say this is you will have stress cracks within the first week of having installed the dash. Besides, most "fiberglass" dashes you see at the shows, are just OE dashes covered in F/G, unless its a total custom job that nowhere resembles the stock dash.

DemonicPupil

If I went with a completely custom dash (doesn't resemble the FC dash at all), what are my options for speedometer/odometer? All other guages I can purchase of course.


If not fiberglass, what other material would be worth my time?

This wouldn't be a show car. It's an AutoX/Nice day for Zoom Zoom car...

highwayinthesky

not shur what you need for a tach but auto meter makes all other gauges you need.

you could do a carbon fibre dash?

ramello

iTrader: (1)

autometer makes most of its guage series complete with tach and speedometers

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

Aluminum dash. Its not LEgal for Pa though. Youd never get a sticker on the car again. As far as speedo/odo combo. I dont know of any companies that make aftermarket setups. You could always build around your stock one.

DemonicPupil

First off, thanks to everyone that's been chiming in.


Hmmm, why isn't an aluminum dash legal in PA? Why would a fiberglass one be legal, but aluminum illegal?

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

The F/G is not legal either. I have to verify why when I get to work tomorrow. I dont have my inspection book here. Anything other then stock dash is cause for fail in an inspection. Ill get the details for you tomorrow straight out of the book.

DemonicPupil

That's about retarded... I hate our state. Hell, I have to register my vehicle in a county that's 2.5 hours away just to avoid emissions inspection =).

Thanks!

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

Actually, you will pretty much find that across the board in most states that have safety inspections. The word is safety. Ino it sucks, but then again, so would hitting an aluminum dash at 60 MPH or going straight through the F/G dash into the windshield and firewall.

magus2222

iTrader: (22)

ya, building a custom dash is a bitch and a half, i started one on my datsun, had to give up becuase im not that good. FG is hard to work with, costs $$$$$$$$ if you mess it up, and a dash is a HUGE undertaking.
in regards to the last comment, FG is MUCH safer than aluminum but not as safe as the padded OEM ****, because although VERY hard, under extreme conditions such as colisions or impacts, FG will actuall flex to its maximum, crack, then turn into shrapnel (that would suck)
so, if you happened to get into an accident and your head hit the dash, youde be screwed (no material could save your dome) and thered be FG EVERYWHERE!
but, just swap in a dash from another fc that isnt cracked, imo its the best dash in any car, not too big (like the new mustangs, WTF?) and not too small (the dodge nitro, again, WTF?)
just my 2 cents, its just that i work with fg and car audio alot (im a certified installer who does custom stuff for extra cash) and people misunderstand fg, its properites, and its safeness.
so, there ya go

peace

clokker

iTrader: (2)

It doesn't sound like you've ever made anything out of fiberglass yet you want to start with one of the largest, most detailed components in the car...not a very good idea IMO.
Why not try making a gauge pod or something small (and non-critical) first just to get an idea of what's involved?
Practice makes perfect you know....

DemonicPupil

I had tried to make a guage pod but was unable to create the initial mold. Every "skeleton" I tried to create fell apart. (Hence molding the dash seemed quite a bit easier than creating something like a pod from scratch) I wanted a pod to replace the demister vent on the drivers side, heh.

Anyways, after reading the thread and even worse, the possible legalities behind it, I suppose I'll have to approach the interior a little differently.

I would prefer a smoother looking setup, again I hate the textured soft crap, but I don't think I want to add even more weight by overlaying the dash with fiberglass. Seems like a retarded way to go.

Thanks guys.

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

Well after doing some research, it is NOT illeagal to replace the dash with a F/G OR Aluminum. There is no provisions for it in the state inspection book and I talked with some of the other inspection station guys I know and they all agreed that you can replace it with aftermarket or custom job.

Again though, its all about safety. If you do undertake this project, I suggest covering it in some sort of padding for your safety.

phoenix7

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/f-g-dash-board-605622/

DemonicPupil

grrr i searched keywords: fiberglass dash and that damn thread never showed up...

Anyways.. that's exactly what I was looking for and I love it. Nice and simple... however, I don't want to get rid of my heating/cooling...

I think I'm going to give it a go and see what happens...

phoenix7

don't get high and make a delorean dashboard.

turboefini88

iTrader: (1)

Hey bro. LEmme suggest starting with something a bit smaller so you can get used to working with F/G and bondo and all the other aspects of what you will encounter in your build. If Millersville was close to PGH, Id come out and help ya on a weekend when you get started.

DemonicPupil

Haha, thanks... It is quite a drive, about 4 hours I think. But the thought is kind...

I'll probably attempt a couple demister vents and a speaker system for my wife's vert. We removed the leather vert seats w/ headrest speakers and now you can barely hear the stereo with the top down. So I figured I'd build some speakers into the wind deflector and they could be put up and down. *shrug* That should at least give me a good handle on the fiberglassing and sanding...