So what are these things made of anyway?

[Islander03GT]

I was talking with my friends last night regarding some of the repairs I need to do on my car (rock chip, hit and run) and they came to about 700 bucks worth of damage.

When I got an estimate, I was told that my hood is fiberglass. I know the bumper is the urethane plastic stuff. When I said that a friend of mine said that the doors and trunklid are glass as well. We did a "knock test" and sure enough the hood and doors have a similar clunk thats way different from the fender and 1/4 panel clunk.

So I figured I'd come here to get it all straight. Are the doors/hood/whatever else fiberglass?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SVTStang03]

I am pretty sure the hood and doors are metal...

 

[AquamanCHS]

Yeah.. I was under the impression that the only non-metal body panels were the front and rear bumpers, which are polyurethane. I'm fairly sure if your doors, quarterpanels, etc were made out of fiberglass they wouldn't give when hit by a door or in little fender betters. Ever seen a fiberglass bodykit in an accident? The stuff is so brittle that it doesn't give at all, just cracks. Of course, I could be dead wrong.

 

[MineralgreyGT01]

My guess: The hood and is fiberglass with a metal support frame. The 1/4 and doors are metal. We should make this a poll

 

[JonJon]

I've drilled into my 99 hood, it's fiberglass... while installing hood scoop. It was over a year ago but the hood is very soft and easy to drill.

 

[Indiefab]

The hood isn't your typical fiberglass. Its a bunch of nondirectional glass fibers blended with a lot of plastic. Of course, that doesn't seem to make it any lighter, and if you've ever drilled into one, you know the dust makes you itch like glass does.
The composition makes it easier to cast parts with creases and grooves like the 99+ hoods.

 

[trublustallion]

the doors are aluminum or metal (whatever) and hood is fiberglass.

 

[Matie99gt]

trunk lid is fiber too, I drilled into it

 

[TripleBlk]

Ford calls the material the hood and trunk lid are made of ,"composite"

The door skins are die-stamped , cold-rolled steel panels. I "pranged" one from the inside - it's pretty easy to do - so I would guess it's 18-20 gauge.

The rocker panels are plastic - a hubcap came rolling at me from across the street while I was doing about 45 mph , and gashed the plastic.

The bumpers are urethane , but too easy to scratch, IMHO. Someone on the board located a place that sells painted ones for $ 185 or so.

With all the plastic, I'm amazed these cars weigh 3200-3300 pounds...

 

[JonJon]

With all the plastic, I'm amazed these cars weigh 3200-3300 pounds...

seriously

 

[SonicBlue2v03GT]

Thanks for that post Tripleblack.

After some jacka** stole the wing of my 03. I was looking into getting a Cobra wing placed on. Anyways, when i was talking to different dealerships, etc. I was told that the rear trunk is plastic, and So was the hood. A friend of mine who has an 02 GT also told me that. It is nice to hear that it is "composite" Fiberglass, sounds a hell of a lot better than saying plastic! Does anyone know for sure?

 

[mwdguy]

Thanks for that post Tripleblack.

After some jacka** stole the wing of my 03. I was looking into getting a Cobra wing placed on. Anyways, when i was talking to different dealerships, etc. I was told that the rear trunk is plastic, and So was the hood. A friend of mine who has an 02 GT also told me that. It is nice to hear that it is "composite" Fiberglass, sounds a hell of a lot better than saying plastic! Does anyone know for sure?

take a fridge magnet, go outside and check

or you can simply knock on your hood, then knock on your fender. and have a listen

 

[SonicBlue2v03GT]

Riiigghhhttttt

 

[mwdguy]

Riiigghhhttttt

Well it will clear the doubt. Which by the way i dont know why there is any. The hood and trunklid are composite fiberglass.

 

[SonicBlue2v03GT]

Cool Composite Fiberglass it is. Thats all i was wanting to know.

 

[madmatt]

Cool Composite Fiberglass it is. Thats all i was wanting to know.

Your car looks great man, id have to leave it wingless i think....mmm that blue owns me and those bullitts...sorry, got off on a tangent.

 

[Islander03GT]

Thanks for clearning that up for me everyone.

The bumpers are urethane , but too easy to scratch, IMHO. Someone on the board located a place that sells painted ones for $ 185 or so.

Do you have a link for this? Thats alot cheaper than what I was quoted to "fix" my bumper after the hit and run.

 

[SonicBlue2v03GT]

Thanks MaddMatt. Yeah I am leaving it wingless. It has grown on me. How you liking those flows? I can't wait to get mine installed in 3 weeks

 

[zgarske1038]

Thanks MaddMatt. Yeah I am leaving it wingless. It has grown on me. How you liking those flows? I can't wait to get mine installed in 3 weeks

i have flows they are great

 

[notched86]

My old GT was just totalled Saturday night, the hood is deffinately fiberglass. (or at least like fiberglass) There pics of the hood in the thread, I think it's on page 2 of talk now.