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Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:40 pm
by Harv
HGPV's post below reminded me that I needed to ask some questions:
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... =4&t=14417
I've seen fibreglass FB/EK guards discussed, and I know some guys have got them. A heap of hunting though and I can't find too much info on them (EJ/EH and Monaro guards though are fairly common). Same story on bonnets - have seen one advertised on Gumtree a year or so back, but couldn't get the seller to talk to me about buying it

. Haven't seen anything on any of the other hanging panels been done in fibreglass (front valance, boot, doors, tailgates). I've spoken to a number of the shops doing the EJ/EH/Monaro guards, none of whom were able to shed any light on FB/EK gear.
Link to some stuff on fibreglass tonneaus for utes (... caveat emptor):
http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.ph ... pic=5056.0
Some questions please:
a) anyone have any fibreglass panels they want to sell (longshot....)?
b) anyone have the moulds to make them? I guess the moulds must be a mongrel to make, so probably havn't been thrown out from the bonnet and guards made above.
c) anyone know any history (anecdotes, legends and "Canadian motor" stories welcome

) of guys who may have run them or have made them?
d) anyone got the skill and interest to make them if order numbers were large enough? I guess we could get one of the shops above to do it, but quality and timing are likely to be better if an enthusiast is running the show.
Looking for some leads to start the search (my fibreglassing can't be any worse than my welding

).
Cheers,
Harv.
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:58 pm
by Harv
I'm putting this info here because at the moment it is in the For Sale/Wanted area and may dissapear over time.
Two trails being hunted down for sources of fibreglass panels:
a) Jeff Hislop (once had fibreglass panels for a drag car and may be getting rid of some new old stock), and
b) Rod Andrews Race cars in Seven Hills, who has moulds for bonnet, guards, boot lid and front doors.
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... 59#p144559
(with thanks to Mick, Stanley and Boppo for tracking them down - great work gentlemen

).
Cheers,
Harv.
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 7:17 am
by Harv
An old thread, but some new info.
I dropped around to Rod Andrew's Race Cars last week, and bought the fibreglass moulds that he had. I now have:
a) left and right front guards. These are a two piece mould to allow the guard leading face to come out once cured.
b) bonnet (mould for outer skin only)
c) boot lid (mould for outer skin only).
d) left and right front doors. These are a two piece mould to allow both the inner and the outer door to be produced.
Rod also had the front and rear bumper moulds (cast as one piece with overriders) but is still trying to locate them. Rod used them to make panels for this beastie:
http://www.andrewsracecars.com.au/gallery46.html. The moulds have only had two sets of panels cast in them.
No immediate plans to cast panels, but may end up doing some in the future for the meth monster project. If anyone has a desire to get some panels cast out of the moulds, let me know.
Cheers,
Harv
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 8:46 am
by Blacky
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:13 pm
by MickFB265
G'day Harv- did Andrew's race cars ever get back to you in regard to the rear bumper mould?
Reason I ask is No 1 I don't have a rear bumper at all and No 2 I'd like to start by fibreglassing something small.
Cheers
Mick
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:23 am
by Harv
Starting to get a bit more serious on the meth monster project. Aiming to run glass panels where I can.
Overkill? Yep. But I'm in this project to have some fun and learn, not have the worlds fastest or most cost effective car (a Chev implant would have made that somewhat easier

).
NSW light vehicle modification guidelines are pretty similar to NCOP. In a nutshell, I am allowed to replace original bolt-on mudguards, bonnet, or boot lid with identical fibreglass panels, but would need engineering approval to replace body panels where the original panels were welded on or where
structural integrity is affected.
Hmmm..... Houston, we have a problem. I've got moulds for bonnet, boot and guards which are OK. But I'm keen to use the fibreglass door moulds too. They aren't welded on, but might be considered part of the structural integrity. The engineer was a bit hesitant on approving them, so ideally need a non-engineered way of using them.
A quick call to the RMS Technical Department says that the only reason the doors would be considered structural is if they had to comply with anti-intrusion ADRs. They looked it up while we were talking, and ADR29 for Side Door Strength came into force from January 1st 1977. Given the vehicle predates this, it is acceptable to use fibreglass doors. Sometimes I win
Have made some enquiries, and asked for a quote from the local fibreglass mob (Custom Fibreglassing at Guildford) to lay a set of panels up. Will post up here as I progress along.
Cheers,
Harv
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:25 am
by Harv
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:23 am
by Errol62
Cool as $*#@ Harv. A lot of work in casting the panels, let alone building the moulds.
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:03 pm
by FbSTDwagon
Yep this is super cool project, surely there would be demand for production runs if you got it sorted out!
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:31 pm
by gledge
How much weight reduction do you think will be in fibreglass?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2022 7:20 am
by Harv
Depends a bit on how heavy he lays the panels up. 50-75% reduction is typical.
Cheers,
Harv
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:34 pm
by Mick
seeing as my doors have lots of filler i have considered having molds made to make outer fiberglass skins and use panel glue to attach them to the inner frame
there's a pair of fiberglass guards on gumtree (been there a while may have sold and seller to lazy to remove add) if there was a cheap simple way of getting them from SA i'd buy them to use also
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:00 pm
by Errol62
I’m happy to pick them up Mick. May be able to get them brought back your way by someone returning from the nationals.
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
Re: Fibreglass panels... any info?
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:20 pm
by Mick
Errol62 wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:00 pm
I’m happy to pick them up Mick. May be able to get them brought back your way by someone returning from the nationals.
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
thanks, nationals are still a long way off i could be dead by then, and they're big so someone having the room could be an issue