Lotus Europa Forums > Garage
Crash pads design?
Richard48Y:
Some of the post here are downright scary.
Dash's and crash pads are related as being terrible task.
Door repair is apparently no joy either.
Seems I've broken every resolution of the past several years in buying my Europa.
"No more buying projects", "No more %$#! Restorations, just build it custom", "No more impractical* cars", " No more race-engined cars", etc.
Having spent more to purchase this car than any other but my former XKE Roadster I am perhaps too eager to get it back on the road.
I MUST complete and sell a Dio Tipo build first, but I should be able to continue gathering most of the less expensive parts.
Looking at Dash/Crash Pad threads has me wondering if anyone has tried fabricating the bottom layer from thin soft aluminum?
Fiberglass units appear to be too stiff and difficult to trim.
Some plastic apparently are not accurate and I cannot imagine them looking right unless covered in vinyl.
So I wonder about making a fresh bottom layer in soft aluminum?
The shape appears fairly simple from the pics I have seen.
Do not have mine out yet as I am putting off disassembly until I may give the car it's proper share of attention.
It would seem to me that thin aluminum, foam, and vinyl or maybe a modern tight weave cloth should give an excellent result.
What am I missing?
*OK, not too impractical if I refit the rear luggage bin. ;)
BDA:
I had an old original replacement crash pad so I don’t have firsthand knowledge of them but I thought I heard that lotus-spares has something very similar to the original foam-filled vinyl crash pad. I would also check out S&J Sports Cars.They would be very flexible. I’ve also heard of ABS and fiberglass copies. While I haven’t heard anything bad about them, they would be less flexible.
I’ve not heard of aluminum in crash pads.
Richard48Y:
What are the original bottom layers made of?
Fiberboard would not surprise me and would explain a lot of the durability issues.
I have had very good luck in replacing fiberboard based door cards with aluminum.
EDIT, No luck in locating "Lotus Spares".
Source or link?
Would like to take a look at their product.
GavinT:
I'm a little surprised someone like Banks hasn't found a small scale manufacturer to make a vinyl or ABS version filled with foam like the original.
ABS can be hand formed with low heat but I'm not sure how a dash top might be done.
Vacuum bag?
EuropaTC:
--- Quote from: Richard48Y on Monday,November 23, 2020, 08:54:42 PM ---What are the original bottom layers made of?
Fiberboard would not surprise me and would explain a lot of the durability issues.
I have had very good luck in replacing fiberboard based door cards with aluminum.
EDIT, No luck in locating "Lotus Spares".
Source or link?
Would like to take a look at their product.
--- End quote ---
I think BDA means "Lotus Supplies", the one related to Richard (Banks Engineering) https://www.lotus-supplies.com/ ?
I've no doubt that you could fabricate one in Al, but I wouldn't expect it to be easy. The top and front edge looks ok, but the ends where it curves & shapes for the air vents would strike me as a problem to make in a single sheet, I reckon it would be 2 sections welded together. Personally I'd just get a fibreglass one and cut/carve to fit before covering.
Why no ABS/Vinyl versions ? I think it's purely down to market size, there just ain't enough folks wanting a new dash top for someone to invest in a run of 50 or more, or at least not when they already have a mold to make a fibreglass alternative.
Brian
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