Guest Grenade300 Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Hey I just ran across a deal on a new fiberglass front end for the 240Z for $500. Should I go for it? I am putting in an LS1 and T-56. I plan to use the Type 3 body kit from MSA. I will be bolting and molding on the body kit. I then plan to customize and intake into the hood like the Trans am WS6 had. I also plan to put ducts on the side like the corvette has. I am really good at metal work and know I could do the customizing I want on metal pretty easily. However, I have never worked with fiberglass before. I will be working on doing a center console in fiberglass soon so I can get some experience. What I'm asking is how hard would it be to do the customizing I want to do on fiberglass? I plan do some reading on this subject regardless, so what are some good books on working with fiberglass? I would be doing a lot of practicing before I tore into a pure fiberglass front end so don't worry. Speeder- I love the work you've done on "Porkchop" it is awesome! Since I know you have a full fiberglass front end may be you could answer some these questions. Also, from your opinion, is the fiberglass front end worth it? What are some of the problems you ran into? Would you put the fiberglass front end on again if you had to do it all over again? Thanks for the help, Scott PS- Does anybody know where I can get a "Kaminari" wing or a "California Z wing"? I am debating between that style and the IMSA wing. to go with the Type 3 body kit from MSA. Which one do you guys think would look better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 It really depends on who it is made by. Is it fiberglass fneders and a hood? Or is it all one piece? Fiberglass is nice to work with since you are only limted by your imagination, but get ready to itch! It does take some practice but it is easy to grind things off and start over. I have some limited experience so feel free to contact me directly if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speeder Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Where to start? First, you can make almost anything out of fiberglass that you can imagine. On my project, I started with a collection of fiberglass components and modified them to fit on the car and each other with mostly free-form molding with wax paper-lined cardboard forms. I also joined some components, smoothed/blended togther and then cut at strategic places to make the one-piece front. Fiberglass is easy to work with and you can redily redo things that don't come out the way you like. I don't know how many times I made a piece, the whopped it off with a saber saw to do over. Final finishing is very similar to doing metal bodywork. My car took about six months of my spare time to get where it is now. It is probably more a testiment to stubbornness rather than skill. Lots of sweating and itching involved, and although I said I would never do it again, this is actually the second tilt front I've done. I guess I would say (now that it's mostly done) it is worth the effort to have something truly unique. With all this said, I must bow to the skills of members Terry (Blueovalz) and Dan Juday, who have finished and painted cars, masterpieces of fiberglass customization. I tried a few different rear spoilers before I settled on Paulo's rear wing as the one that looked right - I do know that the Kaminari is out of production. I say do it! Let me know if I can answer specific questions and I'll be glad to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grenade300 Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Sounds like if I can do metal work then I should be able to do fiberglass with some practice. One of the other big questions I have is how to attach items like fiberglass flares to metal. I want to mold them for a smooth appearance without it cracking later down the road. I did some searching, and from what I am reading, I think overkill is my best bet: I want to mold fiberglass flares to the back wheel wells for a smooth appearance. Therefore I think I should a combination of bolting the use use of that adhesive 3M puts out (think it's called E-6000 or something like that). That way the flare is solidly attached. I would then use the bondo with fiberglass hair in it to fill in the seam between the flare and fender. Then sand it down to smooth it out. Am I reading the previous posts correctly? In previous posts Terry Oxdale had e-mailed a word doc to other members about his experience. If somebody out there still has that doc could you e-mail it to wheelman240z@yahoo.com. PLEASE! I will be calling to try to get more info on the front end, I know that it is a full one piece front end. I think I may go for it. I know it will be a lot of work, but I refuse to shy away from hard work. Are there any good books out there on fiberglass work that you know of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Is it the MAS front end? I know they make a one piece front end. Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grenade300 Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Yeah it is, but they only have one or two left and will not be making any more after those are gone. By the way, Speeder I'm sending you a pm about you brakes/wheels setup. 280Zone, send you a pm as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.