thinking about taking on huge project

[snortingrooster]

I have been looking into customizing my beetle and I was tired of the endless searches for cool body parts and interior parts. So I have been looking into carbon fiber, kevlar, & fiberglass fabrication. I'm used to dealing with the stuff since I build aircraft and I work a lot with carbon graphite pieces dealing with resin and what not. So I figured I would start with making my own bumper molds and customizing from there. I am also considering making some piller pods for the front pillers same with the dash pieces and door pieces actually most of the interior. I just have to plan out how to get the parts to attach to the car like the stock pieces. I will also be using the vacuum infusion method. anyone ever taken on this endeavor or done this type of thing and have some points to make as far as getting the custom pieces to mount to the stock locations im all for hearing it. If all goes well I will be keeping the molds and offer the custom parts fabrication on here fist.

snortingrooster

[vibelife]

I used to work with carbon on bikes. If you are wanting a fit of a stock piece, make a mould of the original piece from the OUTSIDE(use fiberglass and cover the original part to make the CF mould), and make sure you make it right ;-)

THen you have a mould to build the custom part on. This way if you guff things up, you can just make a stock piece out of CF.

I would also make sure the lay-up is of the same thickness of the stock piece this way the fitment is correct as a regular pice. I always used to make 2-3 fiberglass moulds of the original just in case. I use one to mod, and the other two for oh crap issues.

[snortingrooster]

yea I was thinking of doing a mold of both the front and back of the parts and then laying the cf in the back mold then putting both molds together and then vacuum form it. but then I thought just lay the front mold and then lay the back mold then form them together with one last layer. that way I have the front shape and back shape that matches. but I just watched a video on someone using 2 molds and then laying the glass in the back mold then putting the front mold on top vacuum forming it like that. I guess that would be the way to go If I want the detail of the front and the strength as well. have you used two molds to make one piece with vacuum forming if so what parts did you use to make the vacuum connection.
here i will link the video

YouTube - Fibreglass vacuum moulding.

snortingrooster

[snortingrooster]

I know there using air to create the vacuum but the actual connection on the mold. im assuming they made a connection for the air hose and then took modeling clay to form there connection to lay the glass over.

[Evanrude]

Oo I really like where you are going with this for pillar pods and whatnot. I've been looking for a nice single pillar pod that fits right and nothing 'good' yet.

Here is my thought on this. Why bother making an add-on pod? If you have the ability to make a custom piece, make a replacement piece that will REPLACE the stock pillar and then it will look perfectly factory, mount perfectly, and it would be easier to run wires then as well, no drilling required.

If someone taught me how to do these things, and I had the ability, I'd make replacement parts instead of add-on parts.

Take for instance the two most well known 3 gauge dash pods for the Beetle.
There is the highly sought after Bernt dash pod, that REPLACES the center piece, it attaches in the factory location and looks like it came with the car.

Then there is that other brand, from like Glowshift, that mounts over the top of your factory piece. What you end up with is a part that you have to glue on or tape on, AND you have to drill holes in your stock piece to run wires through it, and none of it looks factory because it fits OVER the old piece, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I'd make all custom parts that replace the factory bits and then it would look cleaner. As a potential customer, I'd be more likely to buy a part that replaces a piece, instead of one that requires me to destroy the factory bits to get it to work and run wires. If I ever decide to change the piece in the future, I don't want to have to replace (or repair) the parts underneath due to damage.

This is one reason why I am so much of a fan these days of no-drill spoilers. My spoiler that I took off left 4 big holes that need repairing. But the spoiler I plan to save up for, is the Caractere spoiler that simple bolts into the location of the 3rd brake light, and it's wiring harness plugs right in and voila, it's own light works. No muss, no fuss

So, I vote for custom bits that replace the pillar, etc.

[snortingrooster]

yea I'm all for things that utilize the stock mounts or locations. but my black bug has all this gray and vinyl coating thats starting to come off! so I figured I want paint matching interior and I didn't want to destroy the stock parts. I'm partial to extra parts and stock stuff for some reason. but yes I'm not satisfied with the market and I figured I would start this endeavor and see where it goes. but for now I'm in between places so this would be a few weeks or two before i get started. but thats good cause it will allow me time to research and plan these projects, this way my heads on straight and I have a clear well thought out plan.

[Evanrude]

Originally Posted by snortingrooster

yea I'm all for things that utilize the stock mounts or locations. but my black bug has all this gray and vinyl coating thats starting to come off! so I figured I want paint matching interior and I didn't want to destroy the stock parts. I'm partial to extra parts and stock stuff for some reason. but yes I'm not satisfied with the market and I figured I would start this endeavor and see where it goes. but for now I'm in between places so this would be a few weeks or two before i get started. but thats good cause it will allow me time to research and plan these projects, this way my heads on straight and I have a clear well thought out plan.

Well if you start producing some nice parts, let me know!