I'm going through the process of making a front chin spoiler for my 510 and I'm thinking that I need to shape it out of foam (maybe expanding foam?), and then cover it with fibreglass or carbon.
Anyone done this before (on a spoiler or any other part), or know the best product to buy.... and from where?
Any tips or suggestions, or photos of parts other people have made?
I've never made any parts like this before so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

I am interested in making a front spoiler similar to some of the under 2 litre sports sedans or similar to Damiens (Styx16), but a little more rounded and tweaked with the ability of having a splitter/undertray and a hole in the front for an oil cooler/ducting.
Curious to know why you want to make a chin spoiler when there are a few different designs out there, unless you want to tweak it as well?

My construction method would be similar, but potentially different as I have an existing spoiler I will use as the base.
1. Buy a shape that is similar or make a base shape that is similar out of wood/foam etc.
2. Shape your material to suit.
I will be cutting sections out and using a combination of metal/wood and body filler with expandable foam to get the shapes I want.
3. After this you will have to coat your 'template' in gel coat paint because you will be coating it in fibreglass to make your 'buck'.
3.5 This is now your 'template'.
4. Apply fibreglass matt or 'roavings' and the associated recommended resin (i'm really going to skip over this bit as it's pretty detailed). Complete a number of layers. This process creates the 'buck'. You will have to put reinforcement on the outside so it comes off in one piece and keeps strength. Make sure you have suitable 'draft' on your template, so you can remove the 'buck' off the template. Some people also 'glass in' air or water fittings into the buck so they can blow the template (and later the parts you make) off the buck.
5. Let it set.
6. Remove your fibre-glass buck off the template. Fix with body filler all the air holes and crap that didn't work. Sand and smooth
7. Paint over with appropriate gel coat.
8. Your 'buck' is now ready.
8. Apply fibreglass matt/roavings onto the buck with appropriate resin. Multiple layers will be needed.
9. Let it set.
10. Trim excess off
11. Blow it off (gently remove it) using the previously fitted air/water fittings.
12. This is your fibre-glass part!

OR:
1. Go to Topstage composites (http://www.topstage.com) with a sketch of what you want, your car and get them to make it...

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1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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hey Nick, that sounds like a perfect plan.
I too will be starting with a spoiler as a base, then tweeting it to my specs.
Main difference with mine is that it'll definitely be a case of form over function, unlike yours.
Basically, I think the 510 needs something to finish off the front end visually, but there's none on the market (that I know of) that I think are perfect.
My base is a Golf CTi lip (smaller than the GTi spoiler that a few people have used, like Anth for instance). I'm hoping this will be perfect as it's pretty small.
I've cut it to make it wider, flipped it over (the shape is then surprisingly close to a 1600), then I'll be covering with foam, shaping, then covering with fibreglass.
At that point I need to decide if I want to make just one, or make a template to be able to make more.
I'll go over your message again and get my head around it and give updates as I progress.
I'll post a pic up tonight that shows where I'm at already with the CTi lip.

Mine will hopefully be form with function! It's a Datsun 1600 afterall!
I just don't like the boxy design of the existing air dam,

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1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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#SR20Datsun @SR20Datsun

This is the one I'm working on. As you can see it's pretty small and unobtrusive.
I'm planning to:
Fill the section in the middle with plastic.
Fill the whole lip with foam.
Sand it back.
Cover with something to protect it.
Done.
Not sure what is involved if I want to then make several of them.
Thoughts?

The next step will be to drill through the spoiler and valance.
Thinking that 3 x screws on each side should do it. 2 x screws near the outside edge (either side of the sharper radius), then another screw closer to the middle.
Bolt the spoiler to the car.
Glue or screw the centre section.
Then fill with foam.
My main concern is that the bridge in the middle section that I'll be making with plastic may not be strong enough.
The screws will ensure the lip takes the shape of the valance, but when I then fill the whole thing with foam and remove it from the car, I'm concerned that the lip will want to return to its original shape to a certain degree and the centre section will distort. Or the foam will crack or pop out.
I'm just not sure how strong the foam is, or how much the lip will want to return to its original shape.
Trial and error I guess.

you should make a pattern from that part you have then make a mould from the finished pattern. this will mean that you can A. build a stronger lighter final product and B. make a few extras if need be if its is smashed or someone else wants one. Also if you make a pattern and are not happy with it you can modify it and make a new mould. you only have to get one mould off the pattern for it to do its job so you can be pretty crude if you like. as long as it comes out of the mould its all good. I find using a combination of fibre fill, metal mend bog plastic polystyrene timber mdf etc make a good strong patterns. using existing car parts is also a good idea. I did some wide arches for a 205 I used to have a couple of years ago. I just used existing arches but cut shut and modified them to make the pattern then created a mould. ive sold a few set's over the years. the vw duckbill would be a good start

Nice one Rat. I love 205s. I've owned 4 GTis and still think they're one of the most fun cars around. I always wanted one with an MI16 in it, but never ended up doing it.
Anyway, I'll make the one, then make a mould out of it I guess. It would be cool to have the option of making more in carbon etc.
Did you manage to match the textured rubber ish look of the original 25 guards? If so, how? I think a custom front lip has the potential to look really good, or really rubbish depending on the paint finish. I'm hoping to achieve a satin black that's textured and rubber looking. If I don't do carbon of course.
Although carbon will match my mirrors, so that's option one.

Sean,
You could probably just make that as a one off. I would use some aluminium right angle channel section, and run that along the length of the lip. This would provide strength/potentially the correct shape and fastening to the front of the car. Plus you can bend it to shape.
For the join section, a combination of plastic/aluminium with pop rivets would do the trick.
Then just foam fill over the top. Sand back, Skim of filler. Sand back and paint over.

_________________
1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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#SR20Datsun @SR20Datsun

3D printing?

Maybe for smaller parts only. I like the idea of being able to craft a car part using 3D printing which once perfected you could take the CAD file and get the part made via a CNC machine

Might be a good solution for making parts that are getting harder and harder to source. Plus with 3D printing you're not endlessly trying to form/shape foam or wood and make sure that it is symmetrically perfect

_________________
Current Garage:

1971 Datsun 1600
2019 Mazda 6 Touring Wagon
2009 Holden SV6 Sedan

using donor parts does make thing a lot easier. I use cardboard for a lot of my initial designs. there plenty of different ways to make something like that I suppose it depends on how many you want to make, how much time and money your willing to sacrifice and how good you want it to be.

you could make a one off part but most of the materials you use to create the part are most likely going to be porous. in my opinion If its not sealed up properly it can make that area prone to rust and unless the part is well supported it will probley crack.

3d printing is good for small parts. last year I was involved in a job for a guy that couldn't get the parts for the sides of his seats in an old car. he cad modelled them from some original parts then 3d printed them in abs. cheaper than a die and injection moulding but still pretty expensive.

A front lip would most likely need to be printed in two or more pieces then joined together due to the printers build envelope. something cool to consider with the 3d printed parts is you can print in support material only if you want, then wrap/clad the support material in fibreglass, carbon fibre etc. After its set you can then dissolve the support material away or in some cases just brake support material away and your left with your part. you can also insert parts into the build. for example sleeves or nuts.

I've also seen a lot of guys model stuff up and cnc cut styrene and tooling board to make moulds and/or protoype parts. it becomes expensive pretty quickly unless your in the industry. if you can cad model it reduces the cost significantly.

I think its fun making stuff like this do it any way you can. At the end of the day stick with what your comfortable with and I suppose try not to over capitalize on it.

Bolted the base to my car today.
If I get a chance tomorrow I'll build the centre section that joins the two sides together.
May even get a chance to put the expanding foam on too. We'll see.