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I am giving serious consideration to starting a Pod and Dash restoration service. Here's an example of a 91 pod that came off a car in Nevada. Before with body filler (fiberglas version): After: (looks better in person without the glare) Not the truck bed liner painted version. :-)
Looks good I have a dash pod I can donate in trade for some dash work if you are interested
Have you done any testing how it will hold up under Heat (sun) and cooling cycles?
That seems to be the killer and why I've always chosen to just do a complete recover, I must say, that one does look great in the pic
Dave
+1 Was thinking the same thing. How flexible is that filler when cured? For example could you apply it to a flat piece and then roll it over your knee without it cracking?
I may be a future customer. The test pod looks great!
It is sitting a closed car in the direct GA sunlight right now. I will offer a warranty, of course.
I would conduct extensive long range testing before deciding to go into this business. Others in the past have done body filler repairs that looked good for a while and then the filler and the crack started separating. Some have covered the entire surface with fiberglass body filler to combat the later cracking.
Offering a warranty is nice as long as you know exactly what you are getting yourself into and what the failure/return rate of your product is. If the owner has to cover the labour to remove the dash, this warranty will means little to them.
The first pod repair I did like that failed after about a year, and it was really disappointing when the cracks reappeared. The second time I filled the cracks as before, and then added a layer of non-woven roving, bonded with polyester resin. That way, if the cracks reappeared they would be underneath this polyester skin, which would remain intact. It has, with no car or windshield cover, no garage, etc. for over two years now. I really think the secret is NOT relying on repairing the original surface, but building a new surface that won't crack. Link here: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...h-project.html
The first pod repair I did like that failed after about a year, and it was really disappointing when the cracks reappeared. The second time I filled the cracks as before, and then added a layer of non-woven roving, bonded with polyester resin. That way, if the cracks reappeared they would be underneath this polyester skin, which would remain intact. It has, with no car or windshield cover, no garage, etc. for over two years now. I really think the secret is NOT relying on repairing the original surface, but building a new surface that won't crack. Link here: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...h-project.html
Exactly right. And without going into a lot of detail that is a part of my solution. Though, I did not use what you did. It is similar in concept. Only time will tell.
The pod is in a parts car and according to the thermometer the temp on the pod surface is 172-174 degrees. By no means a test - but it will remain there for a while.
Exactly right. And without going into a lot of detail that is a part of my solution. Though, I did not use what you did. It is similar in concept. Only time will tell.
Now take it out and put in in a freezer for a day then, back into the parts car.....repeat this until you see cracks and then calculate how many cycles it took to get there. Yes this is an extreme way of testing but it will represent reality in an escalated scale. Otherwise it will take years if you just let the pod sit in the parts car.