Carbon Fibre Dash question

[andyl]

My 2010 SV has a somewhat marked standard dash where previous owners have stuck items on it so I started to consider a carbon fibre dash, however I now realise that it's semi serious engineering job where you have to remove the scuttle etc etc.

Has anybody made a carbon fibre dash (2 layers say top layer carbon and bottom normal fibreglass) this would be quite thin and could be stuck over the existing dash, all you would have to do is remove the gauges and switches glue the dash in and replace the gauges and switches, The strength will come from the existing standard dash.

Oh and before someone mentions it yes there will be no weight saving :0)

[simon_h]

The carbon ones cc sell are thin anyway. You will struggle to get a good surface to the back for it to stick down nicely at home I reckon.

Why not get some good carbon effect vinyl and cover the existing one that way. Some vinyls are quite good visually if you hunt around 

[andyl]

Simon, it depends how it's made. I have a friend with a carbon company and he has produced some (race car) items that are extremely thin but strong (one layer carbon one layer Kevlar for a long race car bonnet). The mating surface can be made quite smooth using the correct GEL, bagging it and vacuum, or using infusion.

Vinyl I fear will not weather well and does not quite have the quality and visual depth of the fibres?

All I need is an SV dash to use as a buck, the materials are quite cheap.

What appeals to me is if the bottom is made curled it would be easy to fix on the existing dash, incidentally the gauges and switches would assist in holding it down?

[SLR No.77]

Don't mess about, remove the old one and do it properly. Scuttle removal is straightforward, and the ally dash is likely just riveted on. Bond the new one on with Sikaflex.

Stu.

[TomB]

Agree, says I who fitted Stus old carbon dash! 

[simon_h]

AndyL, That's different then. I know you can make the rear surface good enough like that. It read as though this was a home project rather than having some stuff made properly. 

[Strangely]

If you want a project to do, fair enough. In terms of cost, I think it would be cheaper and a lot quicker to buy a carbon dash. Companies like Ultimate Carbon do them much cheaper than Caterham. They will also do a dash without cut-outs if you want to do something custom.

[andyl]

Thanks Gents, there are a few reasons why I think My Way (Frank Sinatra?) might be better:-

1) I notice on this forum that people comment that the Carbon Fibre Dash is quite flexible and not well supported (although I have not seen one myself) Putting this C/F panel onto the existing metal panel will be a lot more solid.

2) I really don't want to remove the scuttle as there are external rivets pained the same colour as the body, they will be replaced with bare Alloy heads.

3)There is less de-construction, if there was a dash to the correct dimensions (the Ultimate carbon will be a replacement not dimensionally suitable to stick over the existing dash).

It probably will take me a couple of nights to knock up a mould and a night to lay up a dash. so I won't be saving much time but at least I won't be drilling out rivets.

Simon_H, it is a home project but I probably will do it at my friends CF Company.

sforshaw, understand your point of view but in my mind a thin CF dash mounted on an existing metal dash will actually be a better job and more structural.

Strangely, I don't want to cut out scuttles etc, my dash is standard so no problems with cut outs.