Fiberglass questions

[12secondSY]

Does anyone have fiberglass fenders or hoods? I was wondering what brands are good and how well they fit. I have seen some fenders crack and hoods not line up.
I was also wondering if there is a tailgate out there for blazers/typhoons made from fiberglass.
Thanks

 

[canadian]

Re: Fiberglass questions

fit and finish is a big issue with the fiberglass parts. i know adam (syo237) had some problems with his fiberglass hood. someone else was complaining that with the hood up, you could tell what parts had paint thicker than others because the sun would shine through differently.

unless you're planning on spending the $$$ and possibly putting the time in to make things fit, fiberglass should be your 2nd option. first would be probably the goodmark cowl hood and *real* gm fenders. the imports usually don't fit right. even if they are CAPA parts.

if you're just looking for weight savings, you might try http://www.up22.com/S10.htm although i've never used any fiberglass stuff yet. as for tailgates, i don't think there is anything on the market.

 

[SY2932]

Re: Fiberglass questions

I have a VFN fibrglass hood on my truck that I bought from their plant in Addison, IL over two years ago. Haven't gotten out the digital scale to see how much it weighs compared to stock but it is less than half easily. Quite a bit of trimming was necessary to get it "right" in my eyes. Got it painted a few months ago and it doesn't look at all like my stock metal hood with respect to reflectivity. The painter did the best job that he could and even ended up starting over and shooting it twice bcause he didn't like the way it turned out the first time. It looks very good from ten feet away but, up close you can see the wavyiness that is always present in fiberglass. It I had to do it over, I would prolly have gotten a Goodmark steel hood since you ALWAYS see the hood when you are driving.

Yes, that is light that you are seeing through the hood before I got it painted...

 

[SYO237]

Re: Fiberglass questions

i gave up on my fiberglass cowl hood long ago... ive trimmed it, adjusted it, tweaked it every possible way and the SOB still doesnt line up evenly on each fender and it sits high on the passenger side.

even with 14 or so years working with fiberglass, i wont the fiberglass route again unless I custom make it myself (then I have someone to blame).

if you really want fiberglass anything, be ready to spend some money to get a very well made piece. you will still need to make adjustments however.

I have a harwood cowl hood... id recommend goodmark like warren said.

Also, if you do a search, there is interest in a CF tailgate going in a thread by someone who has alot of experience and knowledge.

 

[12secondSY]

Re: Fiberglass questions

I'll probably stay with origional parts then. I was moving my blazer off the dolly the other day and when we pushed it off the wheels turned(steering shaft not hooked up) and the front fender caught the wheel well on the dolly before falling off and put a big dent and a scrape in it. Figured as long as i'm replacing parts I'd see if there were better ones.

 

[SYO237]

Re: Fiberglass questions

Holy crap Mike, that hood is horrible... how much does it wave at you going highway speeds?

Mike also made a good point with paint... its a bish to prep fiberglass for paint and make it come out a mile deep. My hood also has nice waves, ripples and dips in it after paint. Luckily, I drive my Sy mostly at night, so its not so much of an eyesore to look at.

 

[SYO237]

Re: Fiberglass questions

Heres a pic of my hood where you can see it peaking up on the passenger side. Its bad enough where Ive had people tell me my hood is popped :roll: :rotf:

http://www.sytyarchives.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=4073&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

 

[SY2932]

Re: Fiberglass questions

Holy crap Mike, that hood is horrible... how much does it wave at you going highway speeds?

Mike also made a good point with paint... its a bish to prep fiberglass for paint and make it come out a mile deep. My hood also has nice waves, ripples and dips in it after paint. Luckily, I drive my Sy mostly at night, so its not so much of an eyesore to look at.

WAY too much for my taste. So much so that I wonder about the longevity of my paint even though a flex agent was added to help with the excessive flexing . The painter said that was the thinnest hood he had even seen... At 120 MPH it gets pretty ugly. If I could shoot a vid of what it looks like, I bet no one would be buying a fiberglass hood anytime soon.

 

[Ron 92ty]

Re: Fiberglass questions

yeah VFN sucks my uncles dad owns the place. My uncle hates VFN products so bad he started his company in 92. Glasstek in naperville IL . I worked thare for about 4 years on and off. The products are good for the price. But just like any other glass peice, will not be perfect.PS; not sure if they make fenders yet, but i know thare was talk of it while i was still thare. I'll call my brother whom still works thare and find out.Sorry i dont have the phone number on me. but they do have a web sit glasstek.com

 

[canadian]

Re: Fiberglass questions

"I can always distinguish the sound of a syty because they all sound like farts in a bathtub" syty OG

hahahahahaha, awesome. adam, i'll trade you the stocker off my sy for your fiberglass one... lol.

 

[SY2932]

Re: Fiberglass questions

yeah VFN sucks my uncles dad owns the place.

Where were you at over two years ago ??? I bought my hood sight unseen at the recommendation of a former OG on here. I almost bought a Glasstek. Interesting knowing the history of the two companies...

 

[SYO237]

Re: Fiberglass questions

adam, i'll trade you the stocker off my sy for your fiberglass one... lol.

then what would I do with the other 2 stockers I have sitting 8 inches away from the sy leaned up against the wall?

 

[canadian]

Re: Fiberglass questions

then what would I do with the other 2 stockers I have sitting 8 inches away from the sy leaned up against the wall?

make a kitchen table out of them.