frpcraig

Hi Wondersparrow, we are getting asked a lot about the same thing with regards to an f/g shell over a tube frame. If there is no floor or firewall then there isn't much left of the shell tbh so wouldn't be expensive, I'll have a measure up and post a price. The shell mould is in multiple pieces so making just the parts you want is not an issue.... Sending the roof sepearate might be an issue as you would have to make sure the roof and screen pillars were attached correctly for the screen fitment etc, but can be done.

Thanks modern S30, the dash is new so haven't updated the website yet but expect it to be under £200. ericshere03, Like I said everyone wants something different Do you mean buy the bodyshell/tub and then fasten a cut off section of the steel car onto it?? I suppose it's possible but I don't think we would do it tbh. We can provide a shell if you want to go that route yourself. The front end assembly is a doddle with the subframe with regards to all major mechanicals, you need to fab up some inner wings to mount bits and bobs on. I know what we do will pass our tests so can't really comment on the safety or legal aspects of your idea...

Thanks stony. mark it would be similar to installing in a steel car but I would need the design of the cage during the build. Instead of welding footprints (plates/boxes) on the steel chassis to mount the cage I can locally reinforce the areas to accomodate. The steel guys will hate me for saying this but there are advantages with frp over steel when it comes to load transfer. A thin steel floorpan is usually plated with thicker steel. This of course works but what is happening is the foot of the cage now has a larger surface area to try and punch through the floor. A shock load, as in impact, would then transfer the load through the plate and direct it to the outer edges of the plate where the floor is again thin. The beauty of frp is you can taper these high load areas and spread the load away from a direct point. I am building my own car and I will be happy with a good roll hoop connected across the rear struts and some door bars for road use and the odd track day. If it is a car for extreme driving I would mount a full cage in the shell and connect the cage through the bulkead/firewall (what do you guys call it???) to the steel subframe. You would also need to put a thin plate either side of the floor mountings for the cage, not for any real strenght issues but you don't want to wind nuts and bolts into the f/g and damage it.

That tubular chassis Z on recreation reactive is much liked and talked about on our uk forum. There are cars people like or don't but everyone over here loves that one! stony the moulds for the car shell and panels are all the original shape. We figured it makes more sense to make the moulds oe then the car can be modified to suit, rather than make a fancy design then have trouble making the car look oe again. For your interest a few pics below of some carbon bits we make with resin infusion. And the new dash..... The dash is black gel rather than carbon. To get the dash finished in gloss black is too much work tbh as it is a split mould so they need to be painted or flocked. Cheers Craig

Thanks John, the moulds were made off a 1972 240Z. The shell, all the panels takes about 6 to 8 weeks as I make these myself. Stephen from FRP Auto makes the subframe during this time. Yes we are able to build cars to order no problem, the only issue is trying to gauge what people want out of the subframe design, as I have mentioned most people seem to want different things?? Cheers Craig

Thanks for the nice comments Dan, you are right of course with regard to the subframe, although we as the builders have to decide at what point we 'stop'. Our idea was to build the subframe to a level that is geometrically correct (or as close as we can) that a reasonably competent customer could then modify to suit his or her application. The problem we have is everyone seems to want something different. Any suggestions though feel free to shout out, that's part of the reason I am on this forum. bhansen, that is partially why we don't advertise the shell and subframe prices on the site. There is no 'cloak and dagger' reason just everyone wants something different. I am trying to work out say 2 different packages at the moment depending on how much the customer is capable of doing or wants to do, eg 1. All basic laminating complete and a 'bare' subframe. Customer completes to any spec he wants. 2. All basic laminating complete and a subframe with all the parts needed to fit the mechanicals for oe parts for road use. The other alternative is to supply drawings and dimensions for the basic subframe along with the shell and the customer gets it made up in his hometown. This would probably be more economical tbh. I'll work out some more accurate prices and post later this weekend.

Hi Trevor, that photo is of the 1st proto to see if the idea would work, Picture below is what we make now. Cheers Craig

You have hit the nail on the head stony. You can't really make the car foreward of the bulkhead/firewall out of FRP hence the steel subframe but the rear of the car is all FRP. There are little bumps on the moulds which end up as little dents on the car in the correct places so it is easy to drill off to mount oe parts. We don't drill them off here in case aftermarket parts are to be fitted which may have holes to be drilled in different areas. Like I mentioned anyone with some basic skills, ie if you can unbolt your existing running gear and bolt it back up, it's exactly the same with the FRP shell. So you buy one of these...... Strip all the parts you need and recon them, then bolt them on to this..... Over here the cars are rare and good condition ones even more hard to find. What we do have is an abundance of L series motors and mechanicals with no car left for them to go in due to rot! If you can source a scrap z then your'e good to go. Try not to think of it as a 'kit car'. I think of a kit car as a vw beetle for example that someone sticks a fiberglass version of a Porshe on top. These are actual cars, just made from a different material. On another note I have been asked for pics of the front spoilers we do. We make 3 types at the minute........... Cheers Craig

My friend is looking into it full time now with regards to importing, I will keep you posted when I have news.. stony.... excuse my question (I am English!!) what is a full roller??? There is no need for a rear subframe in steel if that was your question??? The rear chassis rails and floor pan are copied from the steel shell(shape wise,externally) but heavily reinforced in frp internally. An example is ...we have been asked about the frp rear strut tops, without any strut bracing or load plates attached to the rear struts the calcs show you would need upwards of 4000kg loading to 'punch through' the strut tops. You can basically 'bolt on' all your oe parts in a weekend and have a rolling shell. C:

We get asked all the time for parts for various cars. As you can probably gather it takes a lot of time and money to make production moulds for any part, this isn't a problem if you have a certain amount of sales from the moulds forecast before you start. The 280ZX doors have come up in the past so we may look in to it but again it is down to projected sales. 280ZX@541 it is the same story.....I like the 510, ( I like most Datsuns) but I don't know if it would be economically viable to make moulds??? Gollum it sounds like all your different states have different laws concerning this??? If they could get some legislation as you mentioned to simplify it across your whole country that would be beneficial to everyone concerned I would have thought.(thanks for the link). C:

Thanks Tony D, again a usefull reply.... This is perhaps a time to reflect and study.... as I mentioned it seems much more complicated to get a 'door' to you guys before the gov. decide to make it far more complicated (and expensive) than it's worth. I know that sounds like I am being negative but I am not for sure.... again leave it with me.... Spa is something I want to go to, Sean D who has recently posted on this thread is very active in promoting the z cars throughout Europe and has kindly invited me and my family for a trip to this. If you go Tony D then it would be great to meet up up!! Cheers Craig

Tony D, you have a good understanding of the car scene over here........... What is the issue in the USA with regards to cars??? You guys 'invented' the cobra replica did you not?? A tubular chassis, big ford engine and a plastic body??? What is your equivalent of our DVLA's beef with replicas?? There are newish rules here but your comments are still relevant, We can put one of our cars legally on the road (a reshell) with it's original reg plate and be insured no problem. The DVLA however 'suggest' we put the car through what was called a 'single vehicle approval' , though now called an 'individual vehicle approval'. Are you allowed to import a vehicle finished and tested in the uk or would it fall foul off your rules?? C:

Thanks Tony D, I will read and re-read what you have mentioned. There is a lot to consider in your posts and they deserve some time to mull over. Your points are very relevant to me, whilst we ship z parts all over Europe that is somewhat easier to say the least compared to getting parts over to you guys.....leave it with me. nash542001, Thanks for the interest, much appreciated. I would love to send a pile of panels etc over staight away but as Tony D has mentioned I need to research how to make it cost effective to you and others over there. I have a feeling there will be a legally acceptable way of doing this but I need to take advice on this..... texis30O, the stripped bare shell (steel) weighs in at about 225 kilos from the info I have gathered. So in effect you save/gain all the panels free of weight if that makes sense?? At the weight we make the bodyshell and subframe now it is complete overkill tbh, with regards to structural integrity. All our load calculations are done by a guy who writes the British standards on such matters so I have no worries there. zero....yeah your stronger than you think!!

'Similar to you, most people just outright lie to the revenuers to keep the costs low'. Tony D. I am not 'most people' and I haven't posted on your forum to lie with regards to revenuers or anyone else. I thought our products may be of interest to you and others, thats all. If we can supply parts of interest to your forum members then great, if not I would still like to post the progress off the FRP shells. Thanks Craig Tony D . If I have missed you're sense of humour then forgive me as the internet makes it tricky!!!

Hi Kees, your project sounds very interesting!! If you can send some drawings with measurements we can modify to suit what you need for your suspension. Do you have trouble getting front screens?? The standard screen fits no probs. Tony D, shipping 7 Zeds would be a dream, I would be happy to get a couple over there for you guys to have a play with! The doors appear to be popular by the comments, I can do a deal on them if there was enough interest. If we could ship half a dozen pairs over we could probably knock 15-20% off. Also I mentioned import tax in a previous post that we have to pay on stuff we get from America, is it the same for you guys buying from here?? Cheers Craig

Hi Guys, my friend has sent me some quotes to the USA. They are much better than I thought, individual parts are costly but we can get a a box with say 3 pairs of doors over for approx $500 and a container which will fit heaven knows how many parts in (or cars) for about $2000. Group buys are tricky especially in a country as big as yours but doesn't seem to pricey, Cheers Craig

Hi Benton, Great question Lets do it!! Seriously though I have taken all the z car production out of the main factory and now make everything close to home in units dedicated to this. What was initially a hobby has turned into something relatively serious. The problem with relocating is all the products are made by me or under supervision by me and without being a big head that is why the parts are always top quality. We have never had an item returned. If I set up a place abroad then I would be very lucky to employ someone who cares enough if I wasn't there. Does that make sense??

I'm glad the project is of interest to those on this forum, it is always great to get some good feedback. I have broad shoulders so if anyone has any positive critisism feel free to comment as you may end up helping. The shipping costs are a pain I know, the trouble is you get charged on 'volumetric weight', so I send a spoiler in a box that weighs next to nothing and get charged for 70kgs!! I am waiting to hear from a guy who has recently seen our car and loves it but the good news is he has a international courier company so I may be able to do a deal with him. I'll get some box sizes to him for various parts and see what he comes up with, including container prices. HS30-H....Alan, thanks for the kind words. I hadn't really considered the car to be used in regulated motorsports events tbh (although that would be nice!), a road legal car or a track day car is more what I had in mind. In England at least I know the car can be made road legal and retain the identity from a car you are 'repairing' shall we say, as far as the rest of the world I have no idea I want to make a 'full on' track car for fun without a doubt but I need to test the car using all the stock mechanicals from my 72 uk car first. There is no real logic to this other than for my own personal information. As you say it will be interesting to see how it compares to a steel car around a track. I don't really mean on a time basis either I just want to get a feel for the car if that makes sense?? The bolting up off parts is a doddle if you mean the mechanical side of things, the main issue for a road car if you want it to look exactly like the original is all the interior parts, there are lots of captive nuts and little things like that on the oe car that are not on the f/g car. I wont pretend that will be a quick job for sure. Thanks Pharaohabq, is Mark going to paint his c/f parts or does he want them on show?? I can offer some advice on post finishing carbon if the finish needs to be lovely and glossy. Let me know. I have had a look at marks website (thanks) and the standard of work is truly outstanding.I will follow that website....does Mark still post his progress on here?? (Hi Mark if you do) Cheers Craig

moderns30, I received your personal message but I am not familiar with your site to reply srgunz, what is 'Alan the purists' last name??? Or which uk club does he belong to?? I am a member of the uk 'zclub' and at the start the members felt uneasy about what we do but now we seem to be accepted at least for our panels. I wonder if it is the same Alan I am thinking about?? The shipping costs are going to be a problem I fear for our parts but as we build another full car up over our summer I would be happy to put some pics up if there is interest. Cheers Craig

Thanks for the nice comments I have made some enquires over shipping costs......... So far postage and packaging on a pair of door cards to America (doesn't seem to matter where in America) is £70.00 ($111.00), and for a pair of doors it's £150.00 ($237.00). I will try royal mail tomorrow to see if they are cheaper. We haven't sent to America, do you guys get hammered with an import tax?? If we buy from America we have to pay a chunk on top of the part price!! We can make the doors with full inners for all the handles etc or cutaway inners. Let me know if you want to see any other pictures of parts. Moderns30 I think it would actually be a good idea to get a shell over there, if I can afford it one day I'll bear you in mind EF Ian ,you can't tell the difference by looking at the fitted panels but you can tell they are not steel if you rap them with your knuckles if that makes sense. Cheers Craig My home email is frpcraig@hotmail.co.uk if anyone needs to ask me anything.

Hi everyone, I have a lot of pictures but thought these 3 would give you a rough idea of how the car is made. The shell is made in one piece.The 1st pic is the shell being made inside the mould. It is different to how I imagine you think of frp shells, rather than a thin body which attaches to a tubular chassis, the shell is heavily laid up to provide the structure and only a front subframe is needed. The front subframe is mounted to the shell along with rails which run underneath the floorpans. Feel free to comment, I would be glad to answer any questions. There have been a few questions, I will try to answer in order..... bjhines, the shell and subframe and all panels weigh approx 200 kilos. There is an updated pricelist on our website now for panels. I will get some quotes on shipping for a pair of doors for example as they seem to be of interest. texis3oO, I would be very interested to see the frp bodies you have mentioned you have seen on ebay. If you have the time would you post a link up for me?? Much appreciated. pharaohabq, if you check out the prices on the website you will see the carbon parts we currently make, if you are interested I will put some pics up. ModernS30, the doors are a direct replacement part, reinforced so you can bolt straight to your car, they are reinforced around all areas for handles etc, The window tracks ( do you mean the chrome frame??) if so yes these can be bolted directly on. The doors like all the parts are not made from chopped strand mat but from 45 degree biaxial cloth so are stronger and lighter. A full replacement door weighs 5 kilos. Lots of people want to have a shell for 'free' to test but I am afraid I am not that rich Door cards, again they are on the new price list on the website, here are a couple of pics, The plain ones can be made in any colour or covered or we make a resin infused carbon version. Anyway thanks for your interest, most z clubs seem to frown upon what we do so it is good to have some nice comments. Cheers Craig We also make other carbon parts, our prices are good but I fear with shipping costs as I said they may be too expensive, I will get some quotes.

Hi everyone, My name is Craig, I live in England and We Build the FRP Automotive fiberglass bodyshell and body panels for the 240Z. I think you guys maybe a bit to far away for us to sell our products to you but I thought you may be interested in the project anyway. If anyone is interested I would be happy to put some pictures on your site of the car and how it is made. I like your clubs attitude to doing something 'different' to the car, in England there are only a few left and most owners try to keep the car as original as possible. I don't know of anyone else in the world who has done what we have with the 240Z and it would be great to get some feedback and suggestions from a club who likes to do something out of the ordinary with the car. Cheers Craig