How I make fiberglass upholstery panels for strange shapes.

If you know the day is going to be warm then keep the (sealed) can of polyester resin in the fridge before using. Mix the resin in your favorite Folgers coffee can and set the can in a drain pan filled with ice water. You can get over an hour of working time with the resin this way.

If you have larger areas to do you might want to think about using FabMat instead of mat and cloth. FabMat is a stiched laminate of cloth and mat, comes in quite a few different weights. Cut it to shape dry, wet it out, then carry it to the work area. You can lay down an 1/8" layer in one pass. Great for large flat areas such as floor boards. With the outside layers being cloth the problem of stray strands is virtually eliminated. The stiching keeps the "squirming" of the shape (while being carried) down to a minimum.

Regards, Mark

Hey Denny---glad to have you back. I do value your input.

Brian, nice work, believe me I know how fast that stuff sets up! MAW, thanks for the tip about keeping the resin cold, I have used it outside on a hot day and it really sets up fast under those conditions!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Hi People---I haven't abandoned things, just been busy with other aspects of the build. I marked the panels with a felt tipped pen so that I would know where to trim them, then removed them from the roadster pickup. They came out very easily, and I trimmed them to "finish size" with my air driven cutting wheel. The wood, plaster, and tape all came out of the body with a bit of persuasion, and when I tried the fiberglass panels for "fit" they were perfect. I have to spend some time now sanding the panels nice and smooth on the side that will be upholstered, then will cover them with 1/8" landau top foam and the same nuagahyde that is on the bucket seats. I haven't figured out yet how I will mount them into place in the car, but I may just use waterproof panel adhesive from the home building supplier. I will post another picture after I have them upholstered.

Now that the roadster pickup is essentially finished and on the road, I have some time to revisit these panels. This morning I used some 2-part filler. and filled any low spots. then sanded everything smooth and uniform on the side which will be upholstered. (this took about 2 hours for each panel). Tomorrow I will buy some 1/4" thick closed cell upholstery foam, and will apply it and some of my left over nuagahyde material, (left over from upholstering the seats.)

brianrupnow you have to sand them *that* much even though you are going to put foam over them?

Kcress--Probably not. However once you get the foam on them, if it does show the bumps and hollows, its too late. I am going to use a very thin foam for these items, and I had time to kill on Sunday morning, so I smoothed them just to be safe.

Roger that. Thanks.

Just a thought on attaching them. Attach a piece on the top side that can be slipped under the lip of the top edge of the body, same place you had the sticks set in place, and might use one or two polished stainless screws with finish washers on the bottom.
Put em in top 1st, screw the bottom down, put in the seat, & there ya go! :)

They would be clean up top, clean under the seat, and removable if you ever need to w/o tearing them or the truck up.

VW---thats a good idea, however I think that I will use panel adhesive. If I ever have to remove the panel, that stuff will let go with a heat-lamp and putty knife.---The lip that you are suggesting I fit it under has stiffner ribs up under it, so its not so easy to do what you suggest.

This is the last post to this thread---the picture shows the end result upholstered and installed in the roadster pickup. I ended up not using any foam at all, just glued the nuagahyde directly to the fiberglass, and wrapped it around the "back" side and glued it there also. Works great, looks great---I'm happy.

Nice work I did not follow what you were doing at first, but I got ya now!,I build boats here on the east coast and am up to my eyes in fiberglass construction!, I would be willing to help with any more tech you may need, God knows I am looking for help here too, All the best Bo

outstanding, great job.