Fibreglass panels - options

[Fuchs915]

What is the thinking on the options of fibreglass panels in terms of quality v time expended to get a decent fit and finish? I am looking at EB or Club Autosport as difference budgetting price points and just wondered what the collective thinking would suggest. I know CA panels will likely require work and also other mods to fit however does the trade off make it worthwhile?

Thanks

Kevin


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[911hillclimber]

Decades ago, I fitted a 'glass bennet on my 73T.
It came from Autofarm.
Installed without gap adjustment.
Still on the car28 years later.
Strength of the gas struts were too strong, bowed the shape hopelessly, so simple bonnet prop made.

TBH, not sure if you gain much in the eng bar a weight drop.

[Lightweight_911]

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Let's just say that if you were paying a 'professional' body man to achieve a high standard of fit/finish on the grp panels, you'd be 'quids in' by starting off with EB Motorsport's parts ...


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[RobFrost]

All I can add to this is that my backdate is really lightweight and as part of this lightweight concept it originally had fibreglass boot and bonnet, both of which were removed by the previous owner who was fed up with the terrible fit.

I also have a (presumably cheap) fibreglass whale on the 911T. One strut is sufficient to lift it, but it sits too high on the side having the strut. I'm not bothered because the car's tatty, but if it wasn't tatty I would be.

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[stretch]

Unless you are trying to build an exact replica of an R, ST etc, i wouldn't bother using GRP. The time spent getting them right is a pain and there will still be a compromise as they shift in the heat. My panels were from one of the best in the business, but some of the parts were terrible. I bought a pair of lighweight GRP light boxes from EB and sent them back as they looked like they were made by a 6 year old in modelling class...!

[Fuchs915]

Thanks for the feedback and advice. So, sounds like keep it metal (mostly?). The part I am not sure about in the bonnet selection, is there a long bonnet that will go with a short version, ie fits a G series slam panel or works less need to cut panels or even retro fit if someone wanted to go back to a short G series body. Also an recommendations from where to source would be great.

Thanks

Kevin

[RobFrost]

You will need to either weld in the earlier slam panel, or bodge the long hood to have the upper half of the catch meet the later lower half. I have the later option - it was a difficult job to get it straight and tidy, but I suspect putting in the earlier slam panel is a more difficult job. If you go with the latter option the catch will be difficult to access if unchanged, so you need to extend the safety hook in order to get your fingers in to open it. You're welcome to see mine in Lichfield.

[BILLY BEAN]

I found getting the front lid ( bonnet) the hardest to get to fit well. Often found that the part could be fitted with good panel gaps and panel surfaces. A few days later the fit was less good on the panel surface with the scuttle and or with the front wings. This happened several times. It was finally sorted after a lot of effort. The other issue is the resistance the rubber bonnet seal provides which a GRP panel has difficulty with. This was solved by trimming the back of the seal to reduce its thickness. A GRP bonnet panel would be the last panel I would use. Steel panel would be much easier to fit.

[RobFrost]

A GRP bonnet panel would be the last panel I would use. Steel panel would be much easier to fit.

The whole reason I had to get involved with my bonnet catch was because the previous owner of my (lightweight) car was dissatisfied with the fit of the GRP hood, and had exchanged it for a metal one. So that bears out the fact that GRP involves some compromises. But I also thnk it depends on what GRP hood you use. There are bound to be good and bad ones.

[coomo]

Re panel source.Agree with EB motorsport.have fitted 3 of their front bumpers.Fantastic quality and fitment.GRP doors are a no go,unless full out race car.Wings, can be made to fit well.However, if your paying the novelty will wear off when you get the invoice.
On my current build I have used a carbon bonnet.Its beautifullly made, and finished.However, its also has thicker edges than a steel one.Probably took 5 times as long to get gapped as a steel bonnet.
Ive also used a carbon roof panel.Here is where weight can be saved, and far less time involved to fit, than to weld in a steel delete panel.Although more costly,youll save on labour.

[70sThrowback]

I bought fibreglass bumpers from club autosport and they fit fine, no issues.I bought a bonnet from stutgart classica, it was only £80 and Will did warn me it would need some fettling. It still stands proud at one side, but tbh I am not bothered. At some point now I have decided my backdate is going to be permanent I will invest in a metal bonnet.

[Fuchs915]

Thanks again for the feedback. I have been going back and forth on this - don't we all? After a bit of back and forth, and then forth and back, am leaning towards part steel/part FG. The car needs new sills and kidneys, so I'll get this done and I have the rear arch panels done in steel I have a bonnet made from a modified IB bonnet, so some more steel, noting the FG comments some of you have made. I can decide whether to go IB for the catch, etc., later. I will go FG for front bumpers, front wings and rear bumper, which will give me a bit of time to fettle. Should give me a couple of little jobs to keep me busy for a while.
Cheers
Kevin

[Lightweight_911]

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Just a suggestion - it's not a good idea to remove too much weight from the front of the car without lightening the rear correspondingly ...

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[RobFrost]

I saw Centre Gravity's impact bumper car with all fibreglass wings, including the rear, on Friday. It's not cosmetically good (it's a 50-footer) but I don't think they intended it to be; it's a track car. Fibreglass rear wings are simply riveted straight through from the outside into the edge of the old wing.

[Fuchs915]

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Just a suggestion - it's not a good idea to remove too much weight from the front of the car without lightening the rear correspondingly ...

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Thanks for the suggestion. To help understand my
plan, I wasn’t expecting to go super light on the car, it’s a full fat 3.2 Targa and my track days as pretty much done (think pretty tourer) so will always be lardy. I expect to make some small weight savings by virtue of the FG panels, but I didn’t expecting these to be that material. As with the bonnet and (ST) rear wings being steel panels, do you think it would make much difference with only front wings, front and rear bumpers in FG?
Appreciation the help.
Cheers
Kevin


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