818 Body Panels

[Hazelwwp]

What is the latest on the type of body panels that will be included with the kit?

In February at the get together in Tampa, Dave said they were still having issues with the thermoformed plastic panels but he was certain they would get it sorted out and that he would consider it a failure if they didn't.

Subsequently I read something in a forum post that indicated they had dropped the thermoformed plastic and would instead use gel-coated fiberglass, but that was not from anyone from Factory 5 so I take it with a grain of salt.

Can someone at Factory 5 please comment on this?

[FFR-ADV]

When I talked with Jim Schenck (FFR 818 Chief Engineer) at Moochfest the plan is to launch with Gelcoat Fiberglass Panels which are shown on the red 818S in the track test videos and pictures. The blackouts were done with paint as they were just playing with ideas, the red is Gelcoat.

https://www.factoryfive.com/galleries/project-818/

Range of colors is not known yet (though red seems clear given the prototype). The limit on number of colors is that the molds have to have strong visual contrast with the Colored Gelcoat as it is applied to the mold. So: More Colors = More Molds = Time, Cost & Space. Priority is on launching the car in just a few months. I am also looking forward to hearing more about initial range of colors as my 818SR build up starts in the beginning of fall this year.

Cheers!

[Silvertop]

When I talked with Jim Schenck (FFR 818 Chief Engineer) at Moochfest the plan is to launch with Gelcoat Fiberglass Panels which are shown on the red 818S in the track test videos and pictures. The blackouts were done with paint as they were just playing with ideas, the red is Gelcoat.

https://www.factoryfive.com/galleries/project-818/

Range of colors is not known yet (though red seems clear given the prototype). The limit on number of colors is that the molds have to have strong visual contrast with the Colored Gelcoat as it is applied to the mold. So: More Colors = More Molds = Time, Cost & Space. Priority is on launching the car in just a few months. I am also looking forward to hearing more about initial range of colors as my 818SR build up starts in the beginning of fall this year.

Cheers!

Scuttlebutt by others at moochfest was that it was possible, even likely, that there might be only one color -- Red -- available as a finish-level gelcoat, at least at launch, precisely for the reason you mentioned. They would probably need a different set of molds for each color.

My 818S is also due for production in October. I can live with a red one if I must. I've even been experimenting using the new Hot Rod Fantasy program to see what paint colors would look nice added to a red one in emulating the the paint scheme of the 818R Prototype. White still works, although I think I might be inclined to use the Sherman Williams FFR "Vintage White" rather than the bright "Competition White" for that application. But I'd really rather have a blue one -- as close to the shade of prototype 818R as possible.

So here's hoping they get busy and generate some more sets of molds. Perhaps we should become collective pains-in-the-butt to the planning team by suggesting which colors should be added and in what order for what we know will be a limited number of choices -- perhaps the first four. Everyone will have a different idea, of course. But my suggestion would be the existing Red, then Blue, then maybe Silver. I'm not sure where to go from there -- White? Black? Orange? Green? Anybody want to weigh in? Do we want to start a poll?

[veloce2]

explain why different molds because of color?

[Mechie3]

Gel coat is applied to the mold before applying the composites. If your mold is blue, and you apply blue gel coat, it can make it difficult to see where thin areas or uncovered areas remain. The resulting body panel will be scrapped with loss of time, labor, and materials.

[LesMurray]

Wouldn't the proper application of release wax take care of the gel coat color issue? In the boat business, molds are lined with wax before they shoot the gel coat.

[Samiam1017]

And those real fancy high end paint jobs are all done in the gel coat. Multiple colors all in one shot in one mold

[RSxx]

I am thinking of white. My production date is november, holding the in estamentos ff5 have made will move it up.

I have seen lost of info on Dipyourcar product and could be interesting in case i get tired of one paint scheme, this would allow for an easy solution.

[RSxx]

I am thinking of white. My production date is november, holding the in estamentos ff5 have made will move it up.

I have seen lost of info on Dipyourcar product and could be interesting in case i get tired of one paint scheme, this would allow for an easy solution.

Auto spelling issues.
I meant hoping that the investments FF5 has made will move my production date up.

[carbon fiber]

in my experience, you can use any color gelcoat with the same mold. what they're talking about is being able to guage the thickness of the sprayed gelcoat if the mold is the same color. i use mold release compound and then PVA (poly-vinyl-alcohol) which is sprayed in after the mold release. then the gelcoat and composites schedule. the real problem is going to be voids. i'd say plan on painting if you want something nice, jmho.

[metalmaker12]

+1 on painting to look good, jmho