ideas for my fiberglass dash

[corax]

I've been tired of of looking at the cracked dash for awhile now. So yesterday I pulled the dash out and took the clinometer off so I could sell it (never really use it anyway). In the process of searching for a way to fix my cracked dash pad I read this thread, which opened up my eyes to the possibility of fiberglassing the thing over. Then I did a bit more searching and found this thread which is only slightly more involved and includes modifying the original dash with gauge pods.

I'm thinking of 'glassing a single gauge pod in for my vacuum gauge over the left part of the nearly useless "pocket" that Toyota put on top.


So, opinion time - should I just eliminate the pocket and run the 'glass over top of it or try to build up the sides a bit and give it a lip so it can serve some useful purpose? Any other ideas or thoughts for the top of the dash?

[Crinale]

I dont have any ideas, but how much do you think ud sell the clinometer for? i might be interested..

[corax]

I dont have any ideas, but how much do you think ud sell the clinometer for? i might be interested..

here 'ya go, Ultimate Yoters get first crack then I'm posting on other boards. As I get tired looking at it sit in the house I'll get more negotiable
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...95047#msg95047

[corax]

Picked up some resin and fiberglass cloth for ~$20


Took the dremel to the a-pillar pod and then heat molded to it to fit the dash. Here it is glued in place with some precision bent "all thread" to build up the lip a bit


dash all wrapped up like a mummy. This was a bit of a pain as the cloth kept coming apart and I'd get long threads stuck to my hands. I used a few dabs of glue in key spots to hold it in place on the dash.


The first coat's done. Now I gotta let this dry then tomorrow it gets a second coat after some sanding.

[corax]

The fiberglass got sanded down with some 80 grit in a block, vent openings were cut out with a sharp razor and I knocked down the high spots in the first layer. Then I built up the edge around the pocket with some bondo just as it started to rain . . .


. . . so I let the bondo set for a bit and then went out to put on another layer. Unfortunately, the cloth in my second layer was kinda loose and started to fold and wrinkle when I applied the resin. I also mixed the resin too hot and it started to gel and harden before I could get it smoothed out . At least it's only sanding and a 3rd layer shouldn't hurt anything

[Obi..]

Just a thought, did you let the dash sit out in the sun at all before glassing it? Just a reminder to always try to do glasswork at around 55-65 for best bond and workability, and yeah, stop mixing things hot, I've had a cup go up in fumes and flames, funny but stupid too.

Check out Greg's dash pad thread when time permits, he's "Green Truck" on Pirate.

[4x4mike]

Looking good. I've always wanted to play around with fiberglass but have always chicken'd out. Doesn't look all the hard, just time and patience.

[corax]

Just a thought, did you let the dash sit out in the sun at all before glassing it? Just a reminder to always try to do glasswork at around 55-65 for best bond and workability, and yeah, stop mixing things hot, I've had a cup go up in fumes and flames, funny but stupid too.

Temperature isn't an issue, it's been mid to low 50's and partial overcast for the last few weeks. I think I was just in too much of a rush and squeezed too much hardener into the resin. Lesson learned and I cut out the bubble and folds yesterday so I can just make small patches to fill the mistakes

Looking good. I've always wanted to play around with fiberglass but have always chicken'd out. Doesn't look all the hard, just time and patience.

Yup, I'm really surprised I never tried working with fiberglass before. I'm thinking my next 'glass project might be a center console with provisions to stash the 2M radio - that'll probably be a little ways down the road though

[YotaFun]

This might be a good idea for us 3rd gen guys to be able to retrofit a 1st or second gen inclometer to look very factory

[corax]

After mixing the resin for the second layer too hot, I had a bunch of bubbles and folds in the dash where I couldn't get it to stick before it set. Somewhere in the midst of this, I asked Corey (Slacker) from Toyota Fiberglass for some advice and got this reply:

your best bet is not to use glue .. but have the dash on some good stands that position it properly . When you wet out the cloth , it will "sag" down , so remember that , and if you cant do it all at once , then don't .. let the first part cure , then move your project over and do the other piece .. you can do the layers all in pieces to get the best final outcome .. hope that makes sense.

It kinda sounds like I didn't really need to wrap it in one piece and just made the project more difficult for myself . . . live and learn

So I used a sharp razor to cut out the bubbles and folds. I cut up some of the scrap cloth that I had left over into "patches" that I could use to fill the craters that were left. I also mixed the resin much cooler this time, in fact it took nearly 5 hrs to fully cure this time around instead of the usual 1-2 hrs. While I was at it I added another layer to the bottom and sides of the dash pocket and wrapped a layer over the gauge pod. The remaining resin got brushed over the front and top of the dash with a little bit used to "seal" the edges around the vent openings

This morning (as soon as it stopped raining) I cut the frayed ends of fabric off and started sanding down all the patches. Here it is after the first coat of primer. I'm not done sanding and smoothing, but this will let me see where I need to work on yet. If I was flocking the dash it'd be done the way it sits since the flocking will cover bad sanding, but I'm painting it with Rustoleum Hammered finish so more sanding is in order.