Wanting to Glass Dash

Hey guys i've got a 99 ranger thats going under the knife in the next few weeks and i've got everythin planned and know how i'm going to do it the only question i have is if anyone has anyone help or tips on glassing my dash. the places i'm glassing are making a whole new speedo cluster, center console that flows into my dash, and a whole new center piece to hold my cd player air vents controls and so on any help would be appreciated

O and also how to make door panels from scratch, saw a couple photos but really needing a in depth step by step anyone know a site or anything

The whole "fiberglass" dash doesnt really require fiberglass itself. Alot of people prefer to simply scuff up their dash, depending on the material the dash is made out of, then add body filler, and sand it down to smooth. The youd simply prime & paint the dash.

As far as door panels, you want to recreate an entire door panel?

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Im a fiberglass whore!!

I think since he wants to do a coustom gauge cluster he can't scuff, fill, prime, and paint.
i was also thingking about re-doing my dash but i wasn't going to get started till mid to late summer. (no $$$)

how very adventurous of you tackle something like this...thumbs up

custom dash work is fun..you may need to remove the windshield for this tough..depends how elaborate you plan on getting...a new cluster should be as simple as laying it out in MDF, securing it to the existing dash piece and stretching and glassing..not too complicated...you are going to have to build armatures out of MDF first for all the work you want to do to your dash...try to keep the pieces as thin as you can so they dont weigh too much. and use a phnuematic staple gun to assemble them.

As for the doors..this is a little more difficult..you will have to first remove the door panels, cover the frame with foil and take a mold of the door.  from there line up where the handles and and switches and stuff go, and thenbuild your MDF rings for the speakers and then stretch and glass..

Door panel would be considerably easier to build if you use the existing panel and start from it...that way you dont have to figue out all the crazy angles where it meets the dash and how the handles sit and everything..all that is predetermined for you...just take a black magic marker to the areas you cant alter...and your free to do what you want to the rest of it..build out armatures for speakers and such and secure them from the backside. make sure it doesnt hit the seats when the doors are closed and your good to go. strecth you fabric and glass it up then with filler you can blend it into the rest of the door and make it look entirely fiberglassed...

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Fiberglass Guru.

hey thanks i don't know why i couldn't figure that out it just kinda stump me and i had a brain fart. lol anyways thinks for all ur help....by the way what exactly is armatures i'm sure i know just might know them as a different name

an armature would be any supporting structure...for this type of project it would likely be MDF..i would use 1/2 stuf and cut it rather thinly too for cross bracing and for the contour parts just make it a little thicker in the acute bends...basically you dont want a solid piece of MDF supporting what you build, you can get a way with the shape you want then cut it out about 3/4 of an inch thick...thick of the grammy awards to understand whati am trying to say..an outline about 3/4 inch thick..maybe that is better i dont know..lol

you want empty space behind the braces not a dash that looks like an old fashoined baffled muffler...with solid braces going althe way back to the fire wall..

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Fiberglass Guru.

thanks alot again

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ALEX