Fiberglass doors. Anyone running them on the street?

[RealFastV6]

Originally posted by Spoolinup
If you have ever seen the stock piece that is in the door it is so tiny. I mean the door does way more for stopping the impact than that brace. Thats why the idea of the fiber doors with the bigger brace system seemed better. Triple or even quadruple the inner support against the impact. Maybe that might equalize the factory door strength.

The factory door brace is far from a "Tiny piece of metal". Its a 3 sided THICK steel bar that weighs 20lbs. Thats more then the rest of the door itself weighs. I could see cutting the bar out if you've got a cage, but why are you going to bother to get fg/cf doors just so that you can add a heavy support to them?

You're going to negate any weight savings from it if you do add a crash beam, they wont be as straight as real doors, the weight of a glass window is likely to piss the door off, you'll have a hard time mating the crash beam to the actual support structures of the door (the post, lock, hinges).

I give up.

 

[Scott231]

Originally posted by Spoolinup
Scott231, are you saying the fiber doors rub even during just cruising without the cage? Or even with the cage?

Without. Same reason you do not run ladder bars with solid bushings on the street. The constant bumps and jeers of america's highways and street systems dictate a lot of twisting and flexing of the chassis/body.

 

[Spoolinup]

>I could see cutting the bar out if you've got a cage, but why are you going to bother to get fg/cf doors just so that you can add a heavy support to them?<

I only speak of the fiber doors because of the fact that my factory doors are probably toast and for me to find good doors off another gn would be expensive and probably do the same crap 5 to 10 years down the road anyway. Illinois loves salt and even in spring you can see residue on the streets. And weight to me is really not the reason why I want them. I can get the fiber doors for $540, so that is more of the reason and they will not rust.

If my doors are going to be hard to fix, I will end up getting the doors and doing the cage. But I want to hash out every option so that I do not spend another $1000 on something and later in about a year someone else makes the fiber doors more like the factory in impact strength. I am sure someone can do it.

 

[GDNF2ET]

How are fiberglass doors strengthened on some of the newer factory cars ?

 

[Iceman]

Just want to throw this in here for what it is worth.
Both of my Corvettes had fiberglass doors!

 

[Spoolinup]

I found a pair of rust free california stock doors for $300, so I could not pass it up about 3 months ago.

Hopefully I will get the car back from my uncle in 2 weeks and see how my fabricated 1 1/4 inch extra metal gnx flares came out. I have a 27x12x15 hoosier street slick I would like to fit in there with room to spare.

The corvette thing always amazed me on these topics, they came like that from the factory.

Oh well.

 

[WH1 85]

Try talking to someone who has put together one of those f/g street rods. Or who has put on a glass wing, or ground effects. You will drive yourself crazy just trying to get things to line up. Cause believe me they won't.

And again talk to someone who has a glass street rod. They'll tell you just how much steel needs to be in for reinforcement.

And yes corvettes come with glass doors. But can you say GENERAL MOTORS FLAGSHIP. New Ferrari's come with aluminum frames. You could do that to save weight.

Just go to the boneyard. Find some doors off a regal. Even doors from a cutlass will work. It will cost you maybe $100 a pop.

 

[mygrain]

I can get the doors if you want them and take care of you, I know the shop out here. mike@spoolinup.com
I got the hood, trunk and maybe the doors from them. And they even have a whole front end piece. Email me

Im interestd in a front end for a race car, PM me with more details and a price please.

 

[earlbrown]

my TVR has glass doors and no cage. it's even a convertable! my crapvette had glass doors too, from the factory. lots of twist, i think the frame was made out of cheeze.

earl

 

[salvageV6]

I would think the difference in an aftermarket glass door and the factory GM Corvette ones can be explained by using 2 fiberglass boats.

A SeaRay and a Bayliner.

Think about it.