Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Has anybody worked with the aerosol type expandable foam before? How bid are the air bubble voids once the foam is dry?

Would one be able to coat directly onto the dry foam with a car body filler and sand smooth? Or would this be too much PT.

Could one simply do a coat of fibreglass resin only on top of the dried foam without using a sheet of fibreglass or do you have to use a sheet of fibreglass? ( would just the resin cover/fill the air voids from the bubbles)

Do you have to coat the dry foam before putting the resin on?

I think the foam would keep the form or shape and then a light resin coat the hold the shape. A concern would be that the heat on the resin. Would just the resin be strong enough to handle the heat from direct sunlight ?( although it will be covered by some form of material)

Cedric,
I would do an independent test outside of the car.
Leave it in the sun and see if anything happens.
Apply resin and check what happens.
Those can spray foam just expands uncontrollably and they stick like mad.
It would not be an easy exercise.
Good luck.
Bruin Beer

will try a test for sure !!....

Alex Roux wrote:Hi Cedric

Why don't you go for this kind of gauge set in stead?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pillar-Pod-2 ... 41793d2e01

Or do you like the look of a rally car?
Too many gauges?

Just checked and these are for 53mm gauges and the madman is 57.7mm

Hi Cedric

Another option you can look at is to use a epoxy foam, something like surfboard foam. It is easy to form this with normal hand tools and sandpaper. Do the dash in sections that you can glue together afterwords. To put only resin on the foam as a finish will not do. It crack quite easily if there are no fibers in to give the strength. Look at using the high end fiberglass, not the chopped strand one you can bay at your local hardware store. AMT sells woven mat fibers in various weights per sq/m. They also sells some nice resin systems that you can use. They can also assist with technical questions. I attended one of their composite training days, I can not remember how much it cost (work paid for me), but it was quite informative if you want to learn how to mould fiberglass, carbon fiber or Kevlar. Amt's address is:

6 DIRECTOR ROAD
AEROPORT
SPARTAN EXT 2
KEMPTON PARK
1619
+27 (0)11 392 4232

I think this will be the more durable option. The foam in a can or the expanding foam is difficult to work with and leaves voids all though the part. I will rather vacuum the dust of the epoxy foam than struggle with the foam from a can.

Good luck

Thanks... I'll look into that....