Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 672
Likes: 0
From: Flanders N.J.
Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass?
Does anyone know if driving in extreme cold could possibly affect the
fiberglass? Someone mentioned to me recently that driving in exteme cold
temps could cause the fiberglass to crack!
Any experiences??
fiberglass? Someone mentioned to me recently that driving in exteme cold
temps could cause the fiberglass to crack!
Any experiences??
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (Peter Bilella)
I hear lots of little pops and ticks going on in real cold weather. I think it probably is possible to crack something if you were to hit a pothole while the glass was frozen.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (Peter Bilella)
Extreme cold has an effect on everything. There is no moisture in fiberglass to freeze. It's a plastic resin with fiberglass material for reinforcement. I have never heard of a Corvette cracking in extreme cold. I have driven my 74 and my 80 in extreme cold without anything more than a new creak or two which usually went away after the car had warmed up.
:)
:)
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,078
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (Easy Mike)
You know, a guy at work tells me that Corvettes crack just from getting cold. They need to be stored warm or they crack and fall apart. (he knows everything too, just ask him) It's because they are made of fiberglass. I asked him what he thought snowmobile hoods were made of, and he said they are a higher quality fiberglass. :lol: I don't think they crack just from getting cold. Many semi cabs are made of a majority fiberglass, and they don't break.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (tangee-vette)
Don't know about the body but the manual says not to raise/lower the soft top when it is less than 50 degrees out. And I have the proof why. :jester
About a six inch crack/tear in the vinyl. Oh well, it lasted 10 years and I think I will go with a cloth top this time round.
About a six inch crack/tear in the vinyl. Oh well, it lasted 10 years and I think I will go with a cloth top this time round.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Livonia, MI
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (SteveG75)
I dont know about cracking but I have seen a bad paint experience. The previous owner of my Dad's '59 Vette decided to take thier car through the car wash to remove some snow and ice. The snow and ice came off along with some huge patches of paint. The car looked so rediculuous they parked in a barn for many years.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
Likes: 3
From: Surrey
Re: Does cold weather driving affect fiberglass? (RatMat)
I wouldn't have thought so. Maybe it's more brittle when very cold but it shouldn't crack. If it did then that would mean that an awful lot of yachts that are dry docked over the winter would sink when they get lifted back into the water come springtime. Just another way of looking at it!
I'd be more worried about road salt corroding everything, or hitting an ice patch & sliding into an old Ford! Some of those old Fords are made solid - mine's written off 2 modern cars & is still straight :smash:
:cheers:
Paul
I'd be more worried about road salt corroding everything, or hitting an ice patch & sliding into an old Ford! Some of those old Fords are made solid - mine's written off 2 modern cars & is still straight :smash:
:cheers:
Paul
