how do you make your own fiberglass lip?

[yellowtuner]

just like the title says. i want to make my own lip but i dont know how to. i picked fiberglass cuz i hear thats the easiest way to do it. does anyone here know how to do this? have you guys already done it? pics would be great!!!!!


thanks guys! :wiggle:

[celicarace]

Aluminum or carbon sheets would be easier (the thinest ones like 0.015"-0.060").

[blitzceli]

LOL, so despite knowing how to even start it you went and bought material? You need design it first. Then make it out of cardboard or foam first then start making it with glass and keep modding it to fit

[yellowtuner]

^ hahaha no. i should have said that im planning on doing it out of fiberglass because i heard its easier. i havent bought anything yet. i want to find out what i need and how to do it before i start anything.

[celicarace]

There's a thread on the forums about how to use carbon fiber. I'd go with carbon bcus it's much nicer. Goodluck.

[02VaderCelica]

its a lot of work and takes a lot of time...its easier said than done....have you worked with fiber glass before?

[blitzceli]

There's a thread on the forums about how to use carbon fiber. I'd go with carbon bcus it's much nicer. Goodluck. That tutorial is horrible. It just shows you how to stick cf on a part and pour resin on, nothing special about that.

[celicarace]

But that's kind of the same as doing it free hand.

My friend makes car parts out of fiberglass, kevlar, & carbon fiber. She's taught me how to do a little bit but I really like this tutorial on the forums.

[chillan420]

a lot of patients
a lot of beer
a lot of elbow grease
good luck! bodywork is not my thing

[02VaderCelica]

do you have any idea what design youre gonna use or free style it? i have no idea how to make one but good luck.

[Suffa]

try www.fiberglassforums.com Ive just been looking into this myself, im thinking of doing a full kit eventually, but will start with a raised hood scoop. What i see is, it takes time and patience.

[lpphreakx06]

If you need to ask an internet forum how to do it, you shouldnt be doing it at all.

[blitzceli]

If you need to ask an internet forum how to do it, you shouldnt be doing it at all.
Thats what I meant to say Tuan, thanks for the save.

[lpphreakx06]

But that's kind of the same as doing it free hand.

My friend makes car parts out of fiberglass, kevlar, & carbon fiber. She's taught me how to do a little bit but I really like this tutorial on the forums.

That's part of your problem. :chuckles:


What the faq's and tutorials tell you is like a fraction of what you need to know, and what experience can teach you.

[lpphreakx06]

I still owe you 20 bucks matt, i totally forgot.

[redlinee46s3]

You still owe me 20 too, Tuan. Knowledge isn't free these days.

[lpphreakx06]

o jeez. You want paypal or cash? If taht's the case I owe you way more. http://smiliesftw.com/x/hsdance.gif (http://smiliesftw.com)
I'm still too chicken sh.it to dremel those headlights apart.

[Suffa]

If you need to ask an internet forum how to do it, you shouldnt be doing it at all.

True, but doesnt mean you shouldnt do it. Ive learnt all my mods from this site, but the only way to really learn is to do it yourself. The interweb is just a guide.

[whin9000]

a guy from a local forum just made one out of cf, http://www.mnsportcompacts.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70942 is this what you are trying to do? i think im going to start my own project using cf.

[yellowtuner]

True, but doesnt mean you shouldnt do it. Ive learnt all my mods from this site, but the only way to really learn is to do it yourself. The interweb is just a guide.

true! its all about trial and error! im going to free hand it. i dont want to make it out of carbon fibre yet because i dont even know how to do any of this yet. i want to get more exp. before messing with cf

[yellowtuner]

a guy from a local forum just made one out of cf, http://www.mnsportcompacts.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70942 is this what you are trying to do? i think im going to start my own project using cf.

yeah i want to do it like that but dont want to mess with carbon fibre yet. thats my overall goal tho!

[Kodn]

If you need to ask an internet forum how to do it, you shouldnt be doing it at all.

:wtf: If everyone thought like that, then there would be no custom cars at all, for all you know 10 years from now he could be making nice custom parts and selling to everyone on this form. Everyone has to start somewhere and if no one ever went through the process of trial & error then we would not have half the mods we do for cars... Just cause he don't have millions of dollars like the bigger companies doesn't mean he shouldn't try. All he needs to do is make 1 nice lip and some company might fund or buy the design. Don't diss on someone for trying to do custom work to there car. Personally, I would rather have something custom made that no one else has, then buy something that is going to make my car look like every other celi on the road...

I applaud your ambition, and don

[yellowtuner]

[QUOTE=Kodn;4318622]:wtf: If everyone thought like that, then there would be no custom cars at all, for all you know 10 years from now he could be making nice custom parts and selling to everyone on this form. Everyone has to start somewhere and if no one ever went through the process of trial & error then we would not have half the mods we do for cars... Just cause he don't have millions of dollars like the bigger companies doesn't mean he shouldn't try. All he needs to do is make 1 nice lip and some company might fund or buy the design. Don't diss on someone for trying to do custom work to there car. Personally, I would rather have something custom made that no one else has, then buy something that is going to make my car look like every other celi on the road...

I applaud your ambition, and don

[celica_2nr]

i tried my hand at fiberglassing. its harder than it seems. just gotta learn from your mistakes. i messed up with the resin and liquid hardener lol i put too much hardener. i used wire mesh but never thought of using cardboard. ill try that next time. seems like it would be so much easier.

[Kodn]

Depends what you are trying to make, if you are going for a custom sub box with lot's of curves then wire mess might be easier to make the rounded out area's then cardboard would.

[Kodn]

That tutorial is horrible. It just shows you how to stick cf on a part and pour resin on, nothing special about that.

And I agree with blitzceli, that tutorial on CF is horrible. The point of carbon fiber is to be strong and lite. How are you making it any lighter by keeping the original part under the CF, you are just adding more wait. Plus you are gana have to make up for the added CF by sanding down the part, otherwise it will more likely not fit back in the spot you took it out of beause it will be to big.

If you want to make something nice out of CF, then take the original part, Fiberglass over it to make a mold, then use the Vacum infusion style. The part will look much nicer, actually be lighter which is the main point. and will fit correctly and look flush with everything else....

[blitzceli]

^^

Be realistic... A company wont buy his design. Thats why they have a R and D section in the company. They do all their own designing within. If you think otherwise, provide an example where someone sold a design to a company. Only other way is if he makes a mold and casts them from it. Making a mold is a whole different can of worms.

He probably wont sell the lips on here, because all the members are cheap.
In 10 years from now even younger kids will own the car and will even be cheaper that the current members




You need to first get some sort of design on paper or in a computer (I always draw my stuff out). Once you have that, build it out of that poster board. Get is close as possible to looking like the real thing. Once you have that, put masking tape all over it. Spray some glue all over it and lay your chopmat down. Then add the resin (light coats). Do this about 4-5 times. Then remove the paper from the backside. Now you need to start smoothing out all the harsh angles. If you go through the fiberglass it is ok just add more mat and resin. Keep doing it until you get it the way you want it and the fit you want.

What tuan and I are trying to tell you is that you cant expect to come on to a forum, follow some guide and expect it to turn out exactly the way you pictured it. It simply doesnt happen. Fiberglassing cant be taught online, it is something you have to start small with then work your way up to bigger projects. That is how you learn the ins and outs of the process and become better.


Im currently designing a rear lip for my mr2. Once I have the design, and start building it I will provide some pics and explain alittle so you get an idea of how big the project actually is.

[Kodn]

I'm not gana dissagree with you on that part, most likely he won't sell the lip or have it bought by a company. The point of my statement was that people should not bash on someone who is trying to teach themselves a new skill. If he can master fiberglassing there are a lot more oppertunities out there then just making body kits. He could use his new skills to repair slightly damaged kits and not just for cars. There is a guy that lives down the road from me that makes a pretty good living off doing fiberglass work, including fixed holes in boats, etc... He's actually going to be doing some work on my front bumper for me, repairing some cracks and they customizing for me.

There are plenty of jobs he could get or do with the skills & experience he will learn doing this project. And even if he doesn't go career with any of this skills it's still going to be a fun project for him. Plus if it come out half way decent, then he has a lip that he can honestly say is custom and is one of a kind. Isn't that part of the goal of doing mods? To have a one of a kind car? I'm more into show they racing and you aren't winning anything buy showing up with a car that looks like every other celica...

[hombredelassrta]

i think the easiest is like blitz said. get foam 1st. large blocks that slide over/around the stock lip. then start cutting and shaving the foam till you are happy with the design then go from there

[celicarace]

You need to first get some sort of design on paper or in a computer (I always draw my stuff out). Once you have that, build it out of that poster board. Get is close as possible to looking like the real thing. Once you have that, put masking tape all over it. Spray some glue all over it and lay your chopmat down. Then add the resin (light coats). Do this about 4-5 times. Then remove the paper from the backside. Now you need to start smoothing out all the harsh angles. If you go through the fiberglass it is ok just add more mat and resin. Keep doing it until you get it the way you want it and the fit you want.

What tuan and I are trying to tell you is that you cant expect to come on to a forum, follow some guide and expect it to turn out exactly the way you pictured it. It simply doesnt happen. Fiberglassing cant be taught online, it is something you have to start small with then work your way up to bigger projects. That is how you learn the ins and outs of the process and become better.

First paragraph is good, I suppose.. thing is what are ALL of the materials needed in order to make a product out of carbon fiber or fiberglass? Carbon cloth (what kind), foam (what kind), resin & all that gooey stuff (what kind), & obviously this is for creating something for a car. Everything needs to be specific.

On the second paragraph, uhmm, I wonder where those who know how to build using CF or FG got all their information from? The internet? Another person? But where did that other person get the info from?

Simply put, if someone would type out EVERY piece of material needed & specifically, then from there, it's all about directions..

[blitzceli]

Good idea. Go research, make a list and let all of us know...


Here is a thread for you to start reading
http://www.mr2oc.com/showthread.php?t=305645

[Suffa]

When i start my hood scoop project ill list all parts and process. But dont expect it soon.

[celicarace]

When i start my hood scoop project ill list all parts and process. But dont expect it soon.

Cool. Too bad it's not soon.

[celica_2nr]

You need to first get some sort of design on paper or in a computer (I always draw my stuff out). Once you have that, build it out of that poster board. Get is close as possible to looking like the real thing. Once you have that, put masking tape all over it. Spray some glue all over it and lay your chopmat down. Then add the resin (light coats). Do this about 4-5 times. Then remove the paper from the backside. Now you need to start smoothing out all the harsh angles. If you go through the fiberglass it is ok just add more mat and resin. Keep doing it until you get it the way you want it and the fit you want.

thats very helpful...the way i tried to do it was laying the f/g on the wire mesh then putting the resin on it. didnt turn out the way i expected but i also learned from that. plus i put too much liquid hardener in the resin. i also didnt know the resin gets real hot. it burned the vinyl cloth i had under the paint tray i was using. lol

[yellowtuner]

thanks for all the replies but im not out to make a buisness out of this. All i want is to make something that no one has and be able to say that it was my one of a kind lip. and so i can brag about it too! :chuckles: i have had an idea in my head for a while now and i just want to put it to use. i just dont know how to go about creating it. thats why i am asking!

[celicarace]

You need to first get some sort of design on paper or in a computer (I always draw my stuff out). Once you have that, build it out of that poster board. Get is close as possible to looking like the real thing. Once you have that, put masking tape all over it. Spray some glue all over it and lay your chopmat down. Then add the resin (light coats). Do this about 4-5 times. Then remove the paper from the backside. Now you need to start smoothing out all the harsh angles. If you go through the fiberglass it is ok just add more mat and resin. Keep doing it until you get it the way you want it and the fit you want.


What's a chopmat? What kind of resin? There was paper on the backside (backside of what? how big is the paper?)?

Just need a little bit more specified detail & it can work.

[yellowtuner]

ok so does anyone know what i would need to make this project happen? names of products and where i can get them?

[T3HKMAN]

Almost anywhere. You can get fiberglass, fiberglass mat, resin, and bondo at your local Wal-Mart. Seriously.

[yellowtuner]

^ damn you serious! what section is that

[yellowtuner]

im going to hit up wal-mart tonight!

[T3HKMAN]

Automotive section.

[JSPITZ]

If you need to ask an internet forum how to do it, you shouldnt be doing it at all.

That is ignorant.:thumbdown Nothing wrong with wanting to learn a new skill, how do you think anyone ever learned to use it in the first place.

[bman365]

im going to hit up wal-mart tonight!

expect to pay alot more doing it that way. Go to a place that makes boats..cheaper supplies and can get more for the money. Walmart sells small small packs of fiberglass that definitely isnt enough.

Around my area..advance auto parts has the cheapest polyester resin.

[blitzceli]

That is ignorant.:thumbdown Nothing wrong with wanting to learn a new skill, how do you think anyone ever learned to use it in the first place.
By actually going and trying it instead of asking a bunch of noobs on a celica forum? How do you think anything got started? They attempted it and learned from mistakes. They didnt just skip off to the nearest internet forum and post a teach me teach me thread... Tuan's statement a very true, like it or not.
People on this forum are really dumb, about as smart as my pet rock. Go read and research then if you have a question go to a fiberglass forum and post. About 3-4 members here actually know what they are doing with fiberglass. Hate to sound like an ass but this would be the last place id ask about fiberglass.

I already told him fiberglass can be purchased anywhere, he chose to ignore my post and ask again.

Order polyester resin online (order about 2 gallons), you get more for your money even with shipping counted in.

Go to a boat shop and buy the chop mat.

For paint brushes (DISPOSABLE!!!) fo to homedepot or lowes (like 60 cent each).

Acetone, buy at walmart (cheapest there, get a small container) Inbetween coats lay your brush in it, it will keep the resin from hardening and allow you to use the brush more than once


When I go bach home Monday to work on the mr2 Ill be making a rear lip. I plan on making a guide for mr2oc, I may post it over here as well

[pnoy]

Hey blitz do you still do the gauge mounts on the the console compartment? let me know as I need mine done.

[Suffa]

People on this forum are really dumb, about as smart as my pet rock.


Heh reminded me of when i was about 6 years old i was going around seeling pet rocks. I wonder who was more stupid the rock or the ppl that actually bought them..

Anyway like others have said go to a proper fiberglass shop for the parts. You will get etter quality and better prices. I know theres one major site in the US which is US composites.

I emailed a local fiberglass shop for some prices the other day, the prices are in $AU

Chopped strand matt is $4.00 to $8.00 a square mtr depending on weight
Resin 4lts = $55.00 20lts=$123.20 polyester resin
Catalyst resin hardner =100gm $6.07 500gm = $20.00 nr20
Body filler = easysand 2kg tin =$28.60 4kgs = $45.70
Body filler stronger = pro-bond regular 2kg =$35.86
Urethane foam green foam comes in sizes 1.2m x 2.4m by 25mm = $66.44
50mm =$125.84 75mm =$195.80 100mm =$253.00
Expanding foam 4kg kit =$68.00 8kg kit =$130.00
400gm tr regular wax =$25.00
Pva release agent 1lt =$10.00

Now go research and see what all that stuff is for/does

[lpphreakx06]

Use your OEM lip as a base, make a fiberglass replica of it and then go from there. So that you will have something solid to start off on.
I wasnt really trying to be mean but he should start small. I mean trying to create a lip out of nothing is impossible without learning the basics. Like Matt and I, we started with smaller stuff like a/c vents, gas doors, then progressed to center consoles, bride seats bases, false floors, and now matts making front lips. My point is he is rushing into things. I started messing around with this stuff maybe a year or two ago and I dont even consider myself to be proficient.

[lpphreakx06]

Heh reminded me of when i was about 6 years old i was going around seeling pet rocks. I wonder who was more stupid the rock or the ppl that actually bought them..

Anyway like others have said go to a proper fiberglass shop for the parts. You will get etter quality and better prices. I know theres one major site in the US which is US composites.

I emailed a local fiberglass shop for some prices the other day, the prices are in $AU

Chopped strand matt is $4.00 to $8.00 a square mtr depending on weight
Resin 4lts = $55.00 20lts=$123.20 polyester resin
Catalyst resin hardner =100gm $6.07 500gm = $20.00 nr20
Body filler = easysand 2kg tin =$28.60 4kgs = $45.70
Body filler stronger = pro-bond regular 2kg =$35.86
Urethane foam green foam comes in sizes 1.2m x 2.4m by 25mm = $66.44
50mm =$125.84 75mm =$195.80 100mm =$253.00
Expanding foam 4kg kit =$68.00 8kg kit =$130.00
400gm tr regular wax =$25.00
Pva release agent 1lt =$10.00

Now go research and see what all that stuff is for/does

This guy is right on the money.

[imatunergts]

you do realize that if plan on making just one it can end up costing you more than you think i know at topshop some of the things that tony built he put in close to 3g's just to pop one part some things a lil les and some things more, there are actually alot of steps to the procedure to pull this off right. so i suggest you dont start it unless you got some bank to help ya out, also you dont want to mess with Carbon fiber, for this process you would use fiberglass, you would only use carbon fiber in the final product either for weight, looks or support

[blitzceli]

I started my lip for the mr2 and will start posting pics shortly

[yellowtuner]

^ sweet i will be waiting for them!

[JonnyB925]

the best way to start is with foam. Get a big piece and shave it down until it looks like the piece you want to make. Make sure it would mount up and everything. From there, make a mold around the foam, then go back and lay you FG inside the mold. This is very basic, but it is the general steps. My dad an I built a kayak together and had to use this process a couple times.

[blitzceli]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/flatline16/fg/PIC-0057.jpg
fast forward after about 50hrs of work to
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/flatline16/fg/PIC-0089.jpg

still needs the alot of work to get it the way I want it. Ill post pics after I get the final product

[bman365]

that mid line isnt too crisp..little wavy in the center.

Looks good though..did you start with cardboard as a base? I've always seen foam and bracing/ribs used.

Here is a guy doing a small widebody on one of those old mr2's...if you are interested in looking. http://www.fiberglassforums.com/showthread.php?t=6343

[Zero]

Nice job, Matt.

[blitzceli]

that mid line isnt too crisp..little wavy in the center.

Looks good though..did you start with cardboard as a base? I've always seen foam and bracing/ribs used.



still needs the alot of work to get it the way I want i Ill post pics after I get the final product. Read the whole post before you jump in and post.

I have seen his thread on mr2oc and his work is not that great. The whole car looks cheaply done. He always has something to say about a incomplete projects kinda like you guys which is why I dont post pics of projects anymore on this site.

[bman365]

sorry for trying to point something out..maybe that's not considered helping anymore?

[blitzceli]

sorry for trying to point something out..maybe that's not considered helping anymore? It would have been helpful about 8hrs ago... I already started fixing it among other imperfections. I just put it in primer to sand it right off revealing lowspots pits and any imperfections. I could have posted a pic of without primer but you wouldnt have been able to see the shape. Im already a couple steps ahead of what I posted.

[agonystes]

Crack three eggs. Drop into bowl. whisk vigorously, until frothy. add garlic liberally. Collect sausage, separate in small bits and stir into mixture.