Making Custom Dash Panel - Filling Advice Needed

[DaCid]

I am currently working on rebuilding my '95 Honda Civic. I have it to an almost drivable stage with a working stereo. I will be running a stinger voltmeter to keep an eye on my battery under the hood and a Zapco remote status display to watch for any clipping at the sub.

I want both of these displays to be easily visible while I'm driving, and the best place seems to be in the dash panel that goes around the instrument cluster and center vents.

I am thinking about just losing the center vents (I only use my windows in the summer and defrost in the winter so they aren't needed.). I'll include an old picture with the white panel installed.

My plan is to fill the vents so it would look solid, then just cut out the proper holes to fit the gauges. I just don't know how to fill the vents to be "solid". I figured throwing filler over the vents is a bad idea, and if I were to cut the vents out, I didn't know how to seal the area so it could be filled and smoothed.

Any ideas and advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Driver View.jpg

[audiobaun]

12" X 12" ABS Plastic Sheet CUSTOM CAR STEREO DASH KIT | eBay
This should work, and seal around it

[DaCid]

Is that material malleable? What would be the best thing to use to attach that to the panel?

[audiobaun]

Its plastic??Can be heated up to bend /mold or?Easy to cut/drill/attatch with screws/glue/opoxy,ect..options are to your imagination

[DaCid]

Hahah. It's too late to think I guess.... My bad.

I'll have to look into this and see if I could epoxy that on from the back then just use some filler to smooth it out.

Thanks for the idea and link!

[audiobaun]

Welcome..its customizing,and plastic does wonders/light weight/ect..cheap

[DaCid]

Originally Posted by audiobaun

Welcome..its customizing,and plastic does wonders/light weight/ect..cheap

Agreed! This may just be perfect for this project. And you said the magic word, CHEAP. Cars and stereos are always taking my money! Hahah.

[audiobaun]

LOL..Well, i hope you get it fixed up like you want..Hope It turns out well for you

[audiobaun]

LOL..Well, I hope you get it fixed up the way you like, and looking good too

[req]

epoxy does not stick to plastic well. over time the bond will fail due to the expansion\contraction differences of the two materials and cracks will form and it will look ugly.

get some glue\solvents made to bond ABS (or whatever kind of plastic it is), maybe PVC?

Intro To Solvent Welding Plastic - NerfHaven

that link will help you. i will cut out the vents so its a square hole, get a flat piece of ABS and use the solvents to attach it. then get some plastic filler from wherever youd like, and use that to sand it\fill it however you like. then cut your hole out, and then you are good to go for paint.

thats what i would do *shrug*

[DaCid]

Thanks for the link! I checked out my Lowe's to see if they had any abs plastic, they didn't. Maybe I'll have to get it online. But I'll be sure to put up some pictures when I get it going!


-Decil

[req]

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