Got a Pontiac Metro :D

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Are you sure about using plywood to make that custom front clip? Leave it for an underbody tray. Anyway, are you sure you could pass an inspection with a plywood front clip? Fiberglass seems like a safer choice in that regard.

[Geofly]

Yeah I was thinking wood because it would be simple for me. I don't have much experience with fiberglass. I would agree that it would be better in fiberglass. The way our insurance and registration works here after I have had it inspected once so long as I keep my insurance and registration renewed it will never be inspected again. I know it's stupid but unless the police pull you over and decide that they think it might not meet the transportation rules and then have it inspected. Which I have never heard of them doing if it's not for commercial use. I can modify it how I like. We get lots of guys that moddify thier trucks in dangerous and illegal ways and they never get in trouble for it. Its no wonder Alberta has a reputation for not caring about the environment.
Ideally I would do it in fiberglass. I'll have to practice with it. Maybe when I do some rust repairs I'll use fiberglass.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Geofly

The way our insurance and registration works here after I have had it inspected once so long as I keep my insurance and registration renewed it will never be inspected again. I know it's stupid but unless the police pull you over and decide that they think it might not meet the transportation rules and then have it inspected. Which I have never heard of them doing if it's not for commercial use.

You never know beforehand if a cop is in a bad mood after sleeping on the couch or having to take the mother-in-law to the church on a Sunday morning, so it still seems better to avoid trouble with them and go with the most low-profile mods possible. If you could make it not look so much like it's made out of wood, go for it, but you'd be better off to add some under-hood blanket to reduce heat irradiation that would eventually degrade the wood.

[Geofly]

Yeah the heat. Was another concern I had with the wood approach. You've got me seriously considering fiberglass. Is there a thread that you would recommend that discusses how to use it?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

There's no specific thread about fiberglass that I could recommend you. But there was a thread about valvecover insulation applied to a Honda that might interest you. Exhaust wrap might also worth looking at.

[Daox]

Youtube is a good place to go for fiberglass info. There are thousands of helpful videos that will give you a good idea of how to work with it.

[Geofly]

I had a look at the valve cover insulation thread. I like the idea, why insulate the engine bay if you can insulate the engine. As it is my car bairly stays warm and it's not even below freezing. I definitely need to get my grill closed up. And probably replace the thermostat. If I do any EOC it has to warm up again. At least I won't have any overheating problems.

[Andrei_ierdnA]

Originally Posted by Geofly

So I couldn't find an example of what I had in mind for a one peice hood/bumper/fenders, so I got the scissors and got crafty This is what I had in mind if I were to make something out of plywood. I was thinking have it come higher up the windshield so that it would reduce the windshield to hood angle. I'll have to take some more pics of my car and Photoshop this on it

What's your plan on waterproofing the plywood so that it doesn't suffer water damage? Especially for the underbody tray...

[Geofly]

I wasn't thinking i would do a underbelly with plywood. I've had a rethink about the whole thing using aluminum frame and high density poly board as covering. More about that later.

But if I was to go through with plywood I would coat it on all sides each peice before assembly with a latex deck stain. So it soaks in protection, then cover the assembled thing on all sides with truck bed liner. Make sure to glue all the seams when assembling too, so the seams don't crack.