Carbon Fibre or Fibreglass

JahjaMan · Post by **JahjaMan** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:13 pm

hi guys
was thinking about replacing bonnet and boot.
i was just wondering which is lighter, CF or fibreglass.

i want to get the AB style bonnet
http://www.carmate.com/product_details. ... &p_id=5930

but since im going to be respraying it black to match car, wonder if there's any difference in weight? or is it just the strength?

same with the boot
http://www.carmate.com/product_details. ... &p_id=5941
http://www.carmate.com/product_details. ... &p_id=5940

the fibreglass ones from carmate.com are about half the price of the CF models.

Hobbsie · Post by **Hobbsie** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:20 pm

CF weighs a few less kilos, nothing significant. as for other factors, CF is considerably stronger than fibreglass, but this is more of a bad thing since it means if you are in a crash the bonnet can actually go through your windscreen and do some serious damage (e.g. decipitate you

) whereas fibreglass will crack and crumple.

the only real reason to get a cf bonnet over fibreglass on a street car is if u like the CF look, if your gonna paint it black then save some money and go fibreglass.. any CF bonnet u get will likely be fibreglass on the inside anyway

Liquidity · Post by **Liquidity** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:45 pm

Fibreglass can also shatter, like glass, when hit with significant force. I do believe either material, in bonnets, is illegal unless crash tested. just something to keep in mind.

fto617 · Post by **fto617** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:41 pm

hey guys, i'll clarify this one more time...althought i've said it heaps of times...
carmate sells what they claimed "carbon" products,
but they are just fibreglass underlay and coated with cf on top,
in this process, the cf is jsut like a "topcoat"
FG and "CF" is defenitely no differnet weigh difference/
when when u smash the "cf" bonnet, it will shatter too.

JahjaMan · Post by **JahjaMan** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:37 pm

thank you! =)

i just needed to know diff characteristics and weight, and it's all answered!

haha thanks

kid_dynamite · Post by **kid_dynamite** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:54 pm

Pretty much all the CF bonnets supplied to the Oz mkt are CF topped FG jobbies. You can get a full (aka 'dry') carbon bonnet custom made / imported which ways significantly less but more $$.

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:39 pm

JahjaMan.. DO NOT buy fibreglass from carmate.. seriously, buy it from somewhere else.

Carmate doesn't sell REAL fibreglass items.. i dunno wtf it is but it's a cheap peice of crap.

I don't know if you've read my post about me getting rear ended.. but I bought a rear bar from them, naturally fibreglass.

My smash repairer called me and told me to come in and take a look at the bar. It's too wide on the car, he said they could fit it but it would stick out and look totally sh*t. Plus it had no place to put my number plate, also no place to put lights for the plates either, also the gap between my lights and the kit would have been too big and it would have had gaping holes in it.
Not only that, he showed me another fibreglass kit he had in the shop, and told me to feel it. It was smooth and light felt solid.. and he also made me feel my old kit which felt exactly the same.. then i felt the one i bought from carmate, and it's like hardened cardboard, it's like.. elastic.. it's a cheap peice of shyt and he's told me he's dealt with them before and they sell dodgey shyt and when i bought my kit from them, they didnt even give me a reciept. just shows how shifty they are.

I went to return it, and they wanted to charge me $80 to return the rear bar, i argued with em and they took $20 off it so i still had to pay $60..
after comparing the quality of their fibreglass with other items, i'd say dont buy it.. they're real shifty.

You can do what you like, it's your car but I am just so furious at what they sold me, it looks like something will hit it lightly and it'll collapse and it's not real fibreglass AT ALL.

Hobbsie · Post by **Hobbsie** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:14 pm

id say its real fibreglass but hasnt cured properly

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:34 pm

well whatever it is, it's dodgey

i dont hate carmate, i'm just warning you guys of my bad experience, hoping you'll at least keep it in mind somewhere as I don't want anybody here to go through the headache

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:07 pm

its not fake fibreglass just a crap job. get your kit from DMD as we have suggested heaps of times and dont waste time with others.

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:20 pm

yep.. DMD have plenty of recommendations and i dont mind paying postage fees for something thats GENUINE not a peice of crap.

JahjaMan · Post by **JahjaMan** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 12:19 pm

thanks sublime19, i JUST read your other thread before i came to this today.
that sounds real dodge.
do carmate have to order them in? or do they have models in the shop, cause a friend lives close to the villawood centre.
EDIT: just wanting to check it out for myself

can i ask who your panel beater is? cause i live in sydney too and i got no idea where to go for these sorta things.

Nacho · Post by **Nacho** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 2:30 pm

Maybe it's 50/50 with carmate coz I ordered a set of topmix sideskirts from some company and in the end I found out the skirts were made by carmate. The kit was a spot on fit and very sturdy compared to my front bar and rear bar that I bought from somewhere else.

Post by **BorepYano** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 2:59 pm

Nacho wrote:Maybe it's 50/50 with carmate coz I ordered a set of topmix sideskirts from some company and in the end I found out the skirts were made by carmate. The kit was a spot on fit and very sturdy compared to my front bar and rear bar that I bought from somewhere else.

maybe they just tried to palm off the crap ones to individuals and give the good ones to big customers (to keep them coming back)... i know i do that

Nacho · Post by **Nacho** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:40 pm

BorepYano wrote:
Nacho wrote:Maybe it's 50/50 with carmate coz I ordered a set of topmix sideskirts from some company and in the end I found out the skirts were made by carmate. The kit was a spot on fit and very sturdy compared to my front bar and rear bar that I bought from somewhere else.
maybe they just tried to palm off the crap ones to individuals and give the good ones to big customers (to keep them coming back)... i know i do that

That could be really true actually coz I didn't really buy it off them directly.

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:06 pm

JahjaMan wrote:thanks sublime19, i JUST read your other thread before i came to this today.
that sounds real dodge.
do carmate have to order them in? or do they have models in the shop, cause a friend lives close to the villawood centre.
EDIT: just wanting to check it out for myself

can i ask who your panel beater is? cause i live in sydney too and i got no idea where to go for these sorta things.

No probs dude, i dont want anybody to have any problems.. and u no i dont get anything out of typing out the long message warning people to be careful, it just makes me feel better telling people and save them a lot of hassle and frustration.

The guys that are working on my car:
PRESIDENT Body Repairs
50 Forge St
Blacktown 2148

They're a very big and extremely reputable workshop, you can tell by the way the place looks, big 2 storey building with a proper lounger room and all and the way they talk to you. They even gave my parents a Merc (those small hatchback ones) as a courtesy car and they do a top job, I can really vouch for them as I have 101% confidence in them.
When you call, most likely it'll be Michael that picks up the phone, or you can ask for Glenn seniour, or Glenn junior (father and son), they're really a bunch of top people I really cannot recommend and thank them enough.

PH: 9622 1168 or 9621 1281

EDIT: In response to your question - They do have them in stock, if they don't then I'm guessing they just order it in for you. But I know they normally keep things in stock.
I don't know how their bonnets will be, but based on my experience I'd say just order it from DMD as their reputable.
All the best.

FTO AUSTRALIA

Carbon Fibre or Fibreglass

Carbon Fibre or Fibreglass?

Carbon Fibre or Fibreglass