Why Fiberglass
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Why Fiberglass
Can someone tell me why GM chose to do the bodies in fiberglass, I would have thought that this would have been an expensive choice for GM.
#2
Melting Slicks
The first Corvettes were made of fiberglass due to the lower cost of making dies to make the parts out of fiberglass on a low volume car. Most people have no concept how much work goes into making metal forming dies, and how many dies are needed to make one metal part.
There was also a time constraint in GM wanting to make the first Corvettes as fast as possible.
There was also a time constraint in GM wanting to make the first Corvettes as fast as possible.
#3
Burning Brakes
I have no idea to the truth so this may be an urban myth. I had heard that all the compound curves on the body made forming them out of metal (at the time) extremely complex.
Again, that could be complete BS.
Again, that could be complete BS.
#5
Pro
The first Corvettes were made of fiberglass due to the lower cost of making dies to make the parts out of fiberglass on a low volume car. Most people have no concept how much work goes into making metal forming dies, and how many dies are needed to make one metal part.
There was also a time constraint in GM wanting to make the first Corvettes as fast as possible.
There was also a time constraint in GM wanting to make the first Corvettes as fast as possible.
Last edited by 68/BB; 02-24-2018 at 11:31 PM.
#6
Team Owner
At that time, you couldn't get sharp body lines with stamped metal dies. Molding the parts with plastic/fiberglass was the way that sexy auto body lines could be formed. Early on, there was some hope that fiberglass bodies would be more cost effective; but that benefit never materialized. No matter. After a handful of years, a metal Corvette would never have been accepted.
Later hydro-forming processes allowed such parts to be formed in metal; but better plastics and plastic forming processes evolved, as well. And, once the 'love affair' with the "plastic" Corvette was in full bloom, there was no going back to metal for that model.
Later hydro-forming processes allowed such parts to be formed in metal; but better plastics and plastic forming processes evolved, as well. And, once the 'love affair' with the "plastic" Corvette was in full bloom, there was no going back to metal for that model.
Last edited by 7T1vette; 02-25-2018 at 12:47 AM.
#7
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Hi,
People, (engineers), at GM were aware of making parts from 'fiberglass' because during WW2 some airplane parts were being made from fiberglass.
In 1951 GM started it's own research with 'fiberglass re-inforced resin' within the "Parts Fabrication Group".
The engineers traveled to 3 companies producing fiberglass parts; one of them being MFG who was building boats, along with other parts.
The first GM test vehicle with a 'fiberglass' body was a 1952 Chevrolet convertible.
For the 1953 Motorama I believe 7 concept cars were built representing the 5 car lines, and 5 of them were 'fiberglass' bodied.
Because the Corvette concept was so well received it was the only one of the 7 to go into production.
In January of 1953 the president of GM, Harlow Curtice, made the decision to use the fiberglass body on the production Corvettes. His decision was likely based on the results of testing the 52 Chevrolet convertible body (including rolling it over accidentally while testing it), and the speed at which the fiberglass body could be brought to production.
So, was the 53 Corvette body was basically a small upside down fiberglass boat hull painted white.
Regards,
Alan
Most of this info is paraphrased from Noland Adams' "Corvette American Legend, #1 The Beginning"
People, (engineers), at GM were aware of making parts from 'fiberglass' because during WW2 some airplane parts were being made from fiberglass.
In 1951 GM started it's own research with 'fiberglass re-inforced resin' within the "Parts Fabrication Group".
The engineers traveled to 3 companies producing fiberglass parts; one of them being MFG who was building boats, along with other parts.
The first GM test vehicle with a 'fiberglass' body was a 1952 Chevrolet convertible.
For the 1953 Motorama I believe 7 concept cars were built representing the 5 car lines, and 5 of them were 'fiberglass' bodied.
Because the Corvette concept was so well received it was the only one of the 7 to go into production.
In January of 1953 the president of GM, Harlow Curtice, made the decision to use the fiberglass body on the production Corvettes. His decision was likely based on the results of testing the 52 Chevrolet convertible body (including rolling it over accidentally while testing it), and the speed at which the fiberglass body could be brought to production.
So, was the 53 Corvette body was basically a small upside down fiberglass boat hull painted white.
Regards,
Alan
Most of this info is paraphrased from Noland Adams' "Corvette American Legend, #1 The Beginning"
#8
Pro
Hi,
People, (engineers), at GM were aware of making parts from 'fiberglass' because during WW2 some airplane parts were being made from fiberglass.
In 1951 GM started it's own research with 'fiberglass re-inforced resin' within the "Parts Fabrication Group".
The engineers traveled to 3 companies producing fiberglass parts; one of them being MFG who was building boats, along with other parts.
The first GM test vehicle with a 'fiberglass' body was a 1952 Chevrolet convertible.
For the 1953 Motorama I believe 7 concept cars were built representing the 5 car lines, and 5 of them were 'fiberglass' bodied.
Because the Corvette concept was so well received it was the only one of the 7 to go into production.
In January of 1953 the president of GM, Harlow Curtice, made the decision to use the fiberglass body on the production Corvettes. His decision was likely based on the results of testing the 52 Chevrolet convertible body (including rolling it over accidentally while testing it), and the speed at which the fiberglass body could be brought to production.
So, was the 53 Corvette body was basically a small upside down fiberglass boat hull painted white.
Regards,
Alan
Most of this info is paraphrased from Noland Adams' "Corvette American Legend, #1 The Beginning"
People, (engineers), at GM were aware of making parts from 'fiberglass' because during WW2 some airplane parts were being made from fiberglass.
In 1951 GM started it's own research with 'fiberglass re-inforced resin' within the "Parts Fabrication Group".
The engineers traveled to 3 companies producing fiberglass parts; one of them being MFG who was building boats, along with other parts.
The first GM test vehicle with a 'fiberglass' body was a 1952 Chevrolet convertible.
For the 1953 Motorama I believe 7 concept cars were built representing the 5 car lines, and 5 of them were 'fiberglass' bodied.
Because the Corvette concept was so well received it was the only one of the 7 to go into production.
In January of 1953 the president of GM, Harlow Curtice, made the decision to use the fiberglass body on the production Corvettes. His decision was likely based on the results of testing the 52 Chevrolet convertible body (including rolling it over accidentally while testing it), and the speed at which the fiberglass body could be brought to production.
So, was the 53 Corvette body was basically a small upside down fiberglass boat hull painted white.
Regards,
Alan
Most of this info is paraphrased from Noland Adams' "Corvette American Legend, #1 The Beginning"
Yes. And I see MFG had a facility in Ashtabula, OH. Connecting the dots to my friends recollection.
#9
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Hi 68,
Yes, Ashtabula is the site of the MFG plant the GM engineers traveled to to observe the fiberglass processes.
Regards,
Alan
I wonder if Corvettes were ever close to having colored gel coat as the exterior finish?
Yes, Ashtabula is the site of the MFG plant the GM engineers traveled to to observe the fiberglass processes.
Regards,
Alan
I wonder if Corvettes were ever close to having colored gel coat as the exterior finish?
Last edited by Alan 71; 02-25-2018 at 12:46 PM.
#10
Burning Brakes
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Well, in the midwest where the salted the roads it was a blessing. The porshe dealers gave a SS shovel with every purchase so you could shovel the rust bucket into the dumpster.
Dom
Dom