Hardlid Cover - DIY

Just out of interest, has anybody tried to make a ute cover.

I cut out a template of 5 mm mdf, and got some 50mm pvc piping, cut in halve and mitred so it overlaps the edges, contacted a fiberglass co and got quotes on materials needed, worked out to be about $300 bucks. minus painting it/gas struts.

in it raw form, looked like it would fit and be satifactory, but was unsure about the finish end result, I allready know it would not look as good as a factory/aftermaket one, but has anybody ever tried this?

Also if one was to do this, where do you buy the lock nuts, and how do they attach to the tub?

Currently it is sitting waiting for me to give it a go, but alas, @ $300 it would be either a complete success or a dismail failure.. Not sure whether its worth the risk, would be a great project..

Anybody given it a go.

[superroo]

i'd thought about doing this but fiberglassing it my self.

Just need to learn how to fiberglass

Cheers

[XR6-VCT-2000]

After you bought the epoxy resin , a roll of fibreglass cloth and the tool required to roll the fibreglass flat and roll the resin into it hard , then grind off the excess when cured , sand it dead flat etc etc etc ( sanding fibreglass and resin sux ! ) , it would just about work out cheaper to get it fibreglassed profesionally. Not really much money to be saved doing it yaself ( the fibreglassing part ) unless you have a mate who has a roll of fibreglass and the resin etc etc that you can use, only really works out cheaper to buy this stuff in bulk as fibreglassing companys do , small amounts ( like needed for a hardtop ) you'de probably end up paying around the same for materials as what it would cost you to get it fibreglassed profesionally, and they would do a good job too.

[Mr Cube]

When I checked out getting new locks for mine, they said about $200..

You can get hardcovers on eBay for around the $900 mark so they aren't that expensive. A bloke from the ACT club got the Tub, the hardcover and spoiler for around $1500..

I would be looking out for a good second hand one the stuffing around making one, unless you know you can do as good a job, no point having a bodgy lid for the sake of a couple of hundred bucks.

Yeah, some good answers.
Just to clarify, $300ish was for all the fibreglass and resin's. I did approach some pro's with regards to fibreglassing it, but to be honest they wanted to much to do it, and would have worked out slightly cheaper to get them to do it, than to buy a 2nd hand one.

I like the idea of giving it a go, but probally right in advice with just buy one 2nd hand.
Cheers

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Im all for DIY stuff , no doubt about it. But when it comes to something as large as the hardcover , and such a flat surface has to be obtained... as mentioned , for a few hundred extra get a propper 1 ;) - Nothing would look worse than a dodgy hardcover on a nice ute ..not saying you would do a dodgy job !, just it would be a HUGE job to achieve good results without previous fibreglassing experience imo ;) . gl