$um Fun Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Is there a company that can make the old style oil impregnated cardboard firewall padding? All the ones I have been able to find can make them in fiberglass, but that's just wrong for a proper restoration of a pre war car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Did you try Restoration Specialties in Windber PA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 (edited) I made a firewall pad for my '36 Dodge using the painted cowlboard, a piece of 1/2 in Homosote and 2 layers of the "jute" padding. It came out almost exactly like the original. I got the rubber strip from a company called Rubber Sheet Warehouse on the internet. I repainted the cowlboard to match the original gray. I bought the board and jute from Restoration Specialties. I got a damaged sheet of homosote from my local lumber co. for next to nothing! The homosote replaced the pressed fibre matting very well. Edited January 10, 2022 by jpage (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$um Fun Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 Thanks for the replies, restoration supply wasn't any help. That is a great job you did on your firewall padding. Unfortunately mine firewall isn't flat and has about 1" tall bump 6[' x6" in the middle. I could possibly make it in twp pieces, but would need to see how I can hide the seam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 There is also a material called door panel board, which is a little thicker than the cowlboard and seems to have some treatment to make it water resistant. This material, along with the cowlboard, if one's careful, can be dampened and formed to a certain degree. There is also the option of layering a thinner type material to conform to a pattern. Imagination is the key! I might experiment on a scrap piece to see what happens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Be advised that Restoration Supply and Restoration Specialties are 2 different companies. I did experiment quickly on those 2 products, but found that they would not be conducive to your application. Can you furnish a picture of your pad, that might give someone more ideas. There is the option of building the outer sheet from fiberglass strips and resin over a form, finishing it smooth and coating it with a wrinkle type finish prior to painting it. A bit of work but may be an option! I would make it oversized and then trim it to the proper contour. You might be able to make a box from plastic or wood, graft it into an opening in the cowlboard, then overcoat it to get the grained finish , then paint. No easy fix on this one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradsan Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I can't vouch for their product as I haven't purchased anything but if you look at their store, they do firewall pads for other makes, like Auburn and Dodge. If you go into an individual items description does say they are made out of ABS plastic so maybe they are the fiberglass one you are speaking of. Maybe they can help or others can weigh in on their services. https://www.pontiacparts.net/about/ https://www.ebay.com/str/californiapontiacrestoration Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$um Fun Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 bradsan, none of the fiberglass suppliers have been helpful, and one was even rude. jpage, I am leaning towards fabrication one from aluminum and covering it and texturing it before painting. The other side would have the jute. Unfortunately there is no easy fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 8 hours ago, bradsan said: I can't vouch for their product as I haven't purchased anything but if you look at their store, they do firewall pads for other makes, like Auburn and Dodge. not the same at all. fiberglass is glass fiber in a (usually) thermosetting epoxy. ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) is a thermoplastic, often used when you want to vacuum form a sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I tossed around the aluminum route myself, but procuring a large piece of very thin aluminum may be difficult. Do you still have the old one? Does the old one angle out at the bottom to follow the contour? if you have the old one, it might help to see it's actual configuration. Usually, the pads are about an inch thick, so you might still need the homosote to act as a filler. Don't give up, we'll keep working on this until we find a solution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 It seems Homosote, formed wet then allowed to dry, would work as it is essentially a felt of paper. One caution is that it will be quite inflammable, as was the original oil/paper. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 jpage, you can get 48"x48" and 36"x36" sheets of 6061 aluminum in almost any thickness from McMaster-Carr. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$um Fun Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 Its an odd one, but I think It can be fabricated. The picture is from the net of the fiberglass firewall pad. The rounded edges would be the tricky part to cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 Actually, that looks like a pretty nice repro, provided it fits correctly. I think the fiber mat, aside from some insulation, provided some strength to the cardboard outer covering. I would imagine, that if lining it with the homosote can't be done, gluing up about 4 layers of the 'jute' will give you about an inch of thickness, assuming that is how thick the original was. I can imagine that the fiberglass piece is not cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now