I have been doing some research on the different types of body kits. Fiberglass, Urathane, FRP, Carbon Fiber etc. I am thinking of picking one up in the near future, however i have read that purhcasing bodykits can be a bad investment do to damage and install problems.

i was wondering if anyone could provide definitive information on the different kinds of materials and how they behave when being bent or struck, as well as there install characteristics (IE paint and fitment)

please also list personal experinces with originals and replicas

thanks

rick

As I understand it, FRP is fiberglass. But among fiberglass materials, there is hand-laid fiberglass used by the Japanese for their body kits, and there is the nonhand-laid used by the cheapo US replica kits.

Hand-laid fiberglass
1. Bends slightly
2. Durable
3. Cracks can be repaired

Urethane
1. Flexible and bendable
2. Durable
3. Cannot be repaired
4. Paint fades more rapidly than fiberglass

Carbon fiber
1. Strongest
2. Flexible and bendable
3. Less weight
4. No need to paint
5. Very expensive

Now, there is a fourth material developed by ShineAuto specifically for body kits. They call it flexible FRP. It is made of a special resin mixed with fiberglass that gives it tensile strength and flexibility. Based on their customer experiences and testimonials, ShineAuto's flexible FRP seems to be holding up pretty well.

in addition/correction to mountain's list:

urethane can sag due to extreme temperatures.

carbonfiber is not flexible or bendable, and in bodykit terms is laid on top of fiberglass so if anything weighs more.

the hybrid flexible fiberglass has been formulated by a few companies, one of the best being Ings. it really is good material, best of both worlds. i've heard one instance of flexible frp dipping a lil but it really depends on the mix.

"sprayed fiberglass" compared to hand-laid
drastically heavier due to all the resin
less flexible
thicker

arn't stock parts normaly urethane?

ya.. aren't stock parts normally urethane?

btw, do you guys know why stock bumpers normally don't get small chips, while after market often gets it.. even in expensive orginal ones.. is it the paint?

yes, stock parts are normally urethane (polyurethane).
they fit so well that is why they have no problems with sagging. but if it is damaged in an accident it is unrepairable (at least for the cost).

fiberglass is more prone to rock chips than urethane because its surface is more rigid and harder. rocks can chip the layer of paint or even into the fiberglass.

My stock front bumper/hood have chips all over the place. Just saying.

haha that is true

... theres always Metton that the MS kit is made of. would be REALLY nice if some companies looked into using it for their kits. from what i have seen on my friends authentic MS kit, its pretty flexible, fairly lightweight, and if manufacturing quality is good, no issues with sagging or drooping as it get abused by high temps etc..

ya.. aren't stock parts normally urethane?

btw, do you guys know why stock bumpers normally don't get small chips, while after market often gets it.. even in expensive orginal ones.. is it the paint?


I wanna know too. I have to repaint my urethane lip every year to ged rid of the chips. The bumper is fine. Must be the painting process/paint/clear. What they use???

FRP-Fiberglass reinforced plastic.
In my experience all non manufacturer sanctioned body parts will not fit perfectly. I would only buy Mazdaspeed for Mazda, Mugen for Honda etc, etc. I purchased a full urethane kit from Wingswest (pretty reputable guys) for my old CRX and although it was pretty close I still spent several hours fitting it, never again.

bumpers & sideskirts:
urethane or carbon fiber, never fiberglass because it will crack and or break.

doorcaps:
should be fiberglass or carbon fiber, not urethane, because if you mold it to the doors the urethane will expand and contract over time causing your mold (usually fiberglass anyway) to develop cracks. This looks bad and will cause you to repaint the area if not the whole car every 1-2 years.

what is with all the fiberglass hate?...here are some reasons why i chose my path in kits :)

Overview of the Two Materials

Urethane is flexible but very difficult to customize or repair in any way.

Fiberglass is rigid but can be readily repaired or customized by a competent shop.

Points to be Considered

Purchase Cost
Fitment
Ability to Customize or Modify
Cost and Ability to repair


PURCHASE COST

If you are purchasing a quality part or kit, the urethane products are probably going to be slightly more expensive.


FITMENT

Generally speaking, a urethane product will fit a car slightly better right out of the box due to the control in the manufacturing process.
However, a urethane product CANNOT be fitted as exactly as a fiberglass part. Fiberglass products usually require trimming or filling during installation.


ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE OR MODIFY

A good custom shop can modify or customize ALL fiberglass products. Fiberglass is a material that can be shaped, changed or fitted to any application. These mods can be reinforced to produce significant strength and durability. Urethane cannot be reworked or modified with any degree of durability.


COST AND ABILITY TO REPAIR

Urethane parts are flexible and will absorb very small 'hits' without creating serious damage (cracks or holes). However, once urethane is cracked in any manner, it is usually sent to the scrap pile out back.

Fiberglass parts are totally repairable. Most damaged parts, within reason, of course, can be repaired by any shop experienced with fiberglass. Proper repairs on fiberglass parts are durable and should be permanent.

Let's look at a repair cost scenario on a full bumper replacement kit.
Suppose there are a couple of good sized cracks in the front bumper. Normally, with a urethane kit, the bumper will need to be replaced.
Usually, the part cost is approximately $425.00 + $125.00 (average) in shipping. The labor to remove/replace and paint will be a constant cost in either replacing or repairing. There will probably be a time delay of up to 4 weeks until the replacement bumper arrives. The same cracks in a fiberglass bumper can probably be repaired immediately for a labor cost of $150.00. In most cases, unless the damage is very severe, this means a savings of $400.00 to repair a fiberglass front bumper rather than replacing a urethane bumper.

taken from

http://www.wickedbodies.net/FAQ's.htm

anyone hear of these guys?

http://www.kgsengineering.com/hybridaero-0407-mazda-rx8-mspeed-side-skirts-p-147.html

isnt kgs a division of extreme dimension?....they always seem to advertise together or share ad space

i don't know, but they do advertise more than just what extreme dimensions has. location wise they're about 20 miles apart though.

Check this pic out of fatboys (http://www.fatboygarage.com/) FRP:

http://www.fatboygarage.com/images/AIT_flexibilitybumpers.jpg

the only prblem i had with fitting my fiberglass front end was doing some adjustments to fit the side marker lights.. (had to do some custom cuts) but other than that it fit fine.. now the only problems i have now are the insane amounts of "beauty marks" i have on the front bumper.. by beauty marks i mean rock chips. but yeah nothing wrong with fiberglass so far..

fatboys equal AIT???????? am I correct?
I believe some one here is selling kits for AIT.....
how's the fitment on the flexible frp ?????? how is the quality of AIT's kit?
anyone know?

Check this pic out of fatboys (http://www.fatboygarage.com/) FRP:

http://www.fatboygarage.com/images/AIT_flexibilitybumpers.jpg

has anyone used this kit? if so, how has it worked out?

Shine makes this material also, and most likely better than anybody else.

someone with a Autoexe front claim it's bumper material is too thin and it get wavy after paint. And that's what concern me the most with "hybrid" material, can they last? no one answer that question still, maybe no one have their products yet?

Check this pic out of fatboys (http://www.fatboygarage.com/) FRP:

http://www.fatboygarage.com/images/AIT_flexibilitybumpers.jpg

i cant imagine something THAT flexible being able to avoid sagging under time or heat???

Metton FTW!!!! someone else start using it already jeezuz

i cant imagine something THAT flexible being able to avoid sagging under time or heat???

Metton FTW!!!! someone else start using it already jeezuz


ok , your judgement is base on imagination.
if you search around and you'll find that Ings kits are also THAT flexible and it holds up pretty good and they doesn't seems to have problems with heat.
Someone or know someone have AIT products?

ait is close but not perfect....its one of the better companies when it comes to the replicas

VIS replicas are pretty good for FRP Replicas.. I bought my MS Replica from them and it was great.

what is with all the fiberglass hate?...here are some reasons why i chose my path in kits :)

Overview of the Two Materials

Urethane is flexible but very difficult to customize or repair in any way.

Fiberglass is rigid but can be readily repaired or customized by a competent shop.

Points to be Considered

Purchase Cost
Fitment
Ability to Customize or Modify
Cost and Ability to repair


PURCHASE COST

If you are purchasing a quality part or kit, the urethane products are probably going to be slightly more expensive.


FITMENT

Generally speaking, a urethane product will fit a car slightly better right out of the box due to the control in the manufacturing process.
However, a urethane product CANNOT be fitted as exactly as a fiberglass part. Fiberglass products usually require trimming or filling during installation.


ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE OR MODIFY

A good custom shop can modify or customize ALL fiberglass products. Fiberglass is a material that can be shaped, changed or fitted to any application. These mods can be reinforced to produce significant strength and durability. Urethane cannot be reworked or modified with any degree of durability.


COST AND ABILITY TO REPAIR

Urethane parts are flexible and will absorb very small 'hits' without creating serious damage (cracks or holes). However, once urethane is cracked in any manner, it is usually sent to the scrap pile out back.

Fiberglass parts are totally repairable. Most damaged parts, within reason, of course, can be repaired by any shop experienced with fiberglass. Proper repairs on fiberglass parts are durable and should be permanent.

Let's look at a repair cost scenario on a full bumper replacement kit.
Suppose there are a couple of good sized cracks in the front bumper. Normally, with a urethane kit, the bumper will need to be replaced.
Usually, the part cost is approximately $425.00 + $125.00 (average) in shipping. The labor to remove/replace and paint will be a constant cost in either replacing or repairing. There will probably be a time delay of up to 4 weeks until the replacement bumper arrives. The same cracks in a fiberglass bumper can probably be repaired immediately for a labor cost of $150.00. In most cases, unless the damage is very severe, this means a savings of $400.00 to repair a fiberglass front bumper rather than replacing a urethane bumper.

taken from

http://www.wickedbodies.net/FAQ's.htm

Hey Chris now you have me thinking. I was going to pick up the Veilside front end , made of Urethane , but if I cracked it for some reason then I would be in trouble. Maybe I should pick the Vailside but in Fiberglass. Like that is't fixible. What do you think?