[nicholsmf]

Ok, I had a few days off work and was looking for something to mess around with in the garage. I've been looking for a place to mount some switches for when I start adding various accessories (yes I know the spod is great but it isn't what I'm looking for).

Anyway, I had a spare dash panel that I had picked up so I threw together a panel. I still needs a lot of work and I may or may not even use it but I figured I would post it up to give others ideas for ways to do similar projects.

Yes, the pictures suck, I'm no photographer by any means.

Here's what I started with.

Drilled some holes for switches to mount in.

Propped the panel up and super glued in it place where I wanted it.

The stretched a pair of pantyhose over it and pulled it tight around the bottom to pull out the fold, wrinkles, etc. If my wife was fat I could have stretched it enough to get that seam on the bottom (seams = more sanding later) Zip tie it all up to keep it pulled tight.

Lay down a few coats of fiberglass resin on the pantyhose to make the shell

Sand, add some body filler, sand some more, and primer to see how messed up it is.

Do that again.

Decide two times is enough and paint it to see how bad it is

It's certainly not great but it isn't too bad for about three hours of work when I haven't done this stuff in over ten years (used to do a lot of custom fiberglass for stereo installs). The front isn't symmetrical but it's fairly close.

Not sure what I'm gonna do with it at this point but I figured this might spark some cool ideas in somebody's head.

 

[nicholsmf]

OK, I found the actual camera and snapped a couple of decent pics. It's not as glossy as it looks, it's matte black.

 

[bnb2010]

Looks great.

 

[rerard2]

pretty cool

 

[Co4Lo]

Wow. That's nice! And you used pantyhose to make a Jeep part. WIN!

 

[Jeepmods]

Nobody can appreciate pantyhose without having a couple of rips in them first... I like the idea. I guess cheese cloth is next on the list?

 

[TEXASKEV]

Creative! Post pics of it installed when you get it put in.

 

[07unlimitedx]

Nice... gets some pics up after install too.

 

[nicholsmf]

Stuck it in for a test fit. Fits decent. Need to figure out how to label the switches, maybe a laser etcher?

 

[Jeepmods]

Definitely like it!

 

[CeeeJaySeven+JKU]

Love it.
Do you have a Thread on the 110v panel? I'd like to do something like that.

 

[Co4Lo]

Shit, that's cool. Looks like a space shuttle.:trooper:
What did you do with the compass thingy that usually mounts under that panel?

 

[nicholsmf]

Love it.
Do you have a Thread on the 110v panel? I'd like to do something like that.

That's one of those projects that never got finished. ha ha. The plan was to wire up the inverter with the outlets there in the dash. Haven't had the desire to finish it yet.

 

[nicholsmf]

Shit, that's cool. Looks like a space shuttle.:trooper:
What did you do with the compass thingy that usually mounts under that panel?

I didn't do anything with the compass module because I wasn't sure if I would even like it or not. And...I don't. Looks like it belongs in the Batmobile instead of a Jeep. Think I'm gonna take it ll back apart and start over with a more square design and include a pressure gauge for OBA and winch controls.