If I wanted to get creative and make a major consmetic piece on a car, what is something good to use? I am reading that bondo is very heavy.

 

bondo would suck. not only is it heavy, but it is not designed to do things like that. If you want to get cretive either use metal , fiberglass, or carbon fiber. and leave the bondo off the car.. I do suppose you could make a mold out of it for the fiberglass or the carbon fiber... as you would be able to get it very smooth.

 

Carbon fiber is way too expensive.
How expensive is fiberglass? Is it hard to work with?

 

If you have to ask questions like this its probably best you don't attempt the mod.

 

Carbon fiber really is not all that expensive.. Just depends on which carbon fiber fabric you get. And carbon fiber and fiberglass are used the same way pretty much. but yes.. If i were you i would not worry about making something at all unless you look into it into detail. Else you are going to run into quite a few problems. You can get carbon Fiber Fabric for at little as $15 a yard.. which would be sufficient if you were going to paint it. the most expensive i have seen it is $50 a yard.. that would be the stuff you would want to use for like full hoods or body panels if you are not going to paint over it (it has a nice weave pattern to it)

Also in my experience Carbon fiber is less work if done right. You do not end up having to send and fill so much like with fiberglass.
Depending on which fiberglass you use it ranges up to $5 a yard. it is cheaper for the fabric.. but then you also need all the other things in order to get it nice and smooth. something that carbon fiber if done right accomplishes in the mold.

Then you have steel.. works well. and if you know how to do it you can make it out of lightweight steal. pretty much be roughly the same weight as a good fiberglass part. ( at least it is so far with the front nose I am constructing for my thirdgen to get rid of that urathane one) A note there though.. You have to take into account the entire weight of the nose. not just the cover. because just about everything in there is gone on the metal one. since it does not need all the support and such.

 

I think we need to know exactly what you plan on making before giving out too much advice. Then we know exactly what material would suit the job best.

Off hand though, I'd say fiberglass. It's not a one shot deal like steel. carbon fiber would have it's place if you were going to replace panels for weight savings.

 

yea. it is a bit more to work with when it comes to steel, and unless you have the equipment for fabrication then you will be up a river so to speak. Fiberglass is the ussual thing used. works well for just about everything. I have always generally done the steel and the carbon fiber myself. mostly because i know exactly what i want to do before hand and do alot of pre-fab work in order to make sure things will align and look right.

 

That's the key right there.

So you have no idea what you want to make, just that you want to make something?

 

no, I just wanted to know the limitations.

 

well the limitations are basically not in the material, but rather in your capabilities. the only thing i would not suggest is using fiberglass on anything that is a structural support that has to haold a bit of weight.. other than that they are all generally the same as to what can be done with them. just depends on your knowledge, and what type of equipment you have. Carbon fiber is just about as strong as steel is.. in fact it is probably stronger than the sheet metal the cars are made of lol, or at least has the potential to be at less wieght

 

For one off none structual components, glass or carbon fiber would be best. Aircraft Supply places often have practice kits. Like this: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...racticekit.php
plus very good quality fiber mat. of all types.