How Do I Fiberglass Car Dashboards?
- 1). Design the modifications you would like to perform before moving ahead. Sketch a picture of what you would like onto a piece of paper, taking into consideration any elements that will need to be relocated, removed or added.
- 2). Lay and tape a sheet of plastic over the surfaces of the car's interior that you want to keep clean. There will be significant amount of dust and debris created that you will want to keep away from parts of the interior that you are not modifying.
- 3). Sand the surfaces of the dash to which you would like to apply fiberglass. Use some rough grit (80) sandpaper to roughen the surfaces of the vinyl so that the epoxy and foam will adhere to it. Cut away any sections of the dash, using a utility knife as necessary. When finished, clean all surfaces with a degreasing cleaning agent.
- 4). Spray a bed of expanding foam over the surfaces to which you want to mount the fiberglass. Expanding foam will adhere to the roughened vinyl and will harden when dry, but it is very easy to shape, allowing you to carve out custom surfaces to which the fiberglass can be mounted later. Allow six to eight hours for the foam to dry and harden.
- 5). Shape the expanded foam as you like, using some 80 grit sand paper. If you remove too much foam, simply spray another layer and reshape until you have the sculpted surface you seek.
- 6). Lay sheets of fiberglass cloth over the foam, then mix your epoxy resin and hardener according to the manufacturers instructions. Paint the epoxy using a paintbrush directly onto the surface of the fiberglass cloth. Ensure that the cloth is completely saturated with epoxy and that all air bubbles have been worked out. Allow for 24 hours for the fiberglass to cure and harden.
- 7). Mix your body filler and activator according to the manufacturers directions. Apply the filler over the surfaces of the fiberglass using a rubber spatula. This body filler will be much easier to sand, allowing you to smooth the surfaces of the fiberglass into the dashboard. Allow for a few hours for the filler to harden, then sand smooth using some 200 grit paper followed by some 440 to finish the surfaces of the modified dash.
- 8). Cover the new dashboard with vinyl, leather or prime and paint as you desire.
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