finally!

[Mooch]

Finally a REAL forum topic.

Just completing the first stages of the custom dash for the wagon and i've discovered a few little tips when resessing gauges into the crash pad.

I've got rid of the cigarette lighter, fan switch, ash tray and added 3 guages to the top of the crash pad.

I used hot melt glue to secure the bezzles before i glassed them in. Dont do this! I have luckily figured this out thanx to trimfix SA. The heat caused by the chemical reaction of the glass going off causes the hotmelt to soften, therefore sending fumes wafting through the glass before it sets. In turn this creates bubbles in the glass and its a nightmare to get a smooth finish.

If you dont add enuf catalyst to the resin then some gentle persuasion with a heat gun i found helps. Dont be afraid to put a tad more hardner than is needed. Mix the resin in small amounts so that if it goes off before you're finished you dont waste it! Its better to have it set hard than have it gooey for weeks and not be able to bog over the top becuase of it. Then you have to peel it all off and start again.

I cut into the top skin with the dremel, dont use it to cut through the foam coz it'll chew the wheel. Use a sharp stanley knife for this. only cut enuf to house the bezzles in! ruff the surrounding areas of the dash with 36 grit paper on an orbital sander. This ensures the glass will stick and any bog u use will also stick.

The cost so far has been 26 bucks for the fibreglass chopped strand matt and resin kit, (enough to do 1 dash), had the bog already but for 4ltrs you're usually looking at about 40 bucks with hardner. The reskinning is going to cost me about 400 bucks, I already had the gauges. Then I'm gonna hit it with plastic primer so that the paint will stick - like with a bumper bar. Then a few coats of high fill primer and a big rub down. Finally a couple coats of body colour and then a couple of clear in 2k. Nice, glossy and smooth.

Pics coming soon to www.geocities.com/mygemi

Take it eaz tigers
Ciao
Mooch