Fiberglass help .... from the Doc !

Hey Doc, I used some of your tips to reinforce a 6 pack hood a couple months ago and thinking of a new project maybe you can help with. I want to take out my stock Duster gauge panel, cut the dash over to the right a few inches, opening the cluster hole, and make a new panel similar to the original, just in shape. I was thinking about making the panel out of fiberglass, would it be strong enough, and what would be the best way of making a form to make a new glass part?

I was thinking about taking an old panel which I have, cutting it down the middle and inserting a peice( plastic, alluminum, or something) in the middle to make it bigger, smoothing it all out, and making a mold of it. Does that sould like the best idea or should I start from scratch? Is there any kind of foam or anything that I could use to shave into the shape of the panel and use as a mold? How would you go about something like this?

Butch