uRizen

iTrader: (2)

I've always wanted the stock side skirts, and the Turbo II wing because they just seem to make the lines so much better on the FC, but don't want to shell out the bucks to buy them (wife would slaughter me), and I've always wanted to try my hand at panel fabrication. I've done alot of fiberglass work before with body patching and the like, and I'm getting pretty good at it.

I was watching TLC's Rides last week and they were at Wings West and they showed a quick bit of them making custom body kits for an Excursion, and all they do is take some urethane foam, slice it up with sculpting tools, fiberglass it, sand it, and they're done.

There's just a couple of points I haven't figured out before I can begin:

- Where would be a good place to get some thick panels of sculptable urethane (like the stuff in our bumpers)?
- How are the side skirts mounted?
- How is the wing mounted?

If this works out, I might try for a front and rear lip, and maybe some interior modifications. The thought of fabricating stuff makes me horny.

RETed

Check with a plastics shop...
On the off chance there's surfboard manufacturers over there , you can try them.


-Ted

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Hmmm... now there's an idea. I suppose the materials aren't that different. Actually, I think I remember hearing something about the Wings West guy used to do surfboards. I don't think I'm going to find much surfboard material in Minnesota though, lol. I ran to Home Depot for some paint and they just have that pink board, didn't see any bulk urethane material.

The Spyder

iTrader: (8)

I have a custom fiberglass lip sittin in my shop.

For large sheets of foam for sculpting- try the insulation pannels you can buy at lowes/home depot- me and my brother make plane wings for model aircraft that way-

Alteast they have it here- Or try a model shop- I know some sell pannels for this.

We use a wire boom for cutting initial shapes- charged current flows through a 1/32nd piano wire of sorts- cuts like a hot knife through butter.

Now the foam is the easy part- It can be sanded, carved, cut- the fiberglass is the hard part-
It takes experiance to get it to lay correctly on the peice you cut- not to mention if you mix the resin wrong, or use the wrong type- it just eats the foam away.

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Ah, Mr. Spyder good to see you.

I'm assuming you mean the pink stuff that sometimes has the metal shielding on the back. I've used it before for terrain when I used to play Warhammer. I still have the foam cutter as well. I didn't even think about that as an alternative because it seems like you would have to make multiple pieces and kind glue them together to make things like spoilers. How thick can you get it?

I have a good deal of experience with fiberglass too, all the bodywork I did on my FC was fiberglassed and sucked because I was covering large holes. I use polyurethane epoxy, would that eat the foam you think?

In any case, this is getting me excited to start fabricating something again. My carputer is done, and my cup holders just need to be sanded and primed. Hehe.

The Spyder

iTrader: (8)

You can get it in blue sheets upto 3" thick from what I have in the shop.

With a large enough bow- you could easily cut the deign the length of a 4x8 sheet, enough to fit the side of a FC- or the front/rear.

You could cut it large- use a table saw to cut out the intial back side- and use a belt sander with 36grit to shape the peice roughly- Finish it with a mouse sander- do any carving with a dremal or router-

You have me thinking now .

Polyester resin is nasty stuff- I cant remember what resin we used....... hurm..... Ill have to ask.

Im going to try and reprdouce this lip with carving foam and some anglehair.

drft_180sx

HEY ,THATS A GREAT IDEA. I just made a lip for my s4, its composed of wood and body filler, but i intend to post pics soon, hopefully. The foam idea sounds great.

RETed

Be careful with the Home Depot stuff.
It's most like Styrofoam, and most (cheap) polyester resin will melt it.
Don't ask how I know this.
If you're using more expensive epoxy based resin, it might work.


-Ted

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Ok, I'm still serisouly considering this idea, but was hoping someone could give me some good clear pictures of the OEM aero parts (front, rear, side skirts, and nice spoiler) and give me a little more insight as to how they are normally mounted to the car.

RETed

Hey dude, try and find someone local to help you out with this.
You might want to check the regional forums (use drop down menu in the bottom right corner) and ask in there.
I'm sure there are people close by that are willing to help you out?


-Ted

The Spyder

iTrader: (8)

Went and copied a front lip this weekend........ Ill make another thread when its been glassed and painted.

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Sweet, this is pretty much what I was planning to do, except change it a slight bit. I take it you're planning on keeping your car then, eh?

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Ok, did a compression check and a couple of other things today, and it all worked out well, so I'm starting to put aside the time it's going to take to do this.

I'm going to start drafting ideas up and such, but I'm still curious how the stick aero parts are mounted, and if someone could take a couple of nice large pictures of them for me. It would be much abliged.

bcool

Pics!!!!!!!11!!