Home Made Bodykit

[mellowboy]

Originally posted by FourthGenHatch
Back in 88-91 the Honda Civic was the shitty economy car of choice

Yeh the hatchies and sedans but not crx

[cscott784]

you know what guys. I think I'm Gonna try it this weekend. i got a few bucks to blow. If it costs over $200 though, im not going to do it. One thing. On that link, step 5, he says "when everything is dry, put your putty to build the final shape". What did he mean by "Put your putty"? Also, how do you apply the fiber glass? Is it liquid or something.

Thanks

Scott

[civic89dx]

Yeh the hatchies and sedans but not crx

that's how i feel too. j/k.

i'm not a fan of body kits at all, so i say go for the clean stock look.

[1990civic]

crx was considered a shitty economy car back then next to the 4 dr, and hatch. also about hyundia they are on the uprise, i mean the tiburon (2003) got the award for the best new car of 03, along with the WRX, and so on.

[cscott784]

Hey guys. I just went to home depot to get some materials for the body kit. I saw that they had the heavy duty foam for home insulation so I noted that. Also, I found the fiber glass but it looked weired. It was like a mesh that goes in your screen door. Is that the right one to get? Please help!

[sastanley]

Originally posted by cscott784
Hey guys. I just went to home depot to get some materials for the body kit. I saw that they had the heavy duty foam for home insulation so I noted that. Also, I found the fiber glass but it looked weired. It was like a mesh that goes in your screen door. Is that the right one to get? Please help!

Ok..first off...you guys are right...sorry to flame the Hyundai's - hell I couldn't even spell it right (go check my first post on this subject ) - so props to the dude for his effort.

And thanks to Stali08 for the props on the 4-door. That pic is pretty old, I've added clear corners since then, and the car isn't quite that clean..I have fading paint issues now, and I don't take as much time to clean it as I did..partially because the stupid townhouse place I live doesn't let us wash cars..no spigot outside even

So, on to the subject at hand ......

Scott - Fiberglass is usually in exactly the form you saw....a woven mesh (white screen almost) or sometimes a "mat" form, which is the same general apperance, but random pieces smushed together in a flat roll...usually cheaper than the woven stuff.
Generally, the fiberglass is soaked in 'resin', which is a liquid the consistency of honey...think of this as the "glue". The resin stays liquid until mixed with a hardener (similar to a two-part epoxy...both are sticky and never dry on their own, UNTIL you mix them together..) - you mix the resin with a hardener (these mixture formulas vary widely...resin, hardener & instructions are usually provided as a kit...)
While the resin is still liquid..you soak the fiberglass in it..I mix the resin in cheap paint roller pans...they work well and can be tossed when you're done with them...this makes the fiberglass wet, pliable and soaked with the "glue"...you then take the fiberglass (wear gloves before you start this entire process!!!) and roughly lay it into the shape you want over the foam...(the resin will eat the foam, hence the need for foil to protect the foam) which you have already shaped in the general form you are looking for...the foam holds the shape of the whole thing as the resin dries (technically it cures...a chemical reaction cooks and evaporates the liquid). The fiberglass/resin compound (once the resin dries and cures into a solid) provides the strength. Boats are built with this process (which is where my fiberglass experience comes from.)

Once the resin/fiberglass cures (depending on product...high end marine resins are 1 hour, less expensive general purpose may be overnight or longer), you can sand it smooth and then finely shape it with "putty" - the most common in the car world (and cheap) being Bondo... Again, the marine industry has multiple (but more expensive) options here...using a resin and hardener, mixed with different powders, depending on the desired durability/strength/sandability...but the concept is the same.

An important thing to remember once you have the shape of your kit on the garage floor...regular spray paint doesn't usually stick to these things...don't forget to use primer. It is made to stick to things like fiberglass and bondo...and provides a surface for the colored spray paint to adhere to.

Ok...I think my post is long enough...I have more if you have more questions..good luck..and just don't make anything too goofy looking. :bandit:

[1PhatCX]

alright, first, awesome post sastanley, very informative
and second cscott784, ur very brave for attempting this! i hope it all goes well and if it does, i may give it a shot, i expect to see lotsa pics hehe
and thirdly, how does the kit attach to the body? 2 sided tape? or just screw it in?