Press Mold Or Handlayed Fiberglass For a Restomod?
#1
Supporting Vendor
Thread Starter
Press Mold Or Handlayed Fiberglass For a Restomod?
If you're building a restomod with an aftermarket chassis and LS engine do you want your fiberglass press molded or handlayed? Please chime in with your opinion and explain.
__________________
http://www.dynamiccorvettes.com/
http://www.dynamiccorvettes.com/
Popular Reply
11-16-2023, 02:13 PM
Le Mans Master
Don't understand why someone would build a high-end resto-mod with custom chassis and LS power and then scrimp on the fiberglass. Press molded all day long in my book.
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Feb 2003
Location: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
Posts: 49,194
Received 7,026 Likes
on
4,829 Posts
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
I was always told the money you save buying hand laid you make it back in labor to make it fit and look good.
The following users liked this post:
mike coletta (11-16-2023)
#3
Tether Man
Member Since: Dec 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, South Hills
Posts: 4,569
Received 2,035 Likes
on
1,049 Posts
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
Resto-Mod: I would go with what ever you can get in a timely manner. As mentioned many time on the CF, PM deliveries are extended. Keith is correct about the difference between the two. I can only think you'd get the HL parts faster.....
#4
Le Mans Master
Don't understand why someone would build a high-end resto-mod with custom chassis and LS power and then scrimp on the fiberglass. Press molded all day long in my book.
The following 8 users liked this post by leif.anderson93:
4 Speed Dave (11-16-2023),
68sixspeed (11-28-2023),
dcamick (11-17-2023),
Factoid (11-16-2023),
IMSA GTO (11-16-2023),
and 3 others liked this post.
#5
Safety Car
I agree with that, and I've built a lot of them. The labor involved to get good fitment with a HL part is off the charts. Press molded all day. As the ad says: " Do it right, or don't do it at all".
The following 2 users liked this post by mike coletta:
Factoid (11-16-2023),
provette67 (11-16-2023)
#6
Safety Car
Member Since: Mar 2006
Location: Itasca IL
Posts: 3,840
Received 849 Likes
on
475 Posts
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
I agree with that 100%. I can understand not sourcing a car with a perfect original-panel body to do a restomod (especially a 63, since they had so many quality issues), but I would certainly want the highest quality new body panels I could get. An extra $10-15K parts cost in the process of building a custom car is almost insignificant.
The following users liked this post:
dcamick (11-16-2023)
#9
Team Owner
Member Since: Jul 2001
Location: Various places in California. Not currently aflame.
Posts: 20,522
Received 643 Likes
on
398 Posts
As a non-professional, I'll just say that HL looks cheap. To the extent the back side of the panels is visible, it would make me question the quality of the build.
#10
Burning Brakes
My hand laid nose replacement as part of my recent restoration. It is a CI nose, and I could not be happier. I specifically chose HL as I do not want the seams telegraphing... which they all seem to do over time (yes.. albeit an extended time like 20 years ). But hopefully one gets my point. I feel that all the vibration over time, not to mention the 'suck in' as the various materials shrink over time as they cure and de-gas, will eventually telegraph through hair line stress cracks in the paint. To create a look of authenticity to it (plus added some strength as a side benefit) I bonded in some of the more highly visible bonding strips.
Did it take me a good bit more tie to fit the inner fenders, etc. Yes.. of course. But I got what I believe is a stronger nose w/o all the seams... and... well... my time is a penny on the hour... so all my extra hours did not cost me anything (where a PM nose would have been $6k more). BTW... the quality of the nose was spot on in terms of proper shape / contours. I do not think a PM nose would have needed any less primer / blocking / prep work... and perhaps would have needed even more.
Where it all started
Corvette Image 1 piece nose. I added some (not all) bonding strips to make it look a little more original.
Did it take me a good bit more tie to fit the inner fenders, etc. Yes.. of course. But I got what I believe is a stronger nose w/o all the seams... and... well... my time is a penny on the hour... so all my extra hours did not cost me anything (where a PM nose would have been $6k more). BTW... the quality of the nose was spot on in terms of proper shape / contours. I do not think a PM nose would have needed any less primer / blocking / prep work... and perhaps would have needed even more.
Where it all started
Corvette Image 1 piece nose. I added some (not all) bonding strips to make it look a little more original.
The following users liked this post:
Blown62 (11-17-2023)
#11
Tether Man
Member Since: Dec 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, South Hills
Posts: 4,569
Received 2,035 Likes
on
1,049 Posts
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
VERY NICE! My thinking was simply that a resto-mod didn't use or need factory panels. My PM replacement panels were extremely nice. But, I guess it matters even with modified Corvette's to use quality panels.
65GTO,
That bodywork looks REALLY NICE!
65GTO,
That bodywork looks REALLY NICE!
The following users liked this post:
65GTO (11-16-2023)
#13
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: San Antonio, TX/Mahopac, NY
Posts: 8,465
Received 5,646 Likes
on
2,839 Posts
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Winner - Modified
PM all the way. I’ve worked with fiberglass for several decades as a hobbiest and there is no comparison.
#14
Intermediate
I waited months for press molded parts for a 67. None of it was usable. It was purchased from one of the manufacturers often discussed here. The inner skirt was crude and inconsistent in thickness. The side fender was at least 3 times as thick and extremely heavy when compared with an original. Lastly, the wheel lip did not remotely match the contour of the lamp panel. I was fortunate enough to be able to return it and have since sourced all NOS parts. If you decide to use press molded, be sure to research the manufacturer and quality of their parts. In addition, be prepared to set the project to the side for about a year. That’s how much time I lost waiting for parts that weren’t any good.
The following users liked this post:
65GTO (11-16-2023)
#15
Safety Car
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Horsham Pa
Posts: 3,591
Received 1,054 Likes
on
580 Posts
C2 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I bought a car that had a hand laid front end on already. Someone did a very nice job of installing it, but the car is black and years later you can see the fiberglass imperfections, it became wavy from the heat and nothing you can do about it. Definitely press mold as long as it is truly a press mold part not just a double sided mold.
The following users liked this post:
leif.anderson93 (11-16-2023)
#16
Le Mans Master
I bought a car that had a hand laid front end on already. Someone did a very nice job of installing it, but the car is black and years later you can see the fiberglass imperfections, it became wavy from the heat and nothing you can do about it. Definitely press mold as long as it is truly a press mold part not just a double sided mold.
#17
Intermediate
I bought a car that had a hand laid front end on already. Someone did a very nice job of installing it, but the car is black and years later you can see the fiberglass imperfections, it became wavy from the heat and nothing you can do about it. Definitely press mold as long as it is truly a press mold part not just a double sided mold.
The following 2 users liked this post by arubajohn:
65GTO (11-16-2023),
Scott Marzahl (11-28-2023)
#18
Burning Brakes
I see most people are on the PM bandwagon. I'm just relating my experience. Also, the source of your hand laid plays a major part in this choice. Not all vendors have a good product. I will not bash vendors here in public... we need our vendors in this hobby... but I sent back 2 noses from 2 diff vendors, one was very poor quality, the other the quality of the work was good, but the molds they were using were bad. The nose came with that dreaded top of fender droop already molded into the new nose. They either let their molds sag or pulled a mold from a nose that the top of fender droop was already present.
The 3rd nose, the CI nose, is a very high quality unit (can't say the same for what one will get now that CI has been sold to new owners). I have done enough hands-on restorations and body work to know good, from bad, from excellent quality. But I would not hesitate using a CI hand laid nose again... at least the 62 nose. And I call out the 62 only because just because someone's 62 mold is excellent, it doesn't mean a mold they have for some other year is just as good. Case in point; About 10 years ago I did a nose replacement on my brothers 67 convert. That was a one piece also (his $$$... he wanted to save $$). The quality of that was pretty good. As a result, the 1st 62 nose I got was from that same vendor. The 62 nose.... bad mold... that one had the top of fender droop clearly already there. So it is not a 'universal' that all one piece noses are bad... or good. If one gets a bad one, let's not universally say they are all junk. it is a combination of who did the lay-up work that day, the quality of the materials used, and the quality of the molds they use. The CI nose for a 62 clearly is top quality.
Also.. it is not about 'cheaping out'. I could have used any nose I wanted. But IMO the one peice nose, with no seams and bonding joints is a stronger nose that is less likely to show hairline fractures in the paint at the bonding joints as there is no bonding joints.
Anyway... just adding to the dialog and shared knowledge
Last edited by 65GTO; 11-16-2023 at 09:25 PM.
#20
Burning Brakes
Great Thread! I've been thinking about getting a new nose for my 58, since the one I have needs a lot of work. It appears to be original but apparently been hit at some point in it's life. I was really considering a one piece HL from CI, but now I'm wondering if I should go PM. It's going to be my car and not one I'm building to flip, so there's that. I will continue to follow this thread and make a decision later, not in a real big hurry.
Dex.
Dex.