Fiberglass

[brainbug007]

I was just wondering if anyone has attempted making their own bodywork? I'd love to give a go and learn how to work with fiberglass but I'm worried about the cost side of being a false economy in that by the time I've messed a few bits up it would have worked out much cheaper to just buy it? any able to give me an idea roughly what sort of quantities of materials you need to make say the scuttle, a wing, an nosecone? the book seems to indicate that the materials are cheap if bought in bulk?

[davedew]

It is not just a case of making a panel. You need to make a buck, then take a mould from the buck, to then make the panel you require from the mould.

After playing around with modifying my dash panel with fibreglass it is a very messy / smelly job, and I would not want to have a go at making panels

[brainbug007]

Ya I know it would take ages, it was more if i could save myself a few hundred quid it might be worth it as a set from saturn is nearly £600 delivered :(

[spud69]

Ya I know it would take ages, it was more if i could save myself a few hundred quid it might be worth it as a set from saturn is nearly £600 delivered :(

Most of the cost is due to the cost of materials - going up all the time, even the coloured gel coat for a body set will cost about £120. And an awful lot of man hours.

At the end of the day its whatever is best for your own build, some people have made their own bucks and bodywork to good results.

AndyH

[brainbug007]

So time aside though, what would the cost of materials be roughly?

[spud69]

About a third of the cost - more with VAT added, if you where making bucks then quite a lot more.

Please dont think i'm trying to put you off though it's just the question was asked....:)

AndyH

[brainbug007]

So would it just be 450g chopped strand matting, a colored polyester resin, a catalyst that I would need ignoring anything for the buck? If so how many meter's of matting and liters of resin would you recommend for say a scuttle?

[spud69]

So would it just be 450g chopped strand matting, a colored polyester resin, a catalyst that I would need ignoring anything for the buck? If so how many meter's of matting and liters of resin would you recommend for say a scuttle?

For a scuttle:

450g csm matt: 3m
Gel Coat: 1/2 litre
Resin: 2 litres
Catalyst: 60ml
plus ancilliaries.

AndyH

[brainbug007]

Thanks Andy this helps :) Is there a good way to work out how many meters of csm you need for a wing and the nosecone? And would you say the ratio's mentioned here are about right? http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/methods_workingoutquantities.html

[spud69]

Thanks Andy this helps :) Is there a good way to work out how many meters of csm you need for a wing and the nosecone? And would you say the ratio's mentioned here are about right? http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/methods_workingoutquantities.html

Looks about right.

[brainbug007]

So any idea roughly how many meters of csm would get used on a wing and the nosecone?

[Talonmotorsport]

Consider this if you follow the design in the book and make your side panels, rear tub,scuttle and bonnet in ali or steel sheet the only parts you need to make in GRP is the nose and wheel arches.

[brainbug007]

Ya I'm only planning on having the nosecone, wheel arches, and maybe the scuttle in grp and then do the rest in ali. Just trying to work out what it would cost to do it myself allowing for learning mistakes but I wouldn't want to buy too much or too little.

[vmax1974]

First you would need to make the bucks then work out the surface area of all the said bucks then you need to work out how many layers of csm you want to make the final product with then you move onto your moulds at this point its worth pointing out that the mould should be made about 4 times thicker that the final piece

Cost to do a set of cycle wings will set you back about £150 once you have done the buck mould and then took the final piece from it

And then you gotta consider what your time is worth and how long before you want to use your car

If you really want to go for it then please make yourself aware of the time and cost involved

Just my rant hope it helps

[brainbug007]

No this is all good info vmax, this is the kind of stuff I'm trying to find out. As I said originally I was only really considering it if it wouldn't be a false economy and actually work out more expensive to make them myself.

[vmax1974]

In that case sorry

Short answer is better to buy