Category Archives: Automotive

Shown upside down, the base of the trailer is a series of plywood torsion boxes, doubling as storage compartments. The depth of the boxes makes a very light weight, rigid structure.

Projects & Tips from the Shop of Jon Staudacher

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Shown upside down, the base of Jon Staudacher’s trailer is a series of plywood torsion boxes, doubling as storage compartments. The depth of the boxes makes a very lightweight, rigid structure.

Over the years, we have featured some of Jon Staudacher’s more innovative projects and ideas. From his extreme house, to race boats, to aerobatic airplanes, to a gate at the end of his driveway, to something as simple as a paint roller brake, Jon has always sought the simplest method to build his projects. Jon’s latest project is no exception.

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racing dinghy

Readers’ Projects, Issue 18

Contender Class Single-Handed Racing Dinghy

This Contender class single-handed racing dinghy was built in Italy by Bonezzi in 1994. Joachim Rosler of New Canaan, Connecticut owns and races the dinghy. He finished the boat with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy and has built his own carbon fiber foils.

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SAE Supermileage vehicle

Composites on Wheels

by Captain James R. Watson

Boats are my first love, but I get excited about projects like this Supermileage® vehicle, other SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and airfoil carved-foam bicycle. My job offers great opportunities to talk to some of the most talented and positive thinking people around: sculptors, inventors, rocket builders, and good ol’ boatbuilders. Folks who envision and tinker with a desire to experiment, improve, compete, make a living or just play around.  Continue reading →

Building Composite Fan Shrouds

By Dan Witucki

Hopefully, you can stand one last story about El Niño. I work for Bay Metro Transit in Bay City, Michigan, and the long hot summer of 1998 was especially hard on some of our transit buses. Our 27′ buses are a front wheel drive unit, powered by a Cummins Diesel engine mounted below the driver’s seat.  We were experiencing dozens of air conditioning compressor failures, along with various other problems due to the overheating. While this was happening, the manufacturer also realized it had a problem, and equipped all subsequent buses with a fan on the side engine cover of the bus that sucked the hot air out of the engine compartment, curing the problem. Continue reading →

Wood & Epoxy Car


Courtesy of Wessex Resins & Adhesives, Romsey, England

Peter Warner has always been interested in old cars. Late in 1990, he saw an old Citroen 2CV in a car scrap yard. After some negotiation, he paid about <£60 to have the “donor” vehicle delivered to his home. He wanted only the chassis, tires, wheels and the steering column. The old body was collected and taken back to the scrap yard one week later as part of the £60 deal. Continue reading →

Jean-Yves Poirer's Zinnia

Readers’ Projects, Issue 8

Jean-Yves Poirier’s Strip-Planked Boats

Jean-Yves Poirier of Atyre, France, built these strip planked boats with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. Above— ZINNA, a half replica of an English 19th-century racing dinghy, 18′ long, 177 sq. ft. sail area, 400 pounds. Below—NYMPHEA, an ultralight Thames rowing skiff, 23′ long, 145 pounds. Continue reading →

Composites You Can Build

by Captain James R. Watson

Composites have been on the automobile motor sports racing scene for some time now. Indy cars, Formula 1, IMSA GTP (International Motor Sports Association Grand Touring Prototype), and others employ composites to the fullest limit of the imagination (and budget). Engine builders are even beginning to use composites for internal components. Autoweek, Advanced Composites and similar magazines write about composites constantly. But most of these applications involve sophisticated techniques, tooling and materials such as autoclaves and resin-impregnated materials (pre-pregs). These require aerospace-level technology not commonly available or economical for the amateur builder. Pre-pregs and other advanced composites employ adhesives that require an oven to promote curing (post cure). Continue reading →

Home-Built Station Wagon

By Grace Ombry

Bill Dauser couldn’t find an automobile to suit his needs, so he designed this home-built station wagon himself, using epoxy, among other things.

The Muskegon, Michigan carpenter welded two Eldorado front ends back-to-back to create the frame. This arrangement allowed for front-wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension. The auto also has four-wheel disc brakes and a Buick 231 V6 engine. Continue reading →