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View Full Version : fiberglass body kits versus Urathane/ OEM ABS plastic kits


wylin
06-26-2002, 01:24 PM
personally i see both as nessary evils

fiberglass or Fiber Reinforced Plastic: common kit material thats a sprayed on mesh of fiberglass built into a mold, sumtimes its also injected. Most American body kit companies such as VIS/ www.importtrenz.com/ extreme dimensions sell this as their lowend body kit costing between 350-800$, its also used in by most japanese aerokit companies but in a higher grade/ better quality mold (typically). The way these kits for us companies are attained from overseas or japan. Fiberglass kits vary wildly, same w/ their fittament. Main advantages of fiberglass is for the manufactuer its cheap to make a fiberglass mold for a body kit, its relatively light weight and durable, its cheap to fix. Typical disadvantages is it cracks on impact, many irresposible kit manufactures make u remove safety devices such as bumper supports and such for that latest cool look, fitament is horid on certain companies products.

urathane and abs plastic these are OEM plastic type materials mostly (sum new US companies urathane is excluded still looks and fits like shit and INGs hybrid FRB/Urathane matrix $$$ are included) typically urathane bounces back from most minor impacts instead of cracking it pushes in and returns to its orginal form, its much lighter then even FRP/fiberglass. Typically the problems w/ urathane are its expensive to make, even more so w/ ABS plastics (think ur old kids toy transformes toy arm but a body kit). BUT very few OEM's will even bother making u a mold and the array of companies that acutally use highquality urathane and abs are very limited, also urathane sags after a while and cant be just bondoed like fiberglass in large impacts.

well so as the buying public and the lay people what would u buy.

personally for my car im getting an OEM nissan japan made optional front bumper and body kit its made outa ABS hard plastic and it fits and looks perfect cuz its stock. The main reason i know alota ppls fiber kits break and are warped and to me perfection is everything when i buy a product.

mrazntre
06-27-2002, 01:05 AM
mr. Fiberglass:

fiberglass is easily customized because you can cut here and there, add some more fiberglass....bondo the wrinkles out (okay so technically you're not supposed to bondo fiberglass pieces when you're dealing with the front air dam because it is a high impact area, but whatever, i ain't yo mom) .. etc. of course the new piece will not be as strong as the original piece, but you still get to cutomize the fiberglass piece.

mr. urethane:
i don't sag
mr fiberglass:
BULLSHIT
mr. urethane:
*sheepish grin*

URETHANE SAGS. unless there are metal supports grafted inside.

you can work fiberglass at home. you can buy it at home depot.


fiberglass does break, but you can make the fiberglass more elastic when setting the resin on the fiberglass cloth. warpage is a product of bad fiberglass work or impact to that particular area over a period of time. fiberglass bascially sets however it is molded so no warpage should occur.

In addition:

DO NOT GET CONFUSED WITH ABS AND URETHANE

these are completely different products. both are plastics (correct?), however they are not the same thing. ABS plastic is rigid ie. plastic dash and interior components (ABS can be colored to match), wheras urethane has a lot of flex in it, (usually OEM bumper covers, go ahead and push your the side of your bumper, it will slightly dimple).

ABS plastic can and will break (same as fiberglass- depends on how each is manufactured to what tolerance level. if fibeglass is done correctly, it can rival abs plastic pretty well and sometimes work better, i would call ABS plastic and fiberglass a wash out. BUT do any of you have ABS manufacturing machines at home to spit into a mold and create a finished product?).

Urethane will also break (i like to call it rip on urethane products).

wylin
06-27-2002, 10:15 AM
my person preference is that you use high grade materials and ones that have been meticulously crafted. material be damned tho i'd buy ABS plastic skirts, abs wing, urathane front bumper. Ie stock style the reason why is because it fits the best and is relatively indestructable. ABS is a light and hard plastic that has bending resistance.

so how bout those rice boys w/ their ill fitting kits, does anyone have experience w/ those types of bodykit?

will

mrazntre
06-27-2002, 09:51 PM
fiberglass also has bending flexibility. as for fitment, companies just mass produce body kits... that's why shit don't fit right. OEM doesn't necessarily mean ABS or urethane. A lot of JDM mfg's use fiberglass for their kits, and fitment is not an issue.

wylin
06-27-2002, 11:10 PM
[quote:476193f601="mrazntre"]fiberglass also has bending flexibility. as for fitment, companies just mass produce body kits... that's why shit don't fit right. OEM doesn't necessarily mean ABS or urethane. A lot of JDM mfg's use fiberglass for their kits, and fitment is not an issue.[/quote:476193f601]

yeh i know, because fiberglass in japan is hand laid. and typically maybe not all cases done w/ alota care, companies that are like this are C-west, Veilside (who aerotest their kits), doluck (who also produce metal bumpers), etc.

OEM meaning nissan, honda, toyota. For their optional and standard bumpers that stuff is ABS or Urathane typically. Mugen is typically fiberglass or sum weird fiber matrix. Nismo is typically either, and TRD is ? ask sy.

the weirdest kit material is mazda, OEM Rx7 FD3s optional aero skirts are made of Rubber Material strait up rubber that cant be easily damaged or nicked.

mrazntre
06-28-2002, 12:18 AM
oic.

i thought you meant car mfg OEM hi-po stuff. okay okay. so just original parts then.

Toyota was fiberglass, but nowadays i believe they use urethane. i guess it compliments the urethane bumpers, etc.

wylin
07-15-2002, 10:45 AM
almost fiberglass sux especially if made in china kits from various manufactuers that cost 150$ grounded and mrazntre's make my own kit! =P

sum thick japanese fiberglass kits are ok...like GP sports and Target...bomex isnt ok it fits weird.