Glassing my dash *build thread*

[Freak]

Well i bought a dash out of a 97 a few months ago, and i am finally getting around to working on glassing it. Hopefully be able to put some pictures up soon when i can borrow my friends camera (which might be sometime today). So far have 2 layers of glass, and am shaving the big dip on the passenger side. Just yesterday i decided to shave all the vents, and put some sort of chrome vents in, like maybe oldschool hotrod round ones. Anybody who knows of some websites that sell good quality vents (ive been looking at sites, just dont know if they sell garbage or not)

was also wondering if i got the right brackets/air ducting (even though the air ducting probably wont matter too much anymore, it might be a good visual for the people who are always wondering what it looks like and if they got the right stuff lol)

started out by scraping all the vinyl off, and scraping foam out around the vents (that was before i decided to shave them all) then i drilled holes to help the resin get more of a mechanical bite into the dash. used hot glue to hold down the stretchy material to shave the dip and so far 2 vents.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/063.jpg

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/064.jpg

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/065.jpg

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/066.jpg
one of these ducts wraps around the steering column (PAIN to get out) and the other runs behind the glove box

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/067.jpg
it was on the driver side

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/deadlyfreak333/068.jpg
the middle support

[red`94]

cant help you on any sites freak but it sounds like a good idea, plus i wanna see pics.:thumb:

[stratusrt01]

Good luck to you man. That's one thing that looks awesome in my car, but I don't want to do it again. I was sanding for 5 days in 110 degree heat in the shop.

[Freak]

got some pictures up guys

stratus - do you have any pics of your dash? i know its going to be a huge pain, but an hour or two every few nights should make it bearable since my schedule is pretty full with work and school.

[Mr.Ryan]

Dash looks good so far and nice idea on shaving the indent on the dash too

[Smoke]

Thats a good start man...and good job using more than just resin to reinforce it. All the hours of sanding and filling are worth it when it's painted and sitting in front of you....just keep that in mind when you feel like the sanding will never end. Also, get you a fine-tip dremel bit to knock material out from around the recesses for the air vents, plastic center bezel, and switch plates...that added thickness will screw up the fitment and you will have to remove a bit of the thickness there to make them fit right again.

I cant tell you how many packs of smokes and lighters my friends have lost setting them in that divot on the passenger side of my truck. Hang a left with the windows down...bye bye smokes and lighter. The worst was when my room mate put his keys there...spent 45 minutes on beltline searching in the grass for those $%(#$& keys.

[stratusrt01]

Here's the dash in my car:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/rich1034/DSC01693.jpg

[sparkinframe]

http://www.lokar.com/ has some killer int stuff

[yeti_'87HB]

thats sic, i wish i had the time to do that, i have all the materials and tools, just never get the time

[stratusrt01]

There is never enough time to do fiberglass work. It always takes 10 times longer than you think it's going to anyways. It's just one of those things you have to sit down and just do, and you'll hate it by the time you're done.

[04nissanfrontier]

Lookin good man, I feel for you when the sanding starts. I did 1 fiberglass box for a couple of 15's a few years ago, and I still remeber what my arms felt like after sanding for days on end......don't get in a hurry

[joshboogie]

I'm assuming the brackets are the old ones?

[JsD21HB]

looks tits. i might have to get a 94+ dash and do that.

[Freak]

I'm assuming the brackets are the old ones?

the ones pictured are the new ones, i still have the old dash/brackets in my truck since it is a daily driver

stratus - really nice dash there - how many hours did you invest in that?

smoke - thanks for the dremel tip, ive been playing with some ideas on what im going to do about fitment

ryan, jsd21hb- thanks

sparkinframe - thanks for the link ill check it out


was planning on working on it some today, but i was adjusting my belt since it has been squeeling alot lately, and snapped the bolt off the head inside the alternator that lets me tension the belt, and im left with no other choice than to drill the bolt out and rig up a bolt/nut configuration. :(

[alabama_lowlife]

keep sanding bro! lol it's a pain in the ass, but it's worth it when you're done. it's almost worth going to a body man and paying him to let you use his DA sander and compressor if you don't have one. here's an old ass pic of my dash.....how old? look at the watermark lol
http://www.infamousnissan.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=839

[stratusrt01]

I probably had 30 to 40 labor hours in my dash. I don't even want to count the hours that went into the door panels.

[88hb]

keep sanding bro! lol it's a pain in the ass, but it's worth it when you're done. it's almost worth going to a body man and paying him to let you use his DA sander and compressor if you don't have one. here's an old ass pic of my dash.....how old? look at the watermark lol
http://www.infamousnissan.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=839

i own that glove box now. lol:nana2:

[drginazzhb92]

keep sanding bro! lol it's a pain in the ass, but it's worth it when you're done. it's almost worth going to a body man and paying him to let you use his DA sander and compressor if you don't have one. here's an old ass pic of my dash.....how old? look at the watermark lol
http://www.infamousnissan.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=839

wow looks awsome been contomplating (sp) doing one thinkin its about time they look so smooth and clean..

[GITuk]

looks good man...it a good thread to have to see for us that have not done this before but want too...keep it up bro

[Freak]

keep sanding bro! lol it's a pain in the ass, but it's worth it when you're done. it's almost worth going to a body man and paying him to let you use his DA sander and compressor if you don't have one. here's an old ass pic of my dash.....how old? look at the watermark lol
http://www.infamousnissan.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=839

good looking dash man

i actually work at a body shop, ive been apprenticing there for almost 3 years, and have my own compressor and DA sander (i cant even begin to imagine doing a project to this extent without air sanders!)

it is a good point to put across to the members thinking about doing this, a decent sized compressor and a DA sander turns hours into minutes

GITuk - thanks - im really hoping to make a step by step build guide out of this, and also an indepth step by step to installing a new style dash into an older truck (in my case, an 87) ive been fighting for information on doing this with pictures of the actual brackets to make sure my brackets were right that i pulled from the donor truck, and i also know that is a common question for fellow members.

as of now i havent had any time to work on it, with midterms being this week and helping my buddy move, but im really itching to get back on it

[steadywestcoastin]

that looks clean!

[slownissan]

i think u would like fiberglassforums.com very good info on this stuff:)

[Scrappy]

I visit fiberglassforums.com alot. their a pretty good group of guys that know what there doing and willing to help.

[layedoutnissan]

I love that dash.

[layedoutnissan]

keep sanding bro! lol it's a pain in the ass, but it's worth it when you're done. it's almost worth going to a body man and paying him to let you use his DA sander and compressor if you don't have one. here's an old ass pic of my dash.....how old? look at the watermark lol
http://www.infamousnissan.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=839


looks nice, I like it.

[kingcabon20s]

you got a myspace? im in covington.

[88hb]

any more updates???? :poke:

[beebani]

Here's the one I started for a guy way back when I was a member at nissanminis. It's ready for paint basically now, but need to sell it and get it out of my garage. And I need to pay the guy back for materials at least.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s19/beebani23/Picture032.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s19/beebani23/Picture033.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s19/beebani23/Picture034.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s19/beebani23/Picture035.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s19/beebani23/Picture036.jpg

[beebani]

I'll get some newer pics of it, it looks better than that, and is more finished out. It has raised flames all the way across it, and all the vents are shaved except for the defrost vents on the top. I never did figure out how to cover the mount holes, thought about some snap in inserts.

[KENDIG]

that looks good. how much are you selling it for?

[beebani]

that looks good. how much are you selling it for?

Make me an offer

[Freak]

not much for updates... moved recently and have spent a good bit of time packing/unpacking inbetween school and work

the defroster thing youve got going on looks like what i wanted to do, but i cant figure out how to cover the bolt holes

i have thought about getting a few peices of billet cut out in long thin ovals and just screwing it over top of the vent hole so i wouldnt have to worry about the hole, and getting access to it

im hoping to get some more glassing done this weekend

[DRAFTEDDESIGN]

Bump for an old ass thread that's still a wicked mod.

I tried my hand at this before. I actually went through 3 dashes and never did get it right. I tried to shave the front vents, leaving only the defrost vents. As the temperatures fluctuated outside, the blanks that I used to fill in those holes would break through the fiberglass. I used plywood sanded to shape to fill the voids then covered the entire dash with chop mat and resin. I shut the door one winter morning, and the piece that filled in the drivers side vent fell into the floor at my feet. What did I do wrong, and how do I do this the right way?

[Derek03]

Are you using epoxy resin? From what I remember poly resin doesnt stick to wood. Havent messed with fiberglass in some time.

[DROPIT_LOW]

yes it does?^

[DRAFTEDDESIGN]

Are you using epoxy resin? From what I remember poly resin doesnt stick to wood. Havent messed with fiberglass in some time.

Yes, I was using the resin that you would use with chopmat or the sheets of fiberglass cloth. When the inserts popped out, some of the fibers stayed on the dash but the wooden blanks were securely bound to the chopmat over top of it. I was doing this in the garage with no heat in the middle of winter and I don't think I used enough resin. After reviewing what has been said on here vs. what I remember from that project, I'm pretty sure thats where I messed it up.

On this new rounded dash, I'm thinking of using the "Great Stuff" expanding foam to fill the voids where the 2 outer most vents are, and then laying a small piece of aluminum foil over the foam after I sand and shape it. I'm gonna be shaving the little dip on top of the dash, too. <----Should I go at this the same way? Will that foam adhere to the vinyl covering ok?

[DROPIT_LOW]

it will stick but the sanding is kinda hard on the great stuff foam, its alot easier to cut it down with a knife.
what i would do is buy a plank of green foam i thinks its 32'' by 12'' and that thing sands down easy and it easy to work with. and use this instead of the great stuff foam.
but take a scrap piece and see if the resin will melt it. some brands do and others dont . if it does melt. go about it as you said above. use some mild spray adhesive, spray it on the foil. and stick it to the foam.

p.s remember to do at least 2 layers of mat and resin since it is a dash

[DRAFTEDDESIGN]

Thanks. I'll use that tip about the foam boards. I've seen those at Hobby Lobby. Never crossed my mind, but it's a good idea.

[beebani]

The one I did, I just stretched the mat over the vent openings in layers and then kitty hair, then a lil bondo. Never had any issues with it at all.

Although it never did make it into a truck, but it sat out in the weather for a year before I took it to the dump and it never cracked out..lol.

[DRAFTEDDESIGN]

If I decide to tweed my dash instead of 'glass it, would I still go about it in the same way, you think? Instead of covering the entire dash with mat, then resin several times, just cover a little beyond the vent areas with chop mat and then sand it down smooth before covering?

My cousin just bought a '88 square dime with tweed ALL OVER the interior, and it really brought back the old school vibe for me. I'm thinking tweed might find its way into my truck one way or the other.