fiberglass door panels? am I going off base

[nkw8181]

I've been contemplating making fiberglass door panels and maybe others. I want to create a mold from the donor door as a template and do from there. I figure if I can make it quickly removable with speakers why not give it a shot. Worst case I learn something but it should give a refined look if I can pull it off. What are y'alls thoughts? Anyone else considering this or tried it? Oh and I'm building an R that will be street legal. I like the idea of quickly removing weight for track days but the look of a completed (rather then gutted) car otherwise

Nolan

[Canadian818]

Do you mean inner door panel? If so, i don't believe the R comes with them, or has room for them.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I've been contemplating making fiberglass door panels and maybe others. I want to create a mold from the donor door as a template and do from there. I figure if I can make it quickly removable with speakers why not give it a shot. Worst case I learn something but it should give a refined look if I can pull it off. What are y'alls thoughts? Anyone else considering this or tried it? Oh and I'm building an R that will be street legal. I like the idea of quickly removing weight for track days but the look of a completed (rather then gutted) car otherwise

Nolan

I don't understand how you are going to remove the door panels on an 818r.
Did you want to cover up the bars when you drive it on the street?
Bob
See pictures.
2417324174

[nkw8181]

Yes I want to make my own internal panels that cover the bars. Door panels was probably the wrong word. I should have said internal panels since there are no doors :-)

Nolan

[C.Plavan]

Why fiberglass when you can just use Aluminum? I get itchy thinking about it.

[nkw8181]

Just exploring options. If I get fiberglass to work then I may do the final with carbon-fiber and leave unpainted :)

[b1doby]

I like your molded idea.

Honestly I think a rigid foam sprayed in a mold with release agent a magnificent idea and easy. You could glue any upholstery you wanted to it as well. Home Depot has foam in multiple colors, and even waterproof in landscaping area.

Spray that cooking oil PAM into inside of your door panel that you block off area with cardboard first to limit depth, and spray limited expanding foam into it to your level, and lat a sheet of plastic paper over it with plywood on top of paper. Fill cavity with 3" of foam. Bingo...inside door panel.

cut and trim and sand to final shape the next day after drying. If it gets stuck...put it outside to get cold. Gently massage edges and it will come out. Never apply force...it is simple to just tear away foam, so don't rush it. Try again if necessary after clean up.

[b1doby]

To my above post, adding soft foam in cavities prior to spraying in foam when not necessary for removal is a real easy method to limit depth for spray foam. It also offers stiffness in structure.

If you want a molded item you must limit foam so it does not encapsulate anything so it can be removed.

A release agent must be used if you expect part out of mold.

[nkw8181]

Nice! Hmm another thought I had was if I wanted to use the aluminum it comes with, for the internal, maybe by a single layer of carbon fiber panel and glue it to the aluminum. This would be purely cosmetic but I will have the wing, diffuser and front wing carbon so it could tie it together. Then mold the areas missing aluminum and make an accent color. I like the idea of three colors on the car. Carbon is one, the frame color (undesided) and the primary car color.