No Fear Custom Fiberglass & Foam Filling Work

What's going on here?

Interior Work on 57 Nomad

We need to retrofit interior panels from the Mazda RX8 into the '57 Nomad. As you can see, the top dimension is about right, but the shape and depth need some serious work.

We started by splitting the top edge of the panel and widening the top on a taper to match the dash. We used fleece to fill in the gap and back filled with fiberglass matting for strength. A little cleanup and some shaping, and you have the foundation for the new door panel.

We had to add onto the panel to bring the contour to the back of the door. We do this with A-B urethane castable foam that is easily shapable. We'll finish up with body putty to get the final rigid shape.

The rear panels have to be connected and contoured both to mate to the door panel and the rear seats. We cut a panel that fit the area in the car, and mounted the rear panels to it. Again we used A-B foam to do the job. Bob

Nose Back On The Grindstone

We are "back to the grindstone" at RBI after taking Christmas Day off.

Eric's working on the tranny tunnel for the '57 Nomad.

The sun came out for about 30 minutes today. We are bracing up for the next storm. Thank goodness it's gonna hit on the weekend.

The Mazda & The Nomad

Here is the latest on the conjoining of a Mazda and a '57 Nomad. If you need a little background information click below on the label.

'07 Mazda Meet Terry's '57 Nomad

Anybody who knows Terry Carlson knows that he's a man of interesting ideas. His latest occurred when he was looking at a wrecked Mazda RX8. He noticed that the dimensions of the interior were remarkably close to those of his '57 Nomad. Some time with his measuring tape confirmed his suspicions. This car was close to being ready for paint when he brought it in, but we're going to take a short detour for an interior transplant.

This Rx8 had a little face fire after a minor collision. It ended up totaled, but the interior is pristine. These cars have all the bells and whistles you could ask for, paddle shifter, 1000w stereo, sport seats, storage galore and even cup holders.
Eric got the unenviable job of removing the interior in tact and cutting any structure out to mount it in the Nomad. These interiors are incredibly complicated and electronic. We have to integrate the functional interior as well as the physical.
It would be nearly impossible to construct a custom dash like this, although transplanting it is no walk in the park. Terry is going to end up with a one of a kind when all is said and done.

Voila!! That is an RX8 dash in a '57 Nomad. Of course, the devil is in the details. The steering, A/C, shifter, sound system and controls all have to be integrated to fifty year old technology. Stay tuned!!
Bob