After making the decision to install air suspension, the next decision you're going to have to make is how and where to install the controls. This installation was being done on my first custom car and I wanted to be as involved with the installation and the fabrication as possible. Since I'm going for an updated Bellflower custom look with my ride, I didn't want the typical black metal panel hanging down from the dash. I found the best examples of airbag gauges/ switch mounting in the mini-truck world, which goes to show you should be open-minded when customizing your car.
I decided on the Dakota Digital ride-height controller DHC 2000. This is a new system from Dakota Digital that packs a lot of features in one small control panel. From this panel you can access a manual setting for goofing around, a digital readout of all functions including individual bag air pressure, as well as three set ride-height positions that are continuously checked and adjusted by the included computer. So the Dakota Digital system keeps the car level, no matter how many people you have in the car or how much luggage you pack in the trunk. This is a great feature for obvious reasons.
I started by sitting in the...
I started by sitting in the car and figuring out the most comfortable position to put the control panel.
I called Dakota Digital and talked with a tech support rep before ordering. He was great, he knew the product inside and out, and he even pulled some strings to special order a green screen for me so the readout wouldn't look out of place with my stock green dash lighting.
After spending some time with friends who have their rides 'bagged, I could tell I was going to want to hit the switches enough that hiding them in the glovebox or somewhere out of reach was definitely not the answer. Luckily, the DHC 2000 is compact and aesthetically pleasing, so I wasn't worried about hiding it. The lower portion of my dash sticks out just enough that it's close at hand, so I decided to build a pod to mount the control panel there.
This decision necessitated building a custom switch box from fiberglass. But remember the process I'm using could also make custom gauge pods, armrests, you name it! Your imagination is really all that limits the use of fiberglass.
My first stop was my local florist. No, I didn't stop to get pre-apology flowers for messing up the house. I stopped in to get a product florists use called Oasis. It's that green squishy stuff they use to arrange flowers. While it's great for holding up flowers, it's also really easy to shape and contour.
This was only my second attempt at building a piece like this. It was amazingly easy so there's really no excuse to have ugly gauge panels, or anything else ugly for that matter, in your car's interior. I think I'll make an underdash panel for air-conditioning ducts next!
My template was bigger than...
My template was bigger than one piece of Oasis (the green bricks) could handle, so I stuck two pieces together with toothpicks.
Once I had the final shape,...
Once I had the final shape, I used the file's flat edge to get it as level and uniform as possible.
Here are the different materials...
Here are the different materials I like to use. The loose weave material on the left is great for stretching over compound curves.
Oasis cuts like butter, which...
Oasis cuts like butter, which is the primary reason I am using it. I like using files from the beginning because you find yourself shaping and cutting at the same time.
I wrapped my table in Mylar...
I wrapped my table in Mylar before I started the fiberglass process so the fiberglass could be laid right on it and, for the most part, wouldn't stick.
I stretched the loose weave...
I stretched the loose weave mat over the Oasis form. You can see how well it conforms to complex curves.
I test-fit the piece often...
I test-fit the piece often to ensure I would get what I wanted. The great thing about Oasis was that anything that hit it left an indentation when I pressed it into place.
I used paint-mixing cups with...
I used paint-mixing cups with measurements right on them. They're available at any paint supply store and are cheap and disposable.
I can lay and pour right on...
I can lay and pour right on my work surface since I am doing this all on the Mylar.
With the foundation ready,...
With the foundation ready, I put my carved pattern right on top and started layering on the precut material, adding resin and trowelling it in continuously.
It's messy, but keep going...
It's messy, but keep going and don't get discouraged. I kept adding layers and resin and pushing out air bubbles and forming the fiberglass to the foam buck.
At this point you'll need...
At this point you'll need to decide if you'll finish off your masterpiece with upholstery or paint.
Here's a trick I got from...
Here's a trick I got from on old-timer: Once I was done with the layering and had gotten as much air out as I could, I laid Saran Wrap over it and massaged and tightened the fiberglass over the pattern even better.
Be patient and let your project...
Be patient and let your project sit; you can check it by gently tapping it.
It almost looks like it came...
It almost looks like it came from the factory. There are no visible wires and best of all no ugly black metal bracket. Not bad, huh?
I then carefully dug out some...
I then carefully dug out some of the Oasis from inside the fiberglass pod.