Cervini fiberglass hatch lids

[dderek]

got bored. looked around their website.
they have fiberglass hatch lids for $449.

i was just wondering, how much do you think they weigh vs stock steel lids.
$450 might be worth that extra weight off the car.
even though its off the rear

plus whatever you make back selling the stock lid

 

[mustang90]

Why would you want to reduce weight off of the rear of the car? There already too light as is. I would save the money and juice up the suspension!
Cervinis only caries the best of quality and Im sure you will save 40lbs or so.

 

[MustangMulch]

Yeah sounds like a bad idea. I'd put the money towards suspension.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Yeah, weight off the car is good, but try to take it off of the front if you can. Have you got the battery in the hatch yet? Doesn't save any weight, but it redistributes the weight that you've already got. Save up for a tubular K-member, that'll cut it down some.

 

[stangbear427]

It isn't even that much of a weight savings. Most of the weight of the hatch is that huge ass glass window. You gonna leave that out? The spoiler is no feather either. The hatch itself, once you take out the glass and pull the wing, doesn't weigh much at all.
Also, as was already mentioned, the weight is coming off the wrong end of the car. About the only benefit I can see at all is that, well, it isn't going to rust...

 

[UMDSmith]

The window weighs no more then 30 lbs. The metal of the hatch weighs more then that. Tempered parts are very light. Even large windshields aren't more then 50 lbs, and I'm talking Chevy/Ford Van's, and Semi's.

 

[UMDSmith]

Call Cervini's, see if they have the specs on weight difference. ANY weight off the car would be good, as long as your suspension is setup to put the weight on the rear wheels under hard acceleration.

Overall though, if you can get 1hp pushing less lbs, front or back, you will be faster. Like I said though, your suspension will have to be set correctly.

 

[stangbear427]

And you've had a hatch apart? I have, several. When you take out the glass and remove the wing, you can carry it around with one finger. Furthurmore, you have to remove 100lbs to shave one tenth of one second off a quarter mile ET, and that's only if the car is left as well balanced as it was before. In this case, it won't be. It takes a performance automatic longer than that to shift. You not only won't shave 100lbs like this, you won't even shave 50. That means the time savings would be more like 1/20th of a second. Absolutely useless, not even considering that taking that weight from the rear, if anything, would make it slower on the holeshot and squirmier at speed regardless of suspension configuration. If this worked, all the fastest foxes would have them, and they don't. Matter of fact, in five years of working on them, living them, and subscribing to every magazine dedicated to them, I think I've seen two- and they weren't that fast anyway.

 

[dderek]

uh i wasnt thinking of this as a 'good mod to do'
i was just asking about it. seeing how much it would save.
shoot me for being curious. damn.

anyway
yes. i have a battery relocation kit. havent installed it yet
still waiting for my heads to get back from the machine shop
yes. suspension is next on my list.
probably maximum motor sports. havent decided
then baer brakes to take me to 5 lug.

i dont appreciate being flamed for asking how much it would save.
weight is weight.
ill have a optima yellowtop & sealed box, 40lb 12" +fiberglass, 1,500watt amp, and dynomat all in the back anyways.
as for the front end. it will all be tubular soon, and aluminum heads save some weight. not like ill have to worry about it being too light back there

and no. i dont care about the extra weight from a system and all that
its my daily driver. id like to enjoy it
and if a sub makes me a ricer. i dont ****ing care.

 

[blk92stangg]

Hey derek, I don't think you were being flamed, as I read the posts. Either way, the only reason I would go with a fiber-hatch is because mine is rusted.

 

[dderek]

Hey derek, I don't think you were being flamed, as I read the posts. Either way, the only reason I would go with a fiber-hatch is because mine is rusted.

well, the '86 has a rusted hatch.
so i figured. maybe i can get a fiberglass one for the lx. and put that one on the 86
that is if i can still get the ex's uncle to paint it super cheap. he had a paint booth in his back yard.
be cheap. save weight on one car. fix a rust problem on another.

 

[DirtyD916]

heck if your going to get a new hatch get the fiberglass one. Might as well.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

If you are in fact going to go for the fibreglass unit, you'd better make sure you've got a host of chassis bracing throughout the rest of the car to stiffen it up. The rear hatchback is a real point of strength for that body style and I'd bet the fibreglass unit doesn't offer the strength or ridged construction that the steel unit does. It may contribute to a lot of unwanted body flex?

 

[stangbear427]

Hey derek, I don't think you were being flamed, as I read the posts.

Thank you... I think. Derek, if you were referring to me, I had no intention of flaming you. If I did, there would be no doubt in anyone's mind. I was in fact replying to UMDSmith, who hopefully isn't too pissed at me. If you gleaned some info from it, all the better- but it was a respectable question on your part and I just tried to give an honest answer from experience, as I wondered the same thing once and I doubt many people have worked with them. Gearbanger brought up a valid point that I'm irritated I forgot about: if you want to do it, you better figure a cage in there as well. The hatch's are a flimsy platform already, and taking out the steel hatch only makes it worse. Good luck with your rides.

BTW- call me a ricelover; I have 2 subs, 2 amps, an Epicenter, a capacitor, a yellow top, and a dedicated system fan back there.

 

[UMDSmith]

Not pissed at all, but the conclusion we gained is that the wing must weigh a ton. I install autoglass, and the hatch glass is pretty damn light, so the wing must be fairly heavy. That would make sense considering the wind forces that are applied to it to create downforce at high speeds.

I'm still a firm beleiver that weight is weight, whether it be negligible or not. A bad weight balance can be corrected with a decent suspension and springs - with limits of course.

As far as flexing is concerned, that is something I had not considered, but I would think the fiberglass + glass inside it would be fairly stiff, although certainly not as stiff as the metal hatch. Subframes, preferably with cross members would be a good addition if chasis flex is a problem without a metal hatch.

2 subs in a soon to be finished custom box where the back seat was, 2 amps, 4 speakers, 2 components, and soon to add a yellow top myself.

 

[MCRParts.com]

Not pissed at all, but the conclusion we gained is that the wing must weigh a ton. I install autoglass, and the hatch glass is pretty damn light, so the wing must be fairly heavy. That would make sense considering the wind forces that are applied to it to create downforce at high speeds.

I'm still a firm beleiver that weight is weight, whether it be negligible or not. A bad weight balance can be corrected with a decent suspension and springs - with limits of course.

As far as flexing is concerned, that is something I had not considered, but I would think the fiberglass + glass inside it would be fairly stiff, although certainly not as stiff as the metal hatch. Subframes, preferably with cross members would be a good addition if chasis flex is a problem without a metal hatch.

2 subs in a soon to be finished custom box where the back seat was, 2 amps, 4 speakers, 2 components, and soon to add a yellow top myself.

I'm getting a Cervinis fiberglass hatch and was concerned about the weight loss, so heres your solution.When you go to the track FILL YOUR TANK.

I think 1 Gallon of gas weights something like 8lbs. So instead of racing on a 1/4 tank race on a full tank.

My hatch is rotted,so thats why I'm going this route.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Holy Thread Resurecton Batman!

 

[MCRParts.com]

Holy Thread Resurecton Batman!

I used the search button (yup I did) to do some research on a glass hatch,and pulled up this thread.

I wish that there was a metal aftermarket hatch available,but I can't find one.SO figured I'd get a new one from Cervinie's.I'll just have to tank up for drag racin trips.

 

[Demented4.6]

well since you resurected the thread. I wonder if there is anyone on here that has a fiberglass hatch. Id like to know about quality and see some pics.

 

[88stangmangt]

If you are in fact going to go for the fibreglass unit, you'd better make sure you've got a host of chassis bracing throughout the rest of the car to stiffen it up. The rear hatchback is a real point of strength for that body style and I'd bet the fibreglass unit doesn't offer the strength or ridged construction that the steel unit does. It may contribute to a lot of unwanted body flex?

LOL LMAO THAT IS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE HEARD.............IF YOU THINK THE HATCH STIFFENS THE CHASSIS YOUR CRAZY FOX BODY HATCH'S ARE KNOWN TO HAVE HORRIBLE FLEX AND NOT SEAL AT ALL.........MOST CAN MOVE SIDE TO SIDE CLOSED.....................NOW A CROSS BRACE THAT BOLTS UP IN THE TRUNK WOULD HELP FLEX BUT THE HATCH AINT WORTH $hit... I HATE WHEN EVERYONE JUMPS UP PEOPLE'S @SS HERE HE JUST WANTED TO KNOw HOW MUCH WEIGHT IT SAVED IM GONNA USE ONE WHY NOT?????LOOK AT A NASCAR THAT ARE ALL TIN........ AND FAST AS HELL.......IF YOU HAVE FATTER TIRES BIGGER RIMS AND THE WHOLE 9 YARDS ON THE SUSPENSION SIDE YOU SHOULD COME OUT EQUAL BECAUSE OF THE BIGGER RIMS/TIRES AND ADDED SUSPENSION PARTS.