26 crash pad

[nomad]

I was wondering if someone could enlighten me on who was producing the thermoformed ABS crash pads for the type 26. They look closest to original and I would like to contact the seller to see why they are not being produced. Very simple process that I once worked at.

Thanks
Kurt

[elanfan1]

You could try

[email protected]

[nomad]

Crickets.......

[nomad]

Somewhere these molds exist and no one is doing anything with them. The ABS cover looks far more authentic than a fiberglass one and it sure would be nice to obtain one or make a few with the molds for the few people out there that might still be in need of a 26 crash pad.

I've got enough projects to keep me busy now but I suppose I'll have to make one. The car is ready to reassemble except for the crash pad hold up. If I have to make one I will have to cover the dash area in plastic and don't really figure I can go any farther until I get the pad situation resolved. Might be in the market for a cheap and ratty fiberglass one to cover orrrr..... whatever works

Kurt
26/3754

[Giff]

The fiberglass crashpad from https://thelotusfactory.co.uk/elan looks good, even has the correct texture, needs a bit of fettling to fit though.

[Vic]

I will be making my own crash pad. I'm still working on the pattern. The mold will likely need to be 4 pieces. I'm also making a separate defrost vent grille mold, smooth, then I will add defrost vents.

Vic

[nomad]

I will be making my own crash pad. I'm still working on the pattern. The mold will likely need to be 4 pieces. I'm also making a separate defrost vent grille mold, smooth, then I will add defrost vents.

Vic

20220825_092727[1].jpg

Appears that I will be doing the same. The owner of the molds has lost another sale.

If anyone has a ratty one or a half ash fiberglass one that might help in the reconstruction I might be interested.

Wish I had known I couldn't get one before I had the car painted.

Kurt
26/3754

[GLB]

Kurt, I made my dash cover from fiberglass. Here are some pictures of how I did it. All moldless fiberglass like the VariEZE aircraft I built. Over foam cores. Epoxy of course to protect foam. First picture is one layer over the body to form and support the back of the foam cores. Next is the foam cores before shaping. green is polystyrene and the upper is a high density PVC foam. Final ones are the glassed cores. Only one ply because the cores are pretty hard and did not need any finishing. I don't have a finished photo but we have a business here in El Paso (Al Knock interiors) that has the original tooling for many GM cars, especially Corvettes. He has a large vacu form machine and he covered my glass core. Maybe you remember the crash pad from LOG in Salt Lake. The wooden dash is 1/2 inch aircraft plywood, later veneered with teak and oiled. I can' t take a picture now because I have not figured out how to upload them to this computer. PM if I can help. Gary

[GLB]

I should add that the glass over foam core was refined before covering with microballoons and epoxy resin. I guess you could use bondo but I have these materials and they bond perfectly. The pad is no pad and is very hard. Probably deadly if you hit it in crash Al Knock said he would produce them if I made a female mold and cover but i wanted a pad and had no idea if they would be saleable. He would suck the cover into the mold and them inject foam, it would be very original as that is his business, No relation except as a satisfied customer. He enjoys doing small jobs outside of his normal business. Gary

[Gordon Sauer]

Making my crash pad myself for my +2 out of fiberglass but then I went to a car show lately and saw a guys completely hand molded fiberglass car and I asked him how he did it and such a good job and he said that it was done over quarter inch sheet rock taped and bedded and then wet it so you could mold it roughly and then fiberglassed over, not tried that but obviously successful, Gordon

[nomad]

Gary, I remember your beautiful car and the great job on your dash. If I had to make one you were going to be harassed for more info. Looks like I will be making one along with many other projects I have going. Not right away though. Too much else going on. I still have the body on the rotisserie so that getting at everything is easier. Would be nice to get it back on the running gear and gain some room in my shop but the dash is a hold up for that.

Kurt
26/3754

[nomad]

I should add that the glass over foam core was refined before covering with microballoons and epoxy resin. I guess you could use bondo but I have these materials and they bond perfectly. The pad is no pad and is very hard. Probably deadly if you hit it in crash Al Knock said he would produce them if I made a female mold and cover but i wanted a pad and had no idea if they would be saleable. He would suck the cover into the mold and them inject foam, it would be very original as that is his business, No relation except as a satisfied customer. He enjoys doing small jobs outside of his normal business. Gary

Gary, this bit of information plus the molds languishing some where in England would make decent 26 crash pads available again. I took the advice given in the Graduate to heart when I was a pup and went to work for a company that did thermoforming, ridgid urethane and fiberglass work. All this stuff is fairly simple but I'm not exactly familiar with the design parameters for a mold. If the vacuum pull makes parts too thin in certain areas your tooling time is wasted.
Kurt

[Giff]

Although I’m all for diy, you guys are going to a lot of effort to produce something readily and cheaply available from https://thelotusfactory.co.uk/ , they’re Uk based and produce some really good cost effective body parts, worth supporting.