Thats right I have been working on the gauge cluster for my car . I have decided to reuse the stock gauge cluster housing while using Autometer Lunar series gauges . I had to work out a few problems . Like how to mount a Tach and Speedo in behind the clear plastic cover . How to mount the fuel and water temp. gauges in this same housing . Then I started using cardboard to see how everything would look . I was impressed with one idea that I went with .
The final product is the second attempt at remaking the gauge clutser panel that everyone see's when they look at any gauge in the factory clutser . To mount the tach and speedo I had to tilt them back 1/2" at the top to stay behind the clear cover . I also have to relocate the idiot lights that I can reuse .
I just finished the second panel that looks great just about 30 min's ago . The first panels looked alright ( if I had painted it black ) . But it was not as good as I wanted it . I tried wrapping it in carbon fiber which looked alright but I still was not happy . So the second attempt used pure carbon fiber . The end result mad me nut in my pants . So after I get through cleaning it up and clear coating it I will post some pic.s of it .
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Sounds sweet man, can't wait to see the pics.
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
hey Mr. goodwrench sweet idea my buddy has been putting off his 3.4L idea for awhile cause hes got a crate 3.4L and needs a donor for the wiring and injectors adn upper intake! What kind of power are we talking in your cavy! you running 13's?
Its not my cavaliers fault, its a taco burner!
I am not sure of what HP I will be running . The engine started off a 180HP but I have added a cam , larger exhaust , larger T/B , stand alone engine management system . The cam is suppose to add some HP . Around 10 to 15 from what was said , and the stand alone system when properly tuned is suppose to increase HP by 8% to 10% on a factory engine alone .
The only way to really tell is to put it on a dyno . The butt dyno everyone uses here just seems to be a little unreliable .
Anyway back to the progress of the gauge cluster . I have the holes cut out for the gauges . I stopped by the paint store and picked up the clear coat . After I finish sanding it and cutting the holes for the turn signals and othr lights . I will be able to lear coat it , from there I can then wet sand and buff the final coat out .
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what kind of computer security is on those ecu, i imagine your running a flashed one but there no more theftlock or anything? i thought u have sc on that motor. None the less, your car is a work of art, keep up the good work.
Celebrating 4:20 Just a little early!
No mine is not a reflashed PCM . I am using a TEC3 from Electromotive which is fully programmable using a laptop . Anyway I will be turboing the car later on but right now I want to see what it will be ike being N/A .
The new panel just needs to be sanded and shot with clear and have the idiot and turn signals installed . I already have the holes for the gauges drilled and have mocked up the gauges . It does fit behind the clear cover on the factory cluster . For the speedo I will be able to reuse the existing hole and lengthen the trip reset button .
In the morning I will be stopping by my friends house to pick up my paint gun . After I get back I will drill the holes for the signals and start sanding . Hopefully tomorrow I will have the first coat of clear on . Wet sand the clear coat and buff it out .
Well at least I have a good mold to make these things from . I found out that candle wax makes a good first coat when you don't have parafin wax around . After the wax I used regular car wax and the carbon fiber lifted right off of the mold . This gives me a few BIG ideas for the Cavalier . After the caris running the body work will start and that is when I will try my ideas out .
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I didn't know it was possible to swap the 2.4 L out for the v-6. Very cool and good to know.
I love my cavy, but it doesn't love me right now.
What is even cooler is the fact that today I got the clear on the carbon fiber . Here is the promised pic . I have not finished installing the idiot lights and so on . In the pic the clear is still tacky and still have a little wet sanding to do before buffing . Amazingly I did'nt get hardly any dust or BUGS in the clear .
Yes I know the idiot lights don't look like they are evenly spaced but I had to do it with what room I had left . Also for anyone who thinks it is an overlay on a stock panel . No it is a solid carbon fiber piece that will replace the entire cluster . The 3 3/8" gauges are tilted back and recessed at the top at 1/2" giving them room to fit in the stock housing . The clear has the UV protectant in it also . I have to order some LEDs to install in behind the turn signals and other idiot lights and print a circuit board for everything to solder into . I am going to scavenge the main cluster connector to install onto the new board . That way I do not have to cut the plug and will be able to remove the cluster without much hassle .
As I said this is only my second piece while working with carbon fiber . I think I did about as good as anyone who has been working with it longer . I now have a good mold that this one came from and I will be reworking the mold some .
Now that the gauge cluster is this far I can turn my attention towards the exhaust . Afterwards when the engine is running I am going to start on the body . I have some other plans dealing with carbon fiber that will be used there .
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Goodwrench awsome work only the best exspected from you just got to give yah props cause you've always keeped us informed here on j-body (clap, clap) so to business when can we see the car?
Its not my cavaliers fault, its a taco burner!
How does one go about molding carbon fiber anyway? Is there a kit? Or a website?
Nice work by the way.
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Trial and error ...... I started off making a template of what I wanted it to look like . Then from there made a mold from MDF board . After waxing the board I started trying my luck . The first piece was actually made from fiberglass chop mat with a carbon fiber cover . After I was done I looked at it and said it sucked . The next time around was a full carbon fiber panel which is pictured above .
Sad to say that when I started wet sanding it I came across some air bubbles . I sanded everything out and decided to hit it with another coat of clear . The touch up gun I was using airated the clear coat which until I can sand the clear off pretty much ruined all of my work .
Anyway Yesterday I made another panel and it came out better then the one pictured . Bad thing is when I trimmed the excess off I trimmed to much and had a 1/2" gap on one side .
Before I do the next one which now you can see what I mean by trial and error . I am reworking the mold by removing the bondo I had used and replacing it with duraglass . I got tired of having to clean up the area around the gauge recesses from the bondo peeling away from the mold . I also figured out how to remove all the air from under the layers after applying them .
Most of what I picked up was from working with fiberglass , browsing the internet , and I have a lot of friends who used to either work for companies that used mold for fiberglass , or worked for bus companies where they made their own molds for replacements parts on buses .
Here is a site that gave a lot of info on making a mold . I will be using this later on when I start doing the body work on my car also . I did most of the steps listed except for gelcoat . Since I was only making a small piece from a simple mold I could skip a lot of stuff . The most important thing is to wax the mold before laying any fiberglass or carbon fiber . A waxed mold will let the fiberglass or C/F pop free from it . I used Carnuba wax and a friend of mine said the company he worked for used Turtlewax on their molds .
Here is the site
How To Build A Fiberglass Mold This is going through the steps of making molds of body parts . I was thinking smaller than that so I used MDF board and used candle wax to seal the board then would apply a layer of carnuba over top of the wax . I also made sure that the surface did not have any deep scratches or anything the resin could adhere to . That is where the duraglass will come in at . I will use it to fill the blems and smooth out the mold before rewaxing the it . Also I will be picking up some parafin wax to replace the candle wax .
So now I about to work on #4 panel and hopefully it will be perfect . I hate wasting my carbon fiber like this . But it is the only way you will get better is to do it . My mold is setup so that the first piece laid is the piece everyone will see . So it is best to take your time and have it perfect then you can apply the other layers which will be on the back side of the panel .
Anyway I will be getting the mold fixed tomorrow and will knock another one out by Friday . While it is gettting finished I will be getting the exhaust welded up and installed . Friday I will also go out and pick up some reduce for the clear that way the air bubbles came hopefully come to the surface before it starts setting up . I will post pic.s of the latest and hopefully greatest piece to come off of the mold .
It all is'nt as bad as it seems because everytime I have to do this I get better at it . This will come in handy when I start doing the body work ( wait to you see what happens with that ) . The best thing to do is talk to people around you that know about fiberglassing and search the web for sites talking about it . But out of all of it the ebst thing is the experience of doing it . That is where you will get good is by actaully doing it first hand . The simple pieces I used to do fiberglassing or carbon fiber is paint brushes ( not the nylon bristle ) get the real bristles and pull the bristles before you start laying the F/G or C/F to remove the lose bristles . I went out to Northern Hydraulic , Harbor Frieght to get the brushes . They carried the boxes of 30 for $13.00 . I picked up some 2" and 1" brushes ( these are cheap enough you can throw them away after you are done ) . For the resin I do prefer using Epoxy over Vinylester or Polyester . The mixing pans I use are the simple throw away pie pans you can get from the Dollar store . You can buy 10 for just a couple of dollars ( same as the brushes afetr using ) . I have picked up some rollers so I do have acetone to clean them with but everything else can wind up in the trash after I am done . The Acetone is something else you want to wear gloves when using . It can absorb through the skin and is a known carcinogenic ( cause cancer ) .
You can stop by any automtive parts place and they sould carry the fiberglass kits . That will let you start practice fiberglassing and getting used to it . Another thing is to wear some gloves and goggles ( the stuff gets sticky and you don't want it in your eyes ) . Use it in a well ventilated area ( don't do it in your living room you'll knock your @ss out with it ) do it out side or have a garage door open .
Also allow yourself plenty of time to work with it . Once you start you really don't want to come back later to finish . You have to sand what you have already layed so the resin will stick to it .
It is better to have the resin take longer to harden by adding a little less hardener then to have it setup 5 min.s after putting to much hardener in . I have mixed to much hardener and wasted half of what I made up because it setup in the pan . I also found that days that are cool and slightly humid are perfect because it gives me a little more time to work with the F/G or C/F before it hardens . If it is bright and sunny outside and the resin is setting up slowly just set it in the sun after laying it in the garage or other shaded and ventilate area . It will get hard a lot faster being in the sun , and the last bit of advice I can give is to practice , practice , practice that is the only way you will start getting comfortable doing F/G or C/F .
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Well yesterday I was able to apply the duraglass and sand it down . I also started waxing the mold , Tomorrow I am going to pick up some Slide Mold Release to spray a very thin coat on before making the new panel . I can say that the mold actually is better now than it was before . I was able to try out my new toy also ( Rotozip ) .
This time I will cover all bases so the panel does not get screwed up . I have cut the board down to a size that I will completely cover . I also have a couple other piece from whem I was making the mold that will help press the air from the recesses . The only thing I need is some toggle bolts to attach them after laying the C/F .
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Today I made panel #4 and did somethings to get rid of this annoying bubble that tries to pop up at the top of the recesses . I used some other pieces that were cut out from the hole saw and waxed them and ran toggle bolts through them . After applying the layers of C/F I then ran the bolts down through the centering hole from the hole saw . From there I was able to press the C/F down to the mold and actually press out the excess resin . I have another idea now and that is to make a piece to cover the entire mold . Afterwards I could put the C/F on then put the two halves of the mold together and press the resin out . This would give me a thinner and stronger piece . Which would also save on some clean up and sanding because it would also possibly press and air pockets out .
The new mold actually works great with the duraglass . There was no residue left from laying the C/F on the mold . I could have made another panel without applying anymore silicone either .
I am going to work with this some more and see what I can really do with it . I should be able to have a mold that will make better panels with a little more work .
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what car did you pull that 3400 out of
I pulled the engine from a 2000 Impala . But found out that getting an engine from an Alero would have had all the pieces I ended up having to buy for this engine .
Anyway I have the final panel ready to cut the gauge holes and other warning and idiot lights . I have been working on the exhaust and finally got the muffler and tail pipes hung under the car . Now it is thundering and lightening so everything is packed up now .
I have gotten far enough on the exhaust that I should be able to finish it up this week during the mornings after work . Now I can work on the electrical and gauges .
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Well I have reached as far as I can with the exhaust and have jumped back to the gauge cluster while the LAST part is on order . I ordered it today not even 5 minutes ago . Exhaust looks great under the car
.
But I decided to cut the gauges for the #4 gauge panel ...................................................
Well the first hole was centered and looked good . The second one WWWeeeeeeellllllllllllllll was off center and ..... well it was at least a round hole . So it was back to the drawing board and breaking out the mold to make #5 gauge panel . I have noticed that everytime I have to make one I do get better at it . Believe it or not this one looks better than the rest ( well not as good as the one that has clear coat on it / but it will when it has clear coat on it ) . So yesterday I was able to make it and will TRY to get the holes centered . I have decided to get rid of some of the idiot lights that the gauges will actually replace . Try to keep it a little cleaner .
Well tomorrow is Super Chevy in Bristol and I am going to be there Saturday . So not much will get done .
Well I am off to the garage to screw up my latest creation .
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If you have read the other post dealing with the exhaust and other updates then you know what all has been going on . For this one I have the gauges mounted and wired up . Just need to install everything and finish the gauge panel and install it into the car .
I am sort of confused about the dash because it suffers from the dreaded crack . I have removed the vinyl cover from the top of the dash to redo it and the entire dash panel is busted . Not really sure if it is from the same thing that caused the crack to form in the dash or someone stepping on the dash cover while it was in the garage . Anyway I will either fix it or replace it . It may be to bad off to bother fixing a quick and easy fix sounds good . If the dash in the car at the salvage yard is'nt cracked I might even grab that also .
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Well the gauges are installed with only the oil press. and speedo to hook up . I had to use the IPC from the factory gauges . So I stripped the circuit board down to nothing . No LED's , gauges on the circuit board . I then went back and ran wires from the LED's I would use to there aproppriate spot on the stock IPC . That way the BCM would still operate most of the lights .
I also have the gauge pod wired up , so everything except for two gauges and the A/C on the inside of the car are ready . Now it is only the engine needing wiring . The A/C may need the A/C switch on the control panel to be replaced with double action switch . One side would have power when pressed and the other side would ground out ( that would be run to the A/C solenoid to activate the clutch . Or I can try rewiring the stock switch to ground out and and activate the clutch . The TEC3 does not have the input for the A/C but can control it when accelerating and what not . But it can't turn it on when you want .
Anyway I am figuring out the A/C situation and probably have an answer already . Just need to check on some parts for the control panel .
When I get some pic.s of the exhaust I will also get some pic.s of the gauges installed in the car . I used a lot of the factory cluster with the Autometer gauges .
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Been wiring up the car the last few days . Once it gets hot outside I pack everything up and call it a day . Anyway I have been working on wiring up the A/C and have had to over come a few obstacles . Namely the PCM actually controlled the A/C circuit . I have been rewiring the A/C to still operate from the factory switch and have figured out how to keep a high pressure cutoff switch in the car . The switch was borrowed from my 1985 Camaro and should kill the clutch on the compressor if the pressure gets to high . The switch inside the car to turn the A/C on will pull to ground for the solenoid to engage the clutch .
The high pressure switch will be wired into the grounding side of the clutch . That way when the pressure switch opens it will kill the ground to the clutch causing it to kick out .
On a better note the airfilter came today . I also picked up the grommets to install the AIT sensor into the aluminum intake I have for the engine . The whole intake is about 5" long and for it to fit I will need to relocate the battery to the trunk .
Anyway this is the update and no I have'nt had a chance to get any pic.s of the gauges or the exhaust yet .
Till next time
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<clicks on email replies to this thread>
watching this closely... starting to think about swapping the 3400 in again...
awesome work as always Mr G... if you need a website to permanently host pictures (since they're broken by the time i see them) email me and I can host pics for ya
