Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Morning all,

Ever since I had a slightly run-down fibreglass bonnet on my first Spitfire, many many moons ago, I've had a slight aversion to fibreglass-bodied cars. Thoughts of gel cracks, splits, and chivvied edges spring to mind whenever I look at a GRP body, and somehow they just don't "feel" as robust as a steel equivalent. I've seen crash tests which show that a quality GRP body is quite resilient in the event of a shunt, but still I have a general dislike of the material even when faced with evidence to the contrary.

Unlike my Spit's bonnet, the Ashley special I once owned had a very good body on it, with no cracks or splits, but still I can't shake this (probably inaccurate) vision of floppy panels and panels disintegrating if you lean upon them. Lotus seemed to do pretty well with fibreglass-bodied cars after all.

Recently I had the chance to ogle a dusty old Jensen CV8 in a distant barn, it was a magnificent machine, but even then I couldn't quite shake my prejudices against GRP.

Can anyone convert me to GRP-bodied cars?

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[badhuis]

Oooh wow a dusty CV8 - that would be a star find and a fabulous car to own.
That said I feel mostly the same about GRP cars. The fact different skills are needed to repair, mend, prepare and paint the material makes it a bit harder for myself to actively own one.
But there are so many interesting cars out there, often not expensive at all.....
Scimitar - Clan Crusader - Lotus Elite (70s version) etc.
_________________
a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[peter scott]

After my rusty Sunbeam Alpine I found my Ginetta G15 just wonderful and was then hooked GRP cars and when family precluded the G15 I bought the Reliant Rebel Estate followed by the Reliant Kitten. Both Reliants were too fragile mechanically but the lack of rust problems was great and when you are young you know that you will not be killed or injured in a crash so no problems.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[V8 Nutter]

Chevrolet Corvettes are a form of glass fibre, not that you would ever know it, the finish is so good. The mouldings are laid up and then they go through some form of press. I am not sure how it works.
Strictly speaking we shouldn't say Fibreglass, it is the registered trade mark of the company that developed it in the mid thirties

[alastairq]

I think a lot of this 'resilience' of glass reinforced plastic [resin] material, depends on how the manufacturer carries out the process?

I once investigated a kit car of the seven-type in the 1970's [then, the cheapest on the market]....the business owner demonstrated to me the resilience of his nose cones, by attacking one with a sledge hammer...it just bounced back!

http://www.classic-kitcars.com/kitcar-manufacturer-details.php?17

Whereas a Reliant, when hit by a London bus, literally fell apart!
At the time I was told, the resilience depended on whether the body or component was laid up by hand...or literally 'sprayed' onto a mould.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Keith D]

I can agree with both V8 Nutter and alastairq.

My son’s.1971 Corvette’s body is absolutely beautiful. The body shows no sign of disintergrating or separating. It is truly a well produced fibreglass body that has lasted very well over nearly fifty years.

On the other hand, my father-in-law owned a new Reliant three wheeler in the mid sixties and he ran it into the back of a proper car. The whole front of the Reliant ended up on the road in many pieces of shattered fibreglass.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[Rick]

[lowdrag]

Loads of Jaguar replicas around in fibreglass, and they look pretty good too. A friend decided to off-road his C-type and smashed the front, but no worse it seemed than an alloy car would have bent. Some people are snooty about them, but hey, it's a hobby, isn't it? All the centre tubs are ally, but on cost grounds the rest is fibre.