fiberglass hach vs. stock hach. BTW... how do you spell hach??

[russ1979]

i saw the other day in 5.0 mustang a fiberglass hach for sale for about 350$
i'm guessing that it does not come with the glass so the install would prob be cost a bit.
however i think it would be quit a bit lighter then the stock hach.
does any one have any experance with a fiberglass hack?

 

[Deleted member 87397]

No personal experience, but if you want weight anywhere on a car it would be over the rear wheels. I had always thought about doing a fiberglass hatch but then got to thinking that even though a stock hatch weighs more, the weight is in the right place. Don't know if that makes sense or not, but just my .02

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Spring for a Fiberglass hood instead.

 

[Sicarius428]

Ya put the money towards the hood. If given a choice you want to keep as much weight over the rear as possible vs the front. Either way the glass is still damn heavy unless you got to lexan.
Kevin

 

[Darkwriter77]

You probably wouldn't wanna go with a Lexan window, anyway. As I remember it, they scratch up pretty easy and wind up looking like poo in no time.

If you want to lose weight from the rear hatch, bust out the window and vacuum up the mess. That should shave about 25 lbs. off your total weight. But as stated, that weight over the rear end is actually a good thing - helps keep the tires planted. (Kinda makes me wonder if that's why my notch feels so much more tail-happy than Frankie's Capri - a lot less weight over the rear wheels?)

 

[86bluecobra]

I have a fiberglass rear hatch on my mustang and lexan rear window. The lexan holds up beeter then everyone on here would lead you to believe. As for fit and finish now there is the issue. Mine fits fairly well but there is a few issues. I agree the rear is not where you want to lose wieght but since I did a battery relocate and a roll bar I thought the wieght savings would help me. Oh yah and of course I added a 10lb bottle of the juice to my hatch area.

 

[Strippt88]

No experience with the fiberglass hatch, I can say that the steel one is what kept me competitive with my brothers notch, cause I could get him from the gate almost every time- lots more hook-up weight where the Fox needs it most. Get the hood. I was gonna get one when redoing the stripptmobile, because finding rust free, inexpensive, parts around Chicago is getting tough, but a nice hatch presented itself before I bought. Originals wanna rust at the back, bad, but not a problem in New Mexico, I'm sure.

 

[speedytang]

Fiberglass hatch and the steel hatch weigh about 5 pounds of each other. The back window weighs as much as the hatch. You can get the urethane adhesive from Advance Auto Parts if you don't have a auto glass shop close. It will cost you $30 in materials for the adhesive and and screws to install the molding clips. Easy job and takes about 30 minutes to install everything it takes longer to align the hatch on the body.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

A little butle tape is all they use to hold the glass in anyway. Any windshield place should carry it.

 

[Boss 351]

I'd save up the cash for the fiberglass hood and tubular K-member

 

[caseywan]

Fiberglass hatch and the steel hatch weigh about 5 pounds of each other.

Are you kidding me right now?? From what I've read, a Fiberglass bolt on hatch weighs about 11lbs and a lift off weighs about 5lbs, without the glass or anything. I know that glass or whatever adds a lot more, and I don't know what exactly a stock hatch weighs without glass, but I find it very hard to believe it weighs 15lbs.

 

[GreatWhite]

I'd be afraid of a fiberglass hatch breaking under stress from the rear wheels..

 

[woodyy24]

i had a fiberglass hatch and glass window on my 86 gt. it was definatley a lot lighter than a steel hatch. but i couldnt use the shocks on it becasue it would bow a little . it wasnt a big deal tho. i just left the shocks lay there unattached and when i needed to get in the back i lifted up the hatch and poped em back on to hold it up.
it fit really well and looked 10X better than my rusted out one i had prior.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

The fiber glass hatch has no spot to mount your hatch shocks. There is no reinforcement to drill holes. Also, if you do not trim it in the correct areas, it won't fit well. I had my friends fitting great, but it still rubbed the paint off the top of the quarters. It also rattled A LOT inside the car. You cannot ground your power lock wire...(IF you have a power latch) Overall, I didn't like it, but at the time someone rear ended his car, and I didn't have a stock one that wasn't rotted. That was back in 2001.