Hey gang,

Going to go all out and build my own arm rest that will sit on top of the center divider between the seats, except my design won't lose the storage area or coin tray, or emergency flasher button.

My main question?: What material do I build the structure out of?

I was going to use wood, but am afraid it will be hurt long term by the weather when it gets hot. So a thought entered in and wondered about a type of sculpting foam? (not that I know anything about foam/styrofoam/sculpting foam)

Anybody have any insight on how to build this thing? I have it built up as a prototype using cardboard and tape, and it's going to work really well I think, but I just have to figure out what to use.

I don't want to put any pics up of my idea yet, so apologies for not being more specific here, but I want to pull this off and then go from there.

Thanks sincerely, I really think this is going to turn out very classy after I get the technical side appropriately resolved.

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Save yourself the trouble

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/350z07k

 

Thanks for the link, I've actually seen those before and they're nice enough but I want something more oem looking.

Trust me...once I'm done this will upscale the interior quality quite nicely if I can pull this off.

Ok all you fabricators out there...what would you use?

 

Why not take your cardboard template a stage further and build a prototype from wood and see how it fits together and whether you're able to incorporate glue less joints that will allow for expansion and contraction?

 

If you envision a construction method utilizing wood, go for it. Heat is not a problem, most species of wood hold structural integrity right up to the point they burst into flames. Wooden dashboards, trim pieces, gearshift kn0bs etc. have been successfully used in cars for more than 100 years. You’re not building a precision engine part, just a support that will be hidden under vinyl or leather. There are any number of high strength plywood types available if that is the method you have in mind. I’ve been in wooden Buddhist temples in China that are 1000 years old. I love wood it has endurance.

 

Thanks for the input on wood...my next step is build the arm rest, but I'm not wanting to build a proto out of wood just to have to do it all over again out of the real material....my carboard proto is what serves the purpose of structural and shape experimenting..but I hear ya...exploring glueless joints would allow for expansion, however most people have no idea how much of a force the sun is in Arizona..wood furniture beneath a patio only last a few years, dries out, rots, paint decays, it's truly brutal...and interiors of cars reach over 140 degrees in the summer, which is far higher than outdoors underneath a patio. So wood will certainly stress, dry out and rot over years....and the wood products mentioned like shift ***** etc (I've talked with Robin Casady awhile back about his shift *****) have to be treated correctly and the wood chosen wisely for the climate they'll be placed in...or they too will crack. China's climates are completely different and more moist than arid desert, but I appreciate your help and thoughts.

I'm going to contact some hot rodders and get their input I think, but anyone that has ideas or knowledge please feel free to throw some info my way. I really want to do this and do it right. Part of a grander plan if you will.

Grander....well...it's a word now. Grandolph the Great..that's the new name of my Grander plan.

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Not wanting to argue with you, but 140 F is not all that hot. I’m willing to bet you could find any number of subwoofer boxes glued together of wood products in “Hot as Hell” Arizona, Texas etc, many of them in service inside the hot cars for decades without any problems. Cheap patio furniture out in the weather mostly takes a beating from the sun’s UV rays, although somehow the wooden houses next to the furniture seem to survive.


If you have a phobia against wood, simply carve/sand the structure from soft easy to shape extruded polyurethane foam and coat with strong, durable fiberglass. Super easy to create complex shapes that way.

 

That's all I got from your entire paragraph. "Jen loves wood." Tell me Jen, where do you love it?

Built correctly, you will have no issues with wood. Most patio furniture is made of cheap, painted soft wood.

Kiln-dried, sealed plywood. Don't be so quick to write it off.

 

No argument taken, thanks for the efforts to help.

I'm open to considering wood construction, but will have to research it a little more.

I've never fiberglassed before, have researched it a bit and am open to it, but that may be a bigger job than I estimate? Everything I undertake seems to double in time required. And then double again sometimes.

Where do you get the shapeable foam by the way? Hobby Lobby? Any specific product I should ask for? I want easy-to-sand and shape..not a war of sanding resistance.

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"Kiln-dried, sealed plywood. Don't be so quick to write it off."

Kiln dried is the key for any wood I think, but plywood doesn't appeal to me, too heavy I'm thinking?

I know some fabricators use sheets of plexi type plastic, or sheets of lexan, I forget the exact material, but I think that would require more expertise than I have time to develop.

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Kiln dry and wet have different applications.

How big are you making this? For a single armrest, you wouldn't be adding much weight.

Almost all the advice in this thread is pointing toward wood.

 

PVC sheet is what high end fabricators use, cutting to the shape needed, and heating then forming bends and curves.

Going to look into using both wood and pvc sheet, hoping to start within a week.

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