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Competition Corner - October 2003

Building the Dash
By Steve Brown
2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard View

2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard Frame View
01: MDF was used to create the basic frame for the front monitor array, and it was held in place with custom metal brackets attached to the top of the steering column.
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02: Plastic sheeting was used to cover the car, preventing fiberglass resin from dripping onto it.
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03: Masking tape was applied over the top of the dash, then aluminum foil was attached with spray glue. This formed a barrier layer over the top of the dash.
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04: MDF strips were cut and attached to the car with superglue to form the shape of the dash. The MDF can be directly glued to the aluminum foil, making the structure of the frame very strong.
2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard Frame View
05: This is the completed frame, showing the shape of the dash in skeleton form.
2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard Frame View
06: Here's another view of the completed frame. Notice the lowered section in the middle of the dash, where a center channel will later be added.
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07: Grille cloth was then stretched over the frame and stapled to it. The edges of the cloth were super glued to the foil covering the car.
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08: With the grille cloth completely stretched over the frame, the three-dimensional shape of the dash can be seen.
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09: Fiberglass resin is now brushed on the grille cloth to solidify the shape.
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10: With the resin cured, six layers of fiberglass mat were applied over the top of the grille cloth to strengthen the piece.
2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard Molding View
11: Dura-glass was spread over the dash with it still in the car, which prevents it from warping. It can then be pulled out of the car and finished with a grinder.
2003 Alpine Honda Civic Si Dashboard Molding View
12: Here's another view of the dash, ready to pull out of the car after being allowed to cure overnight.

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