New way to make bodies....

frizzen · #1 08-12-2003, 02:58 AM

I was bored a while ago, and making some custom stuff for my real ride (Thunderbird) and I had quite a bit of expanded aluminum left over....

Anyway, first just to see what it would do, I attacked the Honduh s2000 that came on my MS Sport. It's ugly and has the whole honduh thing going on, so I didn't care if I FUBAR-ed it. It actually came out better than expected, and no damage to the plastic body, so I trimmed the metal and cut wheel wells.

Going off that success, I took a diecast aluminum car (majorette Caprice Classic police car) which had a ZZ wheelbase, and molded the expanded aluminum over it. Then, I was like "if you're gonna go, go all out..." So I streched the C-pillar rearward, and made it into an older combonation Hearse/Ambulance. If I shave the light-bar off, it'll be a hearse.

Cool! So it sat on my monitor for a few days. Then this weekend, I was playing with my T-bird again. And ended up with some more of the poly fiberglass resin than I needed....

Anyway, I need to stick another coat of resin on it. But so far, it's lighter and more flexible than the stock bodies. The inside is suprisingly smooth, but the outside needs another layer. (gravity bad) The body is like 1/16" think, and it's aluminum reinforced.

Anyway, with the wireform made, you need to do 2 layers of 'glass resin, smooth it, trim windows, wheel wells, paint, detail...

I used the "Bondo" brand fiberglass resins, such as the bondo fiberglass repair kit. (auto-parts stores). And some "wireform" stuff I picked up at Michel's (craft store) which has like 1/8"x1/16" openings in the metal.

#2 08-13-2003, 02:09 AM

sounds cool can u post pics plz?

frizzen · #3 08-15-2003, 02:02 AM

I'd love to, but I can't find my digital camera. And the site I use won't allow remote linking.

It's been a little too hot/wet outside to comfortably play, so I haven't put the second coat of poly-resin on the body. Let alone trying to block sand the thing...

If I was really cool, I'd finish it and make a mold off the thing, so I could produce them out of actual fiberglass instead of the aluminum & resin.

FoeverClownin · #4 08-15-2003, 08:15 PM

im with SkyLiNEz 4-eva! post pics it sounds cccccccccoooooooolllllll