was going to get some headlight mounting boxes made with aluminium, got a good quote a while ago, but not got the money, so trying to figure out a cheaper way.

nothing too difficult mind, really just a box with a mounting plate in the middle, but the plate (and to keep it simple, therefore the rest) MUST be 3mm thick to mount the headlight clips in. plan is to cut it all up, fibreglass all the bits together, shape it, and bond it in to the front panel.

hopefully, when times are better, will get the aluminium ones made, but where can i get some flat 3mm fibreglass sheet, CHEAP

Not 3mm but...

http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/c-993-fibreglass-flat-sheet.aspx

You could lay your own sheet on a panel of melomine.

Could you not use ABS and make a net of the box (make a cardboard one first) and then fold it up using a heat gun?
If you overlap a few corners and get some rivets in it would do the job until better times come along- try local signmakers for some free off cuts? hth
Mike

did think about ABS, but decided figreglass might be easier to stick together at the corners. basically here's what i'm trying to make. there's a few measurments mut off for some reason

http://locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/2headlights.jpg
its a big photo.

2mm might work! i'd need to 1mm thick washer to space it up a bit for the headlight clips. but thats not a problem. could fibreglass them in too. seeing as its only small bits i need, I think I might be best looking for off cuts first, then buying new later if nothing turns up, but didn't realise it would be £41+vat for a sheet big enough!
also thought about laying my own, not sure of the cost of getting all the materials in though, or my accuracy in getting the right thickness to be honest. all good ideas though thank you!

How about an old bath

Hi

Make your own fibreglass. You could also use plywood or even corrugated cardboard with grp overlay. Not sure why 4mm is a restriction, but can get round that with ali mount plates or longer set screws?

Allscot Ltd is the place for grp advice and supplies in Glasgow. Will even sell you carbon fibre!

As for cutting grp sheet to make a box - you would probably be easier to laminate what you want in complex shapes (including laminating in carboard or plywood for quick and easy flat bits) rather than try to cut and then stick togther flat grp sheets. Also joining cured grp that way isn't very strong, unless you learn grp repair techniques of proper very shallow angle grinding out of joints and lamination (difficult on bends), NB just using grp tape on edges of your box will not be strong. If you are determined to use grp sheet you could get lucky skipdivibg - i found a cold water tank lid in thin grp that way, and used it to fill in a sunroof in a grp car hardtop.

Fibreglass work is simple, but messy and takes time

Cheers
Mike

Not sure where these boxes will go, but if not seen, why not use ally and sikoflex it together. Or indeed, most of it can be cut and bent to shape, then pop rivets. 90degree bends are fairly easy to get accurate and neat.

Any remotely located road signs near you.....?

they are kind hidden yeah, you can see on here where the headlights go, so the boxes sit behind the panel

body panels

perhaps I can make something up from maybe 25mm x 25mm mild steel angle iron, with a fibreglass or aluminium plate bolted or riveted in the middle. would need an extra plate along the bottom to fix it to the bottom of the panel, all adds to the weight, but its more a temporary piece just now i guess.

he he road signs. plenty of country roads up in the hills! some with nice picture of cows on them

tupperware box lay it up in f/glass and then fit a panel in the middle again lay it up to hold in place.

I can make some if you require , just remade a f/glass air box for a bike engine with some 2.5mm thick black sheet and looked mint , or I can give you detail and suppliers to make some yourself

I'd also suggest making some on a sheet of melamine/contiboard. It's dead easy and very quick. Just make sure you've got a well ventilated room cos if you use polyester resin a large area of flat sheet will give off a large amount of volatile vapours...

lay some strips of 3mm MDF down the sides of a sheet of conti board and wax the whole lot. lay up your GRP sheets and resin in the gap between the 3mm MDF. Once you have a decent thickness built up, roll or press the wet matting with something that is wide enough to straddle the 2 pieces of MDF, and hey presto, 3m a m sheet

Simples! as a wise meerkat once said!

Al