How to Make Sideskirts? Options

[Coomer]

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could make some side skirts such as the ones in the link below and in the photo at the bottom of my post?

I really, really like these sideskirts, and I want to attempt to make some myself. I think they're Trial sideskirts, but I'm not sure.

What I was thinking was that I could mask off the side of the car with aluminum foil and masking tape, and then lay a couple layers of fiberglass on the bottom side of the car so that it wraps around the bottom. Once that dried, I could mold some chicken wire in the rough shape of those sideskirts, attach it to the car somehow(probably duct tape it in places at the top, and have the bottom rest on some pieces of stacked up 2x4s or something) and then cover the wire in tape and lay a couple layers of fiberglass over that, and then attach both main parts together securely once the fiberglass dried. Then I'd just use bondo to finish it up.

To all you fiberglass experts...*cough* Neverstop *cough* Doggy *cough* ...am I on the right track, should I do something differently, or should I just not even try because this would be way too hard?

Anyway, here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/shin/celica/aisyacelica323.htm

Attached image(s)

 

[macavely]

well this is how i tried it..

first i goimg some card board.. took 3 long rectangles so i could press it on to the car .. the car bored held the shap great .. i got the lenth from wheel well to wheel well.. and the exat arch .. then i cut the shape onto some insaltion foam.....

then i laid some fiberglass over the foam after i coever it in foil..

well that is as far as i got car 3 days later my celi was crashed into..

[kevstir]

Sorry to go off topic coomer but by any chance do you know what rear lip is on that car????

Kevstir

[ghostdog]

everything on that car is zapt >>>

http://www.6gc.net/photo.php?file=/images/...photos/69_2.jpg

coomer, honestly it would probably be easier for me to pick you up a set. you know I would do it for ya

as for making them, I've heard that the pro's use foam. like some spray foam to contour to the side, and then sand it down to shape.

http://www.fibreglast.com/

[doGGy]

Coom, get online, and get ahold with me I will tell you the easyest way

[doGGy]

Well, here we go.

First of all, they seems to be pretty simple. And the proces of making them is simle enouth too. As long as you have been working with Fiber already it wount be too hard for you too

Well, i made a simple scetch of how they could look from different angles, i think this would give you the idea from what shape plain fiberglass you could make them.

First of all:
perspective view: The black part of the sides.

You could make it using some metal sheet (get the metal sheet thickness of 1mm). Use some wooden boards to give the shape to the metal sheet and to get the straight angles (if you want not the sharp angles, use wooden board with a bit rounded edge) . Use some sort of metal holder that you bend the metal straight. After you done making the shape, it will be usefull on both sides, cuz it is equal on both sides. After you done with the shape from metal, use some sort of silicont wax on it that fiberglass dont stick to it then it dries (im ussually using flor wax, it does the job well). Lay in the metal shape few layers of fiberglass and let it dry. After it hard enouth you can remove the shape from the metal. So the main part is done.
After that, alot of mesuring and cuting will be requered. Mesure the places there you need to cut (folow the body lines of the car) cut the top of the shape that it matched the bodylines, and cut the very top piece that goes onto your side of the car (the place then you open your door). After all the messuring and cutting is done, try to fix the main shape to your car.

perspective view: The red part of the sides.
Use the same metal sheet to get the shape what you want. use the same methot as with the main shape. After the shape is done, fix it with some metal plates to the main shape and use some fiberglass from the insed to hold those pieces together.

perspective view: The blue part of the sides.

Same proces as the red part, use everything the same ( You get the idea )

then all the pieces glued together, there will be a lot of sanding and stuff. But you will have the base model of the sides, so you could always use your imagination, and ad the shape what you want

After all done, send me a pic of how it looks

hope it helps

P.S. im open to all questions.

This post has been edited by doGGy: Jun 16, 2004 - 7:11 AM

[sphinx]

[Drocay]

i think it has to do with the fact that he's in Japan right now.

[ghostdog]

[FallenHero]

raiding those junk yards are we?

[KAMiX]

I am definately not a fibre expert... but I would stay away from making it too hollow (ie chicken wire). A friends car got hit and his skirt basically splintered because it was 2 or 3 layers and had a big hollow section running the whole way along the skirt. I guess it's ok to go that route if you make sure the layers are good quality and nice and strong.

Personally I would use a foam cutter (like a soldering iron with a coat hanger on it) or dremmel to carve a couple of different styrofoam blocks into the general shape you want, then join them together (maybe by jamming a metal or plastic rod down the centre of the blocks). Then you just go on with the fibre, sanding, fibre, sanding, bondo, sanding, fibre etc etc. that you are well used to.