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  View original topic: Fully custom fiberglass car
4Doora Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:12 pm

I'm wondering if anyone here has made their own fiberglass car using this kind of method: http://www.rqriley.com/frp-foam.htm (the same method used for building the boonie bug, and the pheonix)
I'm talking fully custom, glassed yourself.
If anyone has:
was it as difficult as it appears to be?
would you do it again?

any insight is appriciated
-thanks

A E Numan Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:34 pm

I'm thinking about using this method to make custom side pods for my Beettle "Tall Timber" Buggy. I'm procrastinating because I don't want to make the mess it will entail. :P

GetPsycho Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:53 pm

I've been thinking about using that method to build
a gull wing hard top for my buggy.

mach4 Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:52 pm

Check the fiberglass home built aircraft sites using Google. They use a moldless fiberglass and foam technique to build extremely strong and beautiful aircraft. These same techniques could easily be applied to building a car body and the beauty is that they lend themselves to garage building.

Wickes and Aircraft Spruce also have "starter kits" that come with instructions and supplies to learn and practice the basic techniques before deciding to move ahead with this strategy.

Taken to the extreme, you might even consider something like the terrafugia :-)

http://www.terrafugia.com/vehicle.html
http://www.terrafugia.com/KOSH07video.html

Elwood Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:33 pm

Theres alot more to it that will give you beter results then the RQRiley tech.
Kinda barely touches on a few things.

MANXXMAN Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:01 pm

4Doora wrote: I'm wondering if anyone here has made their own fiberglass car using this kind of method: http://www.rqriley.com/frp-foam.htm (the same method used for building the boonie bug, and the pheonix)
I'm talking fully custom, glassed yourself.
If anyone has:
was it as difficult as it appears to be?
would you do it again?

any insight is appriciated
-thanks

I've done molds very similar to the way that your link describes, and yes it is pretty difficult, and time consuming and dirty, and I own a fiberglass shop!!!!
Shaping foam is probably the most common way to start a tooling process, but as for shaping a complete car, ther are much easier, but more expensive ways to do these days, like cad designs, and 5 axis cnc routers. Makes the proces much cleaner and faster and more precise.
Most of the time it's easier to start with a shape that is close to what you want and work from there.



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