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View Full Version : ROWHARD FRONT VALANCE...SWEET!


Ldub
08/06/2009, 09:32 AM
I'd like to start this little step by step by first saying THANK YOU JOHN, to Rowhard.

The man went out of his way to "whomp one up" on the quick, before Moab.

Dude, all I can say is, I truly appreciate the extra effort, & absolutely top shelf product!...:thanx:
This piece is of VERY high quality, & made of fiberglass, not plastic.

I hated to cut it, but I wanted to incorporate both a functional skid plate, & Johns sweet piece of art.

Getting started, measure - measure, cut - cut - cut...:smack:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03624.JPG



http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03633.JPG

Decided to drop the skid plate a bit, to reduce the amount of cutting.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03627.JPG

After getting all the cutting done, & all the fastening holes drilled, it's important to use a strong detergent (dish soap) to remove all the mold release wax, so the primer & paint will stick.
Then scuff it up with some 220, followed by a 3M scuff pad. Then a couple of wipe downs with 90% rubbing alcohol.
If you're more picky than me, after the first coat of primer is the time to smooth out any surface imperfections with a bit of bondo.


Shot the back side with primer & black bed liner.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03658.JPG

Then shot the front side with a few coats of primer, sanding lightly between coats.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03660.JPG

A couple coats of paint, & a couple coats of clear...voila!

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03670.JPG

Time to make some bumpers to protect the fiberglass from the fasteners.
I used surgical tubing, cut to about 1/8" & used a flat rubber washer under the stainless washer, so nothing but plastic or rubber is touching the fiberglass.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03662.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03673.JPG

Finally, the finished product...:dance:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03676.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC03677.JPG
Moncha
08/06/2009, 09:38 AM
Very nice! Great write-up. Glad to see you and John can do such great work!
Anita
08/06/2009, 10:23 AM
beautiful job....now i want one!!
Scott Harness
08/06/2009, 10:48 AM
Looks GREAT!!:clap::supercool
ZEUS
08/06/2009, 10:51 AM
Nice! I always wanted one of those in silver...
VX KAT
08/06/2009, 11:07 AM
Top notch workmanship all the way around! Way to go John & Dub!
handeeman
08/06/2009, 12:07 PM
LDoD, I'm impressed ! Looks grate ! Great !
tomdietrying
08/06/2009, 02:12 PM
I'll just 7th what everyone else stated. Great job from both of you two.
Peace.
Tom
tom4bren
08/06/2009, 03:09 PM
Impressive (& I don't impress easily).
Riff Raff
08/06/2009, 05:05 PM
Ldub--- Nice job on retro-fitting the ROWHARD nose cone. That's mighty crafty of you to "blend" it in with your existing skid plate. Job well done.:thumbup:

By the way, nice looking wheels!!! Save your money, and keep those you already have on your VX.:yes:
VCrossfan
08/06/2009, 05:15 PM
Great Job ! !
pbkid
08/06/2009, 05:32 PM
looks great unca...

how come your VX looks so much different?? your roof rack looks 'empty' and your tires dont look as big... maybe its just the angle of the shot
rowhard
08/06/2009, 06:28 PM
If you're more picky than me, after the first coat of primer is the time to smooth out any surface imperfections with a bit of bondo.

Larry, thanks for the good words, much appreciated. I have two right now in the soup now but things haven't been to good around here and head hasn't been in it. Personal issues.

Anyway, the bondo mentioned. The one's I ship will already be pert-near perfect so that step will not be necessary.

I like how you attached yours. I was just going to go the same way Ron did with the two bottom and the license plate mount, but yours is sweet. But some might not want to put anymore holes into their cladding.

If anyone out there in VX land would like one, please do contact me, either PM or email at vxskidplate@gmail.com

Thanks again Larry for sharing what you did with the 'small bird defender' I am producing.

RowHard
No Excuses
Sprey
08/06/2009, 07:17 PM
Top Job !! To both of you!

Looks soo good;)
lasturbo
08/06/2009, 07:19 PM
Top Job !! To both of you!

Looks soo good;)

Ditto from San Diego!!
blacksambo
08/06/2009, 08:56 PM
Congratulations! I think even Simon Cox would approve. (If you ever go into production let me know.)
Ldub
08/07/2009, 12:18 AM
Sincere thanks for the kind words...:thanx:...:mbrasd:

There are still a few "tweaks" that are going to take place.
I'll be repositionong the fog lights, & reinstalling the mesh over those.
Also, I have a design rolling around in my head for a licence plate bracket...:uhohgray:...:smack:



looks great unca...

how come your VX looks so much different?? your roof rack looks 'empty' and your tires dont look as big... maybe its just the angle of the shot

LOL...Jack, if you look real close in one of the pics, you can see my spare on top of the extra nice garden tool shed...:smilewink
The tires look small due to high unsprung weight...that's all I can think of lately...unsprung weight....unsprung weight...unsprung weight...unsprung weight...unsprung weight...yeah, Kmart boxers...I'm an excellent driver...:rolleyesg...:smilewink
(rent rainman if you didn't catch that last rant)



Larry, thanks for the good words, much appreciated. I have two right now in the soup now but things haven't been to good around here and head hasn't been in it. Personal issues.

Anyway, the bondo mentioned. The one's I ship will already be pert-near perfect so that step will not be necessary.

I like how you attached yours. I was just going to go the same way Ron did with the two bottom and the license plate mount, but yours is sweet. But some might not want to put anymore holes into their cladding.

If anyone out there in VX land would like one, please do contact me, either PM or email at vxskidplate@gmail.com

Thanks again Larry for sharing what you did with the 'small bird defender' I am producing.

RowHard
No Excuses

Oh DUDE!...I didn't mean to indicate any flaws in the product when I mentioned bondo. What I would have been smoothing out, would have been a few chipped edges etc, where the cutting was done.
Most around here know, that I'm far too impatient, & not nearly picky enough, to care about a few rough edges...:smilewink
Last I checked, I personally am at least 80% rough edges...:yesgray:
And I agree, most would probably shy away from drilling seven additional holes in their cladding where it shows...but I've always been a fan of an industrial looking, exposed fasteners, that was one of the things that attracted me to the VX in the first place...:thumbup:

Thanks again John...now that I know more about the process of creating one of these pieces, I'm even more appreciative of what you had to do to get it to Moab on such short notice...You are truly "One of the Good Ones" !...:thanx:
Riff Raff
08/07/2009, 03:21 AM
The tires look small due to high unsprung weight...that's all I can think of lately...unsprung weight....unsprung weight...unsprung weight...unsprung weight...unsprung weight...

Ldub--- You make me proud.:mbrasd:
Ldub
08/07/2009, 03:36 AM
Ldub--- You make me proud.:mbrasd:

:smilewink...:laughing:...:_confused...:laughing:. ..:smilewink

Thanks Ray...
nfpgasmask
08/07/2009, 09:39 AM
Nicely done, you guys are both true craftsman.

Bart
tom4bren
08/07/2009, 11:21 AM
When you're done with all the mods, you might want to hit it with bed liner. That fiberglass is going to take a lot of abuse down there.
Ldub
02/20/2010, 06:26 AM
When you're done with all the mods, you might want to hit it with bed liner.

What is this "done with all the mods" you speak of...:confused:...:_thinking