first fg attempt 98 protege
Printed From: the12volt.comForum Name: Fiberglass, Fabrication, and Interiors
Forum Discription: Fiberglass Kick Panels, Subwoofer Enclosures, Plexiglas, Fabrics, Materials, Finishes, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=89603
Printed Date: May 10, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Topic: first fg attempt 98 protege
Posted By: firelizard
Subject: first fg attempt 98 protege
Date Posted: January 26, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Boo, hiss
Yay
Fiberboard floor laid (minus cover for spare tire well) and trunk masked and waxed for fiberglass
The whole thing was a sticky mess, partly from the tape and wax, partly from the resin not having cured fully because the car was outside in the cold all night.
I mananged to pry it out though, and solved the sticky resin problem by brushing on an extra coat with a bit more catalyst to make sure it cured right through and made a nice shell of resin on the outside.
After that dried, I reinforced the sides with an extra layer of matte (the mold is made of 2 layers) because they were a bit too bendy, and went for lunch.
I then noticed some spots still hadn't cured so I busted out the resin again.
After that was good and hard, I masked off the outline of where I wanted to cut (loosely following some felt tip marker lines that showed through the fiberglass*) and trimmed it with a little sawzall type dealy.
It fits like a glove, it's not trouble to fit in the trunk and it's just tight enough to not wiggle and jiggle and make noise, and it looks nearly flush, I am very satisfied with the results. The 3/8" fiberboard bottom and back make it plenty strong, especially since it's supported by the sides of the trunk.
*Cool Tip that I found out by accident:
If you draw a pattern for cutting etc. on the masking tape after you've waxed it, the fiberglass soaked with resin will also soak up the ink, so when the part is pulled, your pattern should still be visible through the fiberglass.
Yay
Fiberboard floor laid (minus cover for spare tire well) and trunk masked and waxed for fiberglass
The whole thing was a sticky mess, partly from the tape and wax, partly from the resin not having cured fully because the car was outside in the cold all night.
I mananged to pry it out though, and solved the sticky resin problem by brushing on an extra coat with a bit more catalyst to make sure it cured right through and made a nice shell of resin on the outside.
After that dried, I reinforced the sides with an extra layer of matte (the mold is made of 2 layers) because they were a bit too bendy, and went for lunch.
I then noticed some spots still hadn't cured so I busted out the resin again.
After that was good and hard, I masked off the outline of where I wanted to cut (loosely following some felt tip marker lines that showed through the fiberglass*) and trimmed it with a little sawzall type dealy.
It fits like a glove, it's not trouble to fit in the trunk and it's just tight enough to not wiggle and jiggle and make noise, and it looks nearly flush, I am very satisfied with the results. The 3/8" fiberboard bottom and back make it plenty strong, especially since it's supported by the sides of the trunk.
*Cool Tip that I found out by accident:
If you draw a pattern for cutting etc. on the masking tape after you've waxed it, the fiberglass soaked with resin will also soak up the ink, so when the part is pulled, your pattern should still be visible through the fiberglass.
Replies:
Posted By: otto34
Date Posted: January 29, 2007 at 11:30 PM
Posted By: maliboom
Date Posted: February 03, 2007 at 2:45 PM
Posted By: firelizard
Date Posted: February 04, 2007 at 2:53 PM
Thanks guys
Okey dokey, I'm all done with the box building part, now I just have to level the surface and get it painted, which I'll do when the weather gets nicer and I can work outside.
Here's the past few days' work.
That's with the 'looped fleece' stretched over the mold and the rings, to form the shape of the box. That got soaked with resin and I let it harden. After that, two more layers of mat.
Then I trimmed off the excess fleece and glass:
Test fitted:
And mounted the subs:
The amp is sitting on top of the spare tire, which is still accessable with no trouble. I kinda broke the left side of the floor which was pretty flimsy, so I'm not quite done under the carpet yet, but it's "complete" enough for now.
I've ordered two 12" blue cold cathodes to provide the lighting, and the next project is getting the subs to work...got some wiring crap or something to fix, blah. They're both pretty beat looking so I'm looking for some replacements - still W010s though
Okey dokey, I'm all done with the box building part, now I just have to level the surface and get it painted, which I'll do when the weather gets nicer and I can work outside.
Here's the past few days' work.
That's with the 'looped fleece' stretched over the mold and the rings, to form the shape of the box. That got soaked with resin and I let it harden. After that, two more layers of mat.
Then I trimmed off the excess fleece and glass:
Test fitted:
And mounted the subs:
The amp is sitting on top of the spare tire, which is still accessable with no trouble. I kinda broke the left side of the floor which was pretty flimsy, so I'm not quite done under the carpet yet, but it's "complete" enough for now.
I've ordered two 12" blue cold cathodes to provide the lighting, and the next project is getting the subs to work...got some wiring crap or something to fix, blah. They're both pretty beat looking so I'm looking for some replacements - still W010s though
Posted By: hub_n_hun
Date Posted: February 13, 2007 at 8:27 PM
Posted By: snyderman5
Date Posted: February 16, 2007 at 2:45 PM
looks good. is it thick enough? I did the same thing just need to clean it up some. Its an old pic
Posted By: hub_n_hun
Date Posted: February 17, 2007 at 5:38 PM
Posted By: nubiannupe
Date Posted: February 26, 2007 at 1:59 PM
Posted By: spawn12336
Date Posted: March 02, 2007 at 7:30 AM
Posted By: firelizard
Date Posted: March 03, 2007 at 3:14 PM
Posted By: kool_2k2neon
Date Posted: March 14, 2007 at 1:02 PM