Expired Fibreglass body panels, anyone interested?

[Stormy_be]

Hello,

As the first fiberglass body panels for my racing Z3 are coming out of the moulds, I was thinking:
Is there interest of other people in fiberglass panels?

For racing/trackday'ers, single lined would be OK.
For people wanting really good quality and strength, I am planning on doing double layered parts (so the outer layer + the inner layer).
Example of an inner layer bonnet from a dutch seller:
http://www.rickvandenbosch.nl/bmwz3.html


No rust issues EVER with fiberglass.

Would people on this forum be interested in such parts?
Sent me a message.

Regards, Koen

 

[GazHyde]

Would be really interested to see how this goes. Guess it all comes down to cost at the end of the day though.

 

[Stormy_be]

As I had a reaction elsewhere on the strength of fiberglass, I wanted to share this:

The strength of fiberglass is something a lot of people don't get and were there are a lot of misunderstandings.
Just searching on the web for a couple of minutes, I found this video (as images say more then any words).
Most people will not believe the strength fiberglass can have:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZhkeW4Wh4A

I will let everyone for himself make up his mind about the strength of fiberglass.

Regards, Koen

 

[Aceman]

I think there would be interest if you did replacement sill covers as they are prone to rust as Gary knows all too we'll and I have seen some zeds with lower front wings with the dreaded ringworm too. As said it all depends on cost but I know this also depends on demand for you to make it worthwhile so I too will be interested to see where this goes.

 

[GazHyde]

Yes! Replacement sills which don't rust would be brilliant! Watching the video, I'm thinking it would be up to the job for those. If you whack the side sills it's going to do damage no matter what they are made of.

 

[Stormy_be]

I will look into that.
Remembering the shape (by heart), it can be done in a 2-piece mould...don't know if a 1-piece mould would be possible.
U-shaped would be ok, but if it's more "round" then "U" it would need a 2-piece mould.
If it more then U-shape, it would make it impossible to release from a 1-piece mould.

The piece will still be from 1 piece of fiberglass. But the mould would be 2 half's, to be able to release the piece from it's mould(s).

Hard to explain in words. Hope it is more or less clear, reading it.

 

[Stormy_be]

Just double checked and it could be done from a single piece mould.

 

[Stormy_be]

Today separated the inner and outer sheet of the bootlid.
I know the inner sheet gives it strength, but I didn't know it was so much.
I've made a small movie of me wigling the outer skin (I've tried to upload it)
http://users.skynet.be/fb085082/kde/outer_skin.mp4

This is the inner skin:

So for about the real strength of the original body parts...

Regards, Koen

 

[Stormy_be]

Mould of the inner skin released this morning:

Next to do is a mould of the side skirts.

 

[Aceman]

Looking good mate will be interesting to see the finished article.

 

[GazHyde]

Out of interest how much does the boot lid inner and outer bits weigh?

 

[Stormy_be]

Out of interest how much does the boot lid inner and outer bits weigh?

The moulds come in at 2,5 kg each (inner and outer skin) for the moment.
But they are made with 2 thick coats of gelcoat (as I wanted to foresee small corrections needed in the mould - in the end almost not needed) and 30%-40% more fiberglass then the actual piece.
The moulds will be reinforced even more later. But you can't do that directly otherwise they become too stiff and it would become impossible to release them from the original piece (although the original also bends a little to help separate the two).

So in the end a complete piece would be 3,5 kg - 4,5 kg.
That is taking into account the material needed for bounding the two together and the small aluminum plates to spread the load of the hinges that will be behind the inner skin.

I've measured the metal inner skin, that was 4,9 kg.
I couldn't measure the outer skin directly as it is shelved, so you have to add the outer skin to that.

In the end I expect 1/2 to 1/3 of the weight of the metal version.

Regards, Koen

 

[Stormy_be]

Aceman, Gazhyde,

Myself, I calculated that my fabrication cost would be about 100-150€ (a pair).

Tried to get a benchmark on the sills.
The website I've put in the first post are fabricators themselves.
On their website, they only sell sills for the E36. But they seem not that different from the Z3 (good enough to get a benchmark).
They advertise them at 150€. At the bottom of their website states "all prices are per item".
To be sure I emailed them to see if that price is also for 1 side or for a pair (as it sounds ideot to replace only one side).
Got response today that the indicated price is per side, so 300€ in total.

As my fabrication cost would be about 100-150€ (a pair), I would be selling them at about 200€ (about 170-175£)...maybe a discount for my first customers.
Just like all parts, they are made in 5 steps. Each step taking +/- 1h for the skirts.

Regards, Koen

 

[TMC Motorsport]

We would definitely be interested in fibreglass panels for the race car. We've got the bonnet already, but the doors are very heavy, and there would be savings on the quarter panels as well, not to mention the ease of repair for battle scars. Please keep me up to date.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[oldcarman]

Hi Koen, very impressive. I wonder what it will take to ship them to Canada? Will have to look at that once you're further along but I'm amazed at how quick you are advancing. Let's talk later about NA distributing. JIM

 

[Stormy_be]

Most of the moulds (for the skins) are ready.
I'm now looking into the parts that are glued to the rear of the panels.
These are mostly used as the fixing-points of the panels.
I want to copy them too, so that the original fixation can remain.

Regards, Koen

 

[Euan Clayton]

Reckon rear quarter panels would be worth doing. Esp on the older models like mine.

 

[Stormy_be]

Reckon rear quarter panels would be worth doing. Esp on the older models like mine.

Well, some people are doing conversions to wide body...could be done in Fiberglass in one go.
Now, the price....impossible to compete with 2nd hand body parts. But they will be of some age too.
You have to compare apples with apples.

 

[J_K]

Very interested in a bonnet.
How much are they shipped to the UK?
Or collect from you??
Would only need to be a single skin. And defects would be ok. I need to extend the arches for a drift car.

 

[Euan Clayton]

Well, some people are doing conversions to wide body...could be done in Fiberglass in one go.
Now, the price....impossible to compete with 2nd hand body parts. But they will be of some age too.
You have to compare apples with apples.

Problem with second hand is that they can be as rusty under the paint