Steel or Fiber??

[band1t]

Hey all,
i am having a hard time deciding which root to take with my car,
i could do steel, carbon fiber, or fiber glass body panels.
Yes I know steel is heavy and can rust but that's not a factor right now.

How does carbon fiber and fiber glass hold up compared to steel?
Do they wrap out of shape over time?
i mean if take the car out on a hot day how would they hold up?

if I bolted on carbon or glass today went pro tour trips int the hot summers
30 years later will they still be like new or all wavy from heat.



so steel carbon fiber or fiber glass?

[Rebeca_Lynn]

It will mainly depend on the quality of the panel. With CF and fiber if they are made for racing or made to thin with out any support they can warp or flex with time. Steel or aluminum panels are heavier but for a lot of street or long road trips may hold up better for major panels.

My husband and I have done things both ways. If you go with the CF or fiber panels make sure the are renforced and not race weight versions to ensure they will last.

[cornfedbill]

All the early Vettes are made of fiberglass and hold up well (new Vettes use a variety of materials). It all depends on the quality of the part you buy.

I would not buy race weight parts for a street car. They are made to be light, not strong.

Carbon fiber is also a good choice if you can afford it.

I chose fiberglass for my front clip. The car is still in the works, so I do not have any long term on the road experience to share.

[19,69camaro]

What about aluminum?

[Y-TRY]

I'm not sure of actual weight but my stock steel Camaro hood weighs practically nothing. I've often thought that if it were any more light it'd float. I would't risk flimsy to save a few ounces.

[KHShapiro]

as long as its real carbon fiber and vacuumed flat not hand laided and built with supports its going to be amazingly strong , light ,flat and last as long if not longer than steel (if its unpainted make sure the "gel" is UV resistant). the down side is going to be the cost of a truly professionially made piece of of the said CF product and not just some one who bought a roll and decided to make panels in the house with out the proper equipment. ive seen some of these "high" dollar CF hoods and they are a joke . they are waive and a lot of times they try to make up for the waves by adding a lot of gel or epoxy .If your looking for flat, light , strong and have the money to spend for a real CF product its the way to go. if price is an issue steel or aluminum . CF will not warp in the heat, FG will not warp in the heat , Steel and Aluminum will warp in the heat .