Fibreglass Body Kit Pros and Cons That You Need To Know

Fibreglass Body Kit Pros and Cons That You Need To Know

Fibreglass Body Kit Pros and Cons That You Need To Know

Matt O'Rourke
28 August 2019

Car customizations are extremely popular in this day and age. Most car owners find happiness in installing different kinds of modifications for their vehicles, both inside and out. Some claim that adding a personalized touch to your own car also increases its shelf life, as the customizations often improve the car’s overall performance as well. With several body shops and customization stores offering new and exciting products to decorate your car with, there is no shortage of options for car owners to choose from.

One of the more sought-after car customizations is the addition of a personalized body kit. Body kits are augmented car parts specifically manufactured to improve a vehicle’s beauty or performance. You can choose to install a full body kit or go for smaller parts first like front or rear bumpers, side skirts, hood or spoiler kits.

There are also different materials available when purchasing body kits, and it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each material so you can better decide which one fits your car best. In this article, we will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of using fibreglass for body kit customization.

Fibreglass is Cost-Effective

Fibreglass is the most popular choice for body kits because of several reasons, and one among these is its wallet-friendly cost. Fibreglass is very easy to manufacture, and less manufacturing costs lead directly to affordable market prices. Purchasing a customized body kit can be quite expensive, especially if your base material is rare or hard to produce. Starting off with cost-friendly yet effective source material like fibreglass can be the perfect start for beginners at car customization.

Fibreglass body kits can also be somewhat low-maintenance, which makes it highly recommended for people looking to save in the long run. Although the composition is made up mostly of recycled materials, the synthesized product is rather sturdy and easy to repair. Although damaged fibreglass panels can be easily replaced by buying new ones, you can also restore and remodel the wear and tear yourself by using Bondo kits readily available at hardware stores. Fiberglass Bondo works wonders in strengthening the base panels, and the waterproofing coating allows you to repaint your design if necessary. This can result in significant savings when compounded since you will not need to bring your kit to a body shop every time it breaks or becomes damaged.

Easy to Decorate

If you are looking for a complicated design for your body kit, fibreglass may be the right choice for you. For starters, this material accentuates well with paint, so it won’t be hard to make your design look more prominent and noticeable with just basic staining or coatings. If ever you change your mind with the design, you can also just reapply paint colours and it will look just as new. Paint comes off just as easily as it sticks with fibreglass.

A lot of car owners also prefer fibreglass because of its natural sturdy look. Since the material is pretty rigid, its normal state appears edgier than other body kits. The sharp features make it easier for body shops to shape the kit into more aggressive designs, fit for sports cars and racing types.

Good with Severe Temperature

Some materials have a tendency to warp when subjected to severe heat, while others have shown chances of cracking when left in severe cold. Fibreglass does well under both conditions, as its medium adapts well to both high and low temperatures. If you usually drive long hours under the sun or if the city you live in gets snowed a lot, going for a fibreglass body kit can help protect your car from any environmental damages.

Efficient Performance

Fibreglass kits are light in weight, making it convenient if you are looking to keep your car’s current speed and resistance. Back in the 1980s, high profile muscle cars were often built using fiberglass, as the material was the only option if you wanted to manufacture radical curves on a car without putting on too much weight. Fiberglass was so convenient that even up to now, Corvettes are generally made with the material to save on production costs. The same holds true for race cars: these hybrid speedsters usually employ a combination of fibreglass and carbon fibre in their body kits to keep the vehicle light while also improving the engine’s efficiency. Since fibreglass does not add weight or resistance to the car, the engine can function normally and maximize its fuel.

Disadvantages of Fiberglass

Like every other material, fibreglass is not free of its own disadvantages. Despite being almost invulnerable to extreme temperatures, fibreglass has a penchant for breaking or cracking if put under too much force. The good news is, this drawback can be negligible as long as the car owner takes really good care of his or her car while driving or even parking.

Fibreglass is also harder to install than other body kit materials because too much force when handling it can lead to damages before the kit gets properly installed. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you only buy fibreglass body kits if you are familiar with a body shop or professional service properly skilled to complete installing the kit. In addition to that, you also need to be prepared to pay higher installation costs since it requires more skill than the usual.

Fibreglass has a lot of benefits, but it also comes with its share of downsides. Choosing fibreglass can help car owners decorate their vehicles without compromising performance, and the higher installation costs are easily offset by the long-term savings from the material’s repairable mould. If you want to learn more information about fibreglass kits, you can always try to go to AusBody Works and a professional can surely help you with any queries regarding these items.

Matt O'Rourke's friends call him the 'Mad Scientist' because of his love for ripping apart anything with a motor and putting it back together. He's always looking for that next 'part' that will take his car's performance to a new level.