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orbywan · 07-23-2011, 12:24 AM

Hi Jim,
I just read your thread on your belly pan and your boat tail. I’ve been fabricating ‘things’ for about 45 years now I have to say when I first saw all the foam and wood I thought this guy doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Reading further reveals some of most incredible patience and craftsmanship I’ve seen in a long time. I just got into aero mods about six months ago so I’m miles from experienced or expert, but your craftsmanship on these two threads shows skill beyond everything else I’ve seen.
I just built a boat tail for my 25 foot RV. I was slightly annoyed it took three weeks to build, mainly because of the 110 degree heat in the shop in the afternoons. Now I feel like an impatient idiot, but that’s OK, the point is I took the bull by the horns and did it. Next up is the belly pan, which will not come close to what you did on your Insight, but it will be an improvement over nothing hopefully.
Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to see the final product. I did show quality paint jobs and restorations in a former life, OK, decade, and I know how time consuming and painstaking doing a quality paint job is.
When I get the shape of my boat tail finalized, I was going to skin it with aluminum, but you’ve got me thinking about fiberglass. When you have some spare time (Ha!), could you look at my ‘Aero RV’ thread photos and see what you would recommend if I was going to cover that with fiberglass? The steel cage is necessary for strength because it so big, but a friend suggested smoothing out the pop rivet divots, covering it with mold release and shooting it with fiberglass shot to make a mold. That sounds way expensive and time consuming. Could you take a look and see what you think? Thanks in advance.
I also have a suggestion. When you reach the point where you are happy with the boat tail, finish and all, why not send several photos to Honda, tell them what a great car they build, and suggest they build them like yours! When a little guy like you can tell a behemoth like Honda that you have truly improved their product in a major way… I can’t think of a better complement to your skill and labor, other than inspiring other clods like me to give some of these things a try. Great work!

07-23-2011, 12:24 AM	#383 (permalink)
orbywan EcoModding Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 245 Thanks: 111 Thanked 163 Times in 63 Posts	Three Wheeler Boat Tail Hi Jim, I just read your thread on your belly pan and your boat tail. I’ve been fabricating ‘things’ for about 45 years now I have to say when I first saw all the foam and wood I thought this guy doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Reading further reveals some of most incredible patience and craftsmanship I’ve seen in a long time. I just got into aero mods about six months ago so I’m miles from experienced or expert, but your craftsmanship on these two threads shows skill beyond everything else I’ve seen. I just built a boat tail for my 25 foot RV. I was slightly annoyed it took three weeks to build, mainly because of the 110 degree heat in the shop in the afternoons. Now I feel like an impatient idiot, but that’s OK, the point is I took the bull by the horns and did it. Next up is the belly pan, which will not come close to what you did on your Insight, but it will be an improvement over nothing hopefully. Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to see the final product. I did show quality paint jobs and restorations in a former life, OK, decade, and I know how time consuming and painstaking doing a quality paint job is. When I get the shape of my boat tail finalized, I was going to skin it with aluminum, but you’ve got me thinking about fiberglass. When you have some spare time (Ha!), could you look at my ‘Aero RV’ thread photos and see what you would recommend if I was going to cover that with fiberglass? The steel cage is necessary for strength because it so big, but a friend suggested smoothing out the pop rivet divots, covering it with mold release and shooting it with fiberglass shot to make a mold. That sounds way expensive and time consuming. Could you take a look and see what you think? Thanks in advance. I also have a suggestion. When you reach the point where you are happy with the boat tail, finish and all, why not send several photos to Honda, tell them what a great car they build, and suggest they build them like yours! When a little guy like you can tell a behemoth like Honda that you have truly improved their product in a major way… I can’t think of a better complement to your skill and labor, other than inspiring other clods like me to give some of these things a try. Great work!