Fiberglass And Carbon Body Panels

[sprinter666]

Hey all, new here recommended by a friend, my names Joe, 28 from melbourne vic. i have a 240z that im building up pulled of the old fiberglass bodywork and other bits and due to bad prep i have some cheese holes and rot in the steel to deal with.

 

i am considering going to a fiberglass or carbon front for easy and weight saving but some friends have pointed out that some lesser quality fiberglass items can weigh more than the alloy and so on i can save 1 of my guards and maybe if im lucky the headlight buckets (previous builder welded them together) anyone with any experience with fiber or carbon panels able to give me some knowledge even if its to tell me to stick with steel panels?

 

i can gather photos on request and will take some tomorrow if melbourne weather holds out

 

hoping to be around a while and ask many more annoying questions guys so i hope you dont mind!

 

attached photos are pre stripping the fiberglass.

 

 

[gav240z]

Member dattocam was selling some NOS Taiwanese copy guards that are apparently not a bad fit. Might want to look into that. Personally on a street car I'd avoid carbon / fiberglass guards etc..

[PeterAllen]

I would suggest the fibreglass guards would be heavier than standard steel ones but a fibreglass bonnet would be lighter. The steel guards have curves and folds which give rigidity, however, the flat steel bonnet requires a secondary frame for support which probably makes it heavier than a fibreglass bonnet. Not certain, just my thoughts. 

[Brabham]

Depends on what your plans are for the car, if it is for circuit/race, I'd go to composite but the finish will be a bit rough, not important on a race car. If you are restoring it for the road I'd try to save what you have, although labour adds up quickly if your panels are badly damaged. Also will depend on whether you want to keep the flares and if your guards have been cut. If it is practical to save what you have, you may as well use it and you know it will fit your car as it came off it.

 

Good luck

[sprinter666]

thanks guys, well im only just deciding what to do with it id like it to be on club reg but essentially street legal so i can drive it to and from because i dont dig trailer queens, i was thinking composite for weight saving but yeah i also heard that some fiberglass panels just weight an absolute tonne!

[Retro Z]

The fibreglass guards i had from Alfa motorsport weighed bugger all， at least half the weight of the steel ones. I also had a topstage fibreglass bonnet. Quite heavy but was still much lighter than the steel one.

 

I have since gone back to repaired stock steel items as the fit，finish and strength is so much better.

[sprinter666]

ah alfa are the blokes in melbourne correct? have heard of them thanks for the info

[Retro Z]

Both companies are in Melbourne

[260DET]

Check out the weight of the early model 240's bonnet, their support frame is much lighter than the later model's. The lightest composite panels I have seen are the Japanese 'Restored' brand which Otomoto sells, their 280ZX bonnet is a beauty.

[sprinter666]

awesome cheers

[dat240z]

Man you look like a more "gangsta" version of Chumlee from American Pawn!!!!

[sprinter666]

bloody facebook linking! lol still not the worst description ive received in my lifetime.

[dat240z]

Haha, all in good fun mate!!