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Lucio
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Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Lucio »

Dear friends,
I've been given a fairly good price quote for a new fiberglass bonnet and hatch for my GTV6.
Can someone in the know tell me pros/cons of such conversion? Rust-free & reduction of weight are certainly pro's. What about cons? Is fiberglass hard to paint? Easy to scratch afterwards?
I imagine I need a new seal for the hatch glass, correct?

I'm getting tired of rust...I live close to the seaside and use my car almost as a daily driver so I definitely need a solution that doesn't force me to do a new paint job every other year...

Speak your mind :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Mats
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Mats »

Fibreglass rear hatch on a streetcar wouldn't even cross my mind, impossible to get to seal and can't see how it would work well with a glass window. Noisy I'd guess too.
Mats Strandberg
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GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
Lucio
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Lucio »

Mats wrote:Fibreglass rear hatch on a streetcar wouldn't even cross my mind, impossible to get to seal and can't see how it would work well with a glass window. Noisy I'd guess too.
Why? Please elaborate 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Can't one simply use the seals of the original hatch?

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mjr
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by mjr »

no where near strong enough for a hatch lid, with such a big piece of glass. CF or composite may work. too much flex in fibreglass
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Alfa GTV6 NZ
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Alfa GTV6 NZ »

i would agree, the glass would be to heavy.
if you had a fibre glass hatch you would need to use a lexan or plastic rear window to keep the weight down.
1987 GTV6 - Livin in New Zealand.
Lucio
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Lucio »

Alfa GTV6 NZ wrote:i would agree, the glass would be to heavy.
if you had a fibre glass hatch you would need to use a lexan or plastic rear window to keep the weight down.
They claim half the weight of the original one. Here you can see the hatch and other parts:
http://highwoodalfa.com/bob2/7784b8c0-5 ... f75-9.html

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Mats
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Mats »

I'd say my rear hatch with PC window weighs somethink like a tenth of what a sheet metal/glass unit does. But it is very difficult to perfectly reproduce a sheel metal part in fibreglass, the shape is not easy to get perfect and the GTV rear hatch is very slender in the windoe frame area and therefore very difficult to get stiff enough to seal properly. You will have problems with exhaust in cabin...
Mats Strandberg
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-

GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by mjr »

agree with Mats. stick with the metal hatch, and fit plexi glass. most of the weight is in the glass
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Mats »

I wouldn't even consider plexi/PC glass on a car used on the streets, too noisy!
Mats Strandberg
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-

GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
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Re: Fiberglass bonnet and hatch

Post by Lucio »

Mats wrote:I wouldn't even consider plexi/PC glass on a car used on the streets, too noisy!
Thanks to everyone for the feedback! What about the bonnet/hood instead? Similar pros/cons? Or is it safer?

Thanks
L
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