Body paneling
 

What do people use? How do they attach it? Where do they get it?

I can't seem to find local metal shops, and the online ones cost too much. Sheet plastic (abs) is the stuff I made my little hood with and I like it, by I can't find big sheets...

well....i used carhood skins from the salvage yard. i precut all the sheets to fit.then self tapped it all thru the body tubes. then hammered in all the edges to contour. cleaned it all up with black rhino liner

if ur looking for big sheets of plastic. u can go to lowes and get a 4x8 for $17 here. all it is,is carwash wall siding

which do you use on your tm150? It looks great and THAT is what I want to replicated (minus the windshield...at least for now :p)

and could you post a link to the car wash panel stuff? I can't seem to find it...?

What do you guys think about using this http://www.discountsteel.com/items/5...omments=&qty=1

.04in thick and I would get 48" by 96"

I used a plastic type material before and paint did not adhere well. If you look in my photo albums I used this textured white material which is similar to car wash panel.
I think a thin gauge sheet metal is best. I thought I read somewhere that you had an angle grinder. That and some zip ties is All you need. Cut,sand, and bang to desired shape. Go to scrap yard and find some kind of item that you can reuse the metal and make body paneling.

Save your money and use your imagination. Go to a scrap yard find an item with the thin metal such as old metal shed, shelves, signs, or what ever.

Also, make cardboard templates when making your paneling.

Nick, yea...my main concern was with paint adhering and plastic cracking/chipping off. I think a scrapyard is a good idea, too... It's just the prospect of new....aluminum...shiiiinnnyyy....

And to those that say my priorities are messed up, I don't plan on doing this SOON, I'm just considering the feasibility of me doing it about 4 months (probably) before I do. Unless the scrap yard just lets me walk away with it for free...oh wait. I want the new....pretty....shiiiinnnnyyyy aluminum.... LOL

haha u were typing when I wrote this. DEFINITELY will use cardboard. I used it when I cut plastic for my little hood

If you wouldn't mind, could you put up a few more detailed pics of the panels? I'm just curious...thnx

Ya, give me a little bit.

Sure! Take your time. No rush :D

http://www.buggymasters.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4499

Some old photos but a little closer view.

Just if u get any time, if you could take newer pics, I'd love to see how it's holding up only with zip ties.

Holds up; nicely.
Just keep extra zips incase you have to remove paneling on trail. Zips are tough and the black ones are Uv protected.
The yerf will probably be easier to do since the angles are simple and not so curved.

Actually second look. Looks like you might have a touch time making a panel for feet/ front A-arm area. Maybe just a straight plate to block mud and dirt. Like I did on my blue kart
http://buggymasters.com/forum/album....pictureid=2020

Lol I was reading the other comment and I was thinking "no I'm not". Everywhere BUT the weird a arm setup will be easy (whenever I do this)

Did you ever get a chance to go to the scrap yard or start making some templates?

I was just putting away a large dog crate in the attic and noticed it has a nice big, black ABS plastic tray liner that could be used as a body panel. ABS plastic is tough and impact resistant.

Not the cheapest alternative but definitely the easiest. Here are some links...

42" x 28" DOG CRATE KENNEL REPLACEMENT FLOOR PAN TRAY

Petco Dog Crate Replacement Trays

Petco 900 Series Dog Crate Replacement Tray

PetSmart Midwest Crate Replacement Pans

PetSmart Top Paw™ Replacement Pan for Dog Crates

http://www.petco.com/assets/product_...443007372D.jpg

sounds kind of high by the time you add shipping costs. lowes sound like a better deal.

I may be wrong but I think I have seen those sheets of plastic in the lumber dept. before, where the plywood was.

That white, fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) wallboard they sell at Lowes and Home Depot cracks easily. I know because I just bought some last week for another project and broke a corner off. Also it will not hold paint very well at all. It's designed to be used as cheap, moisture and graffiti resistant wallboard for a truck stop restroom.

oh ok I understand that

Take a look at some of the sites like " usplastics.com " . they sell sheets of ABS. A 4'x8' -1/8 sheet is like $65 or so. That's enough to do 3 buggys. Do a search on e-bay, you can get sheets in smaller increments, 2x2, 4x4 etc. ABS has good molding properties. It can easily be shaped and bent using a heat gun, There's all kinds of info on the web showing the techniques of shaping ABS

Me too!
 

Thanks for the link "ckau" I've been seriously considering paneling both my buggy's, and I don't think it will be that big an issue on mine, they're are pretty basic single seaters! :dunno:

Those single seats shouldn't be very difficult to do. Get yourself one of those cheap Harbor freight heat guns. They work very well. I will be doing a few panels on mine. A couple on the front to deflect mud and dirt thrown off the front wheels and a couple on the rear to deflect mud and to channel air around the seat onto the motor. The metal floorboard in mine vibrates and rattles horribly! I'm considering replacing it will a thicker sheet of ABS hoping this will help. if the abs sheet weighs less than the metal floorboard, it's a bonus. My floorboard bolts in so it's a simple matter of using the metal floorboard as a pattern for the plastic.
There's a few tricks to cutting and shaping the stuff. A jig saw works well using a fine tooth bi-metal blade. keep the blade clean and change out the moment it appears dull. A dirty or dull blade will heat the plastic and melt the cut behind the blade. Clamping a straight edge for the saw base to ride against will give straight cuts. Even better is a router with a spiral cutting bit or a laminate trimmer. This gives a superior clean, cool and smooth cut. A table saw is perfect for cutting straight panel shapes. Use a 80 tooth carbide blade. lay a sheet of paneling on the table then while the blade is running, raise the blade up through the paneling. this supports the plastic up to the edge of the blade to prevent cracking and chipping. Using a file or sanding block on the cut edges smooth's irregularities, saw marks and softens the sharp corners and fuzzies.
Avoid straight inside cuts, like a notch. The two straight cuts coming together in the corner creates a stress point that will crack. radius any inside corners. That's where a round spiral cutter works best. it forms the radius as it cuts
The only drawback to ABS is color, black or white are the only choice and it doesn't hold paint well. Unless the paint can flex with the plastic it will crack and flake off.

I too have thought about changing the sheet metal flooring on the Yerf. Noise is not my issue, but the constant flexing and moving drives me up a wall. I was thinking on the same route with the plastic floor panels, or at least alum plate with some reinforcement bars across the floors.