Body Kit Materials

[R34NRG]

Ive been looking around at body kits and a number of diffrent materials are used to make em.

could someone tell me the pros and cons of fibreglass, mesh and any other types of body kits.

cheers

[Bliksem]

Fibreglass cracks easier and doesn't have as much flex as FRP (fibre re-inforced plastic) or flexiglass. Just have to be careful with it.

[Mr. Oizo]

They make bodykits out of mesh?

Fibreglass is cheap and light, but in most cases very brittle, after a while you'll get cracks and it will look like shit.

The OEM front bars are the strongest, because they bend, instead of cracking

FRP (fibreglass reinforced plastic) is what you should look for, but it's a lot more expensive than fibreglass, and usually only is available if you buy the original kit from japan

[R34NRG]

what are the stock r34 front rear and side skirts made out of?

[Bliksem]

Some form of Plastic type Urethane I think

[someonestolecc]

Fibreglass is cheap and light, but in most cases very brittle, after a while you'll get cracks and it will look like shit.

My kit was fibre and never got cracked unless it was smashed into something.

[WazR32GTSt]

stock bumpers = polyurethane

of course fibreglass doesn't crack unless its been stressed...

but there's no doubt that its brittle.. even the stress of the chassis flexing when cornering over a long period of time can show on thin bumpers...

FRP sounds great.. anyone in oz make kits out of this??

[wilch]

http://www.mfx.com.au

[R33S2]

Finally a product I would use, the photos of the flex it has would destroy fiberglass and stress fracture CF.

[R34NRG]

problem is the kits fugly

[wilch]

call em up, they have other kits I think...

[Kennedy]

powerplay sell FRP bodykits

[mad082]

you could probably get a kit made out of carbon fibre, but they would be weaker than glass.

a lot of mass produced glass kits are made really thin to save money, so they break easier.

the advantage of glass is that it can be repaired easy. i bought a front bar from a wreckers for $100 that was cracked down 1 side and it cost me $50 to fix it and repaint it (did it myself). the plastic kits cost a bit to get plastic welded, but they don't brake as easy to start with.

[Silent]

Personaly I love fiberglass kits as most aftermarket kits are fiberglass. I ve just finshed making a veilside kit fit a carmy 91 model (carby fed ) . It took 8 kilos of fiberglass but it looks very different .

Is anyone interented in seeing pictures?

[Mr. Oizo]

I ve just finshed making a veilside kit fit a carmy 91 model (carby fed ) .

why?

[Silent]

why?

Well its not my job to ask why, it was brought to me and he asked me to make the modifications to make it fit to his car. I dont get to pick the cars i work on, its my job to fit the bodykit to it .

And also why not?

[R34NRG]

call em up, they have other kits I think...

hope so...but proberly the usual crap....eg c west, bommex

Edited August 6, 2006 by anDru

[andy25]

Im in the same boat and searching for a S15 kit perhaps the only way to get quality is to buy an origianal japanese kit ? im thinking about getting a kit from jetspeed or mxfly if all there kits are made of frp.

If this isnt a good idea feel free to pm a reason