How to make a custom bodykit????

[ironx]

Im going to be making a custom fiberglass bodykit for my 97 mirage and wanted to know if anyone had any tips on what to use for molds and whatnot... I have an idea of what I want the car to look like when its done, and Im pretty sure I can do it with the help of a few friends... has anyone done this before and if so, have any advice?

[cscott784]

Hey. I never did it but i wanted to. Didnt get much help though. I wanted to know where you are getting your foam and fiberglass from because I would like to make a bottom lip.

Thanks

Scott

[ironx]

I was talking to a friend about doing this and he suggested using chicken wire, because its so flexible but yet able to hold its shape... and to mold that however you want it to look and then put paper mache over that.... let that harden... and then start doing the fiberglassing on top of that... it definitely sounds like thats the way to go... it would make a sturdy body kit with the wiring center and the layers of paper mache and fiberglass.. anyways... IM me on AOL if you have any more questions about this... Im going to be trying this soon....

[Sic-Vic]

You could go about several different ways first things first its going to take space and time. I'm getting close to the end but most things i knew was how to make it. I'm having problems now with how to make the mold thats the part thats not that easy. Cause if you make something complex the mold cant be mad easily and i decided to make a wide body kit so that makes it even more difficult. But I'm trying to make a business out of it.


Lets start with the steps 1st make the plug
The plug is the mirror image of the finished product so when your done it has to be right on.
2nd the mold is cast over the plug to create the Master mold that the copies are then made out of.
3rd is the product which is cast into the mold then pulled out after drying and theres your product


First things first what do you want to make This is first remember plan your work and work your plan very important. Draw on a piece of paper like 12 to 10 boxes about 3x4 inches sketch out exactly what you would like. Experiment with ideas on paper before you build plan your work. then of all those sketch's sit with your friends even have them or you all collaborate together if there like minded you be surprised i got ideas from people that i didn't think could even give input. But then look over them and do like 5 or 3 big sketches of the top picks.


After you've decided theres so many ways to do this it will blow you mind. You can wood frame up the dimensions of what your doing. Now this is were its hard to explain.this way involves carpentry skills. What you would do is make a wood framing like a box but in a u shaped pattern the elbow of the u being the front. Id make it about a foot wide all the way around from a top view this will be filled with a mixable foam that expands called a-b foam which you can buy at car paint shops in your area or on the web. But this foam expands then you take the wood off and this acts as your front bumper and left and right fenders you can tool it down easily this foam is shaved fast for very quick mock ups of your finished product with that method you can make a wide body front piece but you have to still make the hood to cover that. and so on

My method the fastest not the cheapest you use the exact car you want as the plug. Then take the front fenders off lay them down buy the expanding foam sealer great stuff and lay it down. you can use blocks of polystyrene foam do not use Styrofoam you need a foam thats more dense cause the harding agent in the reason will eat the wrong foam to almost useless so experiment. If you find sheets of the right foam you can cut and adhesives them to the car with a type of mud used in AC work to seal the joints of AC ducts i think its called RC-9 its a white bucket with blue letters the consistency is like thick lumpy glue and its color is off- white. But this is water based so its easily cleaned off of brushes. Also if you want to reuse the car or after you've used it to make the plug you can take it all off and put the kit on the same car. Using a donor car leads to a better fit without guessing. But this car has to be free of accidents or wrecks. With the gluing method you have to wait for it to dry for at least a day and glue sections on one at a time being careful not to glue any section to much in the same area cause parts will sagg onto each other. using a foam to create is like thinking of a piece of Clay you cut it down and create what you want i haven't use mesh yet cause i want it be faster. After you have shaved your foam you can cover the polystyrene foam directly with fiberglass but the great stuff need to be fully dried cut to shape then set out in the sun for about 5 days. If its not put in direct sun light after being cut the resin will shrink it. Ive try-ed to cover these questionable areas with a flat split open trash bag backed with spray adhesive it works sometimes but sometimes the resin shrinks and if theres a large portion covered in the plastics trash bags it pops up. you'll understand once you get closer. Just think of something unique to make make it your own.

I had the same question you had about 6 years ago But i had already been shaving moldings of my cars putting on hood scoops . I had experience with body filler but not fiberglass. I then worked at a body shop doing only custom work cause i told the guy i could get things leveled out and looking right. Which Ive noticed people that do collision work dint really like doing custom works cause it is harder and you have to creates edges and lips sometimes if you chop and clip something together if fiberglass. One day i saw this focus which I'm a import guy but ill work on a domestic i guess. Anyways they had put the kit on roughly and i had to clean it all up and finished glassing in the side scoops. I never saw a wide body focus i ask my boss where did he get this kit from he said oh its a Kiwis wide body i said who's that he said a guy that started making this kit in his garage and he sells it for like 5000 but he said this is not a kiwis its a knock off cause his kits fit better. After i heard that i knew i could do it. I then asked my boss cause he had way more experience i said how do i make a whole body kit he said " Any Way You Can" Thats what i remembered Thats whats important i do mine by myself everyday i work on it knowing thats once its finished ill put the import world in a Choke hold thats whats important.If you have more questions drop me a line i check me emails like once a week id be happy to give you some advice but most of your learning will come from trial and error don't give up if your uncomfortable start small try to make just a front bumper and some nsx side scoops [email protected]