[terrorr]

Just trying to finish up a few things on my 74 Super Beetle EV.

Looking at photos of finished vehicles by EV West or Zelectric, as well as others, they seem to use a common material for making panels to finish off the engine compartment for a nice clean look.

They are black panels with a kind of textured finish. Does anyone know what they are made of?

Plastic? Or aluminum with a spray on texture?

I have seen lots of photos but never seen the material in person.

Thanks!

 

[dtbaker]

Just trying to finish up a few things on my 74 Super Beetle EV.

Looking at photos of finished vehicles by EV West or Zelectric, as well as others, they seem to use a common material for making panels to finish off the engine compartment for a nice clean look.

They are black panels with a kind of textured finish. Does anyone know what they are made of?

Plastic? Or aluminum with a spray on texture?

I have seen lots of photos but never seen the material in person.

Thanks!

you can buy both ABS and Polypro plastic in 1/4" 4x8' sheets. The ABS is bumpy on one side and smooth on the other.You might have to search for the nearest distributor in your area. you might also want to invest in a good 'air welder' if you are going to fabricate much

The ABS is cheaper, but I find it is a little more brittle and heat welds can crack if you're not careful. Polypro is usually white, easy to heat weld, and welds seem tougher. I've used it a lot for mounting components, making little brackets, and battery boxes.... you can visit my site, and check the gallery sections....

 

[dedlast]

Since you mentioned it, dtbaker, way back in the day (early 90's) I worked for a company that made "wet process" equipment (big "tanks" with sprayers, heaters, and conveyors) out of PVC and Polypro for the circuit board industry. We were using everything from 1/8" up to at least 1" or 1-1/2". the vast majority of it was air welded together, although the PVC was, I think, sometimes glued and then welded. Some of the biggest tanks were about 8'x6'x3' and very sturdy. And they lasted for years in very harsh chemical environments.



B

 

[Bilberforce]

They enjoy powder coating their metal components. The motor case, suspension and aluminum battery boxes are all liberally powder coated. It would not surprise me to discover 3/16” aluminum plates being used in the engine compartment on a Zelectric build.

 

[Tremelune]

ABS or HDPE, I expect. Cheap and easy to find online in smaller sized sheets. Once you get over 2', the price jumps. ABS is cheaper; HDPE is easier to find in thicknesses over 1/8".

 

[terrorr]

Awesome. Thanks everyone.