Another Little Project

Anything goes in the world of fiberglass and plastic



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:09 am
I had a guy come to me a few weeks ago wanting to install a CF lip that was made for a M3 bumper on to a replica CSL bumper that originally had CF flippers not a lip. Along with that he wanted the air intake hole shaved as well as the license plate mounting holes.

The lip looks like it fits ok from this distance.

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Here you can see the holes in the bumper where the flipper would be mounted. The air intake hole and license holes are shaved at this point.

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You can see some daylight on the top of the lip and the end. It's only clamped on and when I actually mounted it the gap on the top of the lip was about 15mm.

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The square flipper holes are fiberglassed in and the lip is mounted where it's going to be but I had some big gaps around the corners.

The CF lip isn't exactly a precision piece judging by how the curves don't match.

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Much better fitment around the corners. Some odd reflections on the CF but it's clean there.

You can see the filler line which I filled in today but haven't finished yet.

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Way more work then I thought it would be.

I'll post the finished product in a few days.
Mike

Don't Listen To Me I Don't Know What I'm Doing

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:30 pm
That's a lot of mods for just a bumper fascia. Just wondering, how many hours do you think you'll have in that when you're done? I mean I know it's a BMW and all so I guess these guys are used to be "raked over the coals" on parts but seems like it would have been cheaper to find a fascia that was closer to what he wanted in the first place.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:52 pm
I work an hour here an hour there so total hours now that I think about it is probably 16, but that might be low because I work slow. :lol:

Some of these guys that I do jobs for are entering car shows so they're trying to out do the competition. Now he can claim a one of a kind bumper as normally CSL's have flippers not lips. :roll:

He's doing red accents on the car so even that lip in red CF is a special part.

To you and me it doesn't mean anything I know, but to them it's something.
Mike

Don't Listen To Me I Don't Know What I'm Doing

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:05 pm
Ha!Ha! :D Yeah, I get it. Local guy here has a couple of Boss Hoss V/8 powered custom bikes. Lots of chrome, candy this, special that. He was already sweeping almost any show he's in and the bikes make over 400 h.p. So what's he do?, puts a full nitrous system on em'!!!
Buddy of mine is having his LS2 powered Corvette convertible shipped to California for a rear turbo system upgrade. That will run him $9000. He's just doing it for bragging rights at shows.
Guess I can't compete with that kind of money throwing so I'll just have to keep creative with fiberglass and paint work. By the way, that's some nice work you're doing there, post pic.s of whatever you're working on anytime. Younger guys need to see how these body kits and mods should be done. :wink:
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:12 pm
Thanks, I wasn't sure about posting this one as it isn't much, but figured like you said that there are a lot of younger guys doing cars up like this.

When I do post up work I'm open to suggestions as to how I could have done it better/easier whatever.
Mike

Don't Listen To Me I Don't Know What I'm Doing



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:15 pm
Looks great - Yes it's amazing how much work goes into a seemingly "little" job. And if your doing this kind of work, by definition you have to be at least a little anal - and / or a perfectionist.... Then it's all the more time spent on the peice. I have to wonder how they price this out on the TV Shows. Their customers must have endless budgets...

It's always fun when somebody asks "Where'd you buy that??" And you tell'm you did it yourself. Not to discount the "Bolt on Barnies" - I wish I had the $$$ to pay somebody to do it, or the brains to take it out of the box and just bolt it on WITHOUT modding it. But then I figured my hobbist "full and undivided attention" was usually better than a "pros" half-assed work.
Have you tried painting Faux Carbon Fiber??
For flat surfaces - slight curves - I got some really surprising results.
Keep the pics and project coming.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 7:12 pm
Yeah, I've tried the faux carbon fiber thing on some samples and got decent results. Blew a black background, then took some of that rubber toolbox stuff you can get at Harbor Freight and layed that over top. Then I dusted some white pearl through that pattern, and buied it all in clear. Very convincing look. I might do the step off part of my door jambs on my kit car over the winter. Might try to dust in some of Motorstorm's Hyperflare to get some pinpoints of light in the pattern.
Again guys, don't think that your small projects aren't needed and appreciated here. If I hadn't learned to patch fiberglass I sure would have never learned to do kit cars and styling kits in the first place.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:28 pm
Darrelk - I need to try that. Just did the straight - black - grey - clear.
I did an under the hood panel and folks thought it was all carbon fiber :)
I have NOT tried to use real caron fiber to a piece and clear it out. West makes a clear resin... maybe when the price / availability on carbon improves.

Also true words.
If it were not for Kit Car Mag and Kit Car Illustrated I would have not had the stones to start cutting and gluing. They are some car building dudes on those pages.
BTW it's not a "kit" when finished - it's a CAR!!!
I went to Carlise PA to see he best. Fun time.
One day I'll have the time to complete "Frankenstein" - my Kit Car '57 Vette body (C-3 frame extended 4 inches) L-88 427 Cu In - Holley Dominator... She's in the back yard under a cover - ugh!!!
When I retire - I'm making kit cars!!!
I'll dust off some pics of projects and post - Only been digital for a few years, so I'll see what I have.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:40 pm
My father and I started building my first kit car 37 years ago. I could just never get rid of the bug for exotic cars I couldn't buy. My daughter and I re-built a kit for her 20 years ago and just kept getting more things figured out over the years. I've now built or re-built 10 cars over the years. Like you I'm kind of pointing myself to doing a completely original "one off" or possible "styling kit" production when I hit retirement. The way things are going with lithium batteries I might even go electric down the road.
Oh, yeah, Carlisle, been there several times with and without my cars. Best time I ever had coming out of there was with my supercharged rear engined rotary Bremen Sebring. I had my cruise set on 80 going home and guys were passing me hangin out their windows and sunroofs with camera phones and video cams. Just proves you don't have to own a $300,000 car for some looks. Just "glass" it to look like a $300,000 car. :wink:
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:50 am
Apexxn,

Have you painted your Bimmer yet? Or are you still practicing on these
jobs? :)
A man can do all things if he but wills them.
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