34 replies to this topic

[marksmini]

to cut to the chase...

im fitting i think a new front end which will lift up instead of tilt froward.

i nearly won my self a good fibreglass front end brand new cheep, but lost by a couple of £££. since then ive come across a complete carbon fibre front end.
i have a couple of straight to the point questions im not sure of. i no some of the answers but if you could add more to them it would really help me out in picking the correct one. eg which is easier to repair etc...

Q: The Pros and Cons of a carbon fibre front end?
A:lighter than fibreglass
A:Costs more than fibreglass
A:
A:

Q: The Pros and Cons of a fibreglass front end?
A: Easy to change by adding more fibreglass to areas
A: Cheaper to buy than carbon fibre.
A:
A:

Q: The Pros and Cons of haven a flip front of this type?
A: lighter than haven a metal front end
A: No rust
A: easy to repair if you have a bump
A:Hard to line up (not sure????)
A:
A:

Q: The Pros and Cons of making your flip front go upwards instead of forward?
A: harder to get the lifting struts in the right place.
A:
A:
A:


if you can help out with some answers to the question, please do

Thanks everyone,
Mark

[smudger]

GRP, light, takes damage and easy to repair.

Carbon, lighter, stronger, *Female doggy* to repair. (well its just more complex)

Carbon Kevlar, very strong, light and can be trouble to repair like carbon. Will take damage better.

Just dont hit cars with em, since that kills em.

I prefer carbon/kevlar for road cars since your putting stress on the fronts by adding lights (which weigh) and the carbon kevlar takes this with ease.

As for fitting, so many different ways its down to you.

I like JetBlicks, thats a stunning way of doing it.

[marksmini]

yeah ive made contact with him and have read everything there is to read about his project abd how he done that front end.

[JetBLICK]

If you bare with me mark i'll answer ur questions tomorrow when i can use my own computer and i can upload some pictures and stuff for you to help (i cant on this silly computer ATM )

[Dog]

Carbon/Kevlar is what I've got...


Looks shexy as hell on the inside!
And its VERY light, but you tap it (knock on it) and it actually sounds strong and solid... not like a dull thud, like GRP does...

[MINIMON]

where did you get that dog

[marksmini]

JET BLICK,,

no problems, thank you

[JetBLICK]

Right, my hinges, i get asked about these a lot so its about time i showed them close up

This is how they work, excuse the shoddy diagram, and the mud....

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[Tomm]

i have had both fibre glass and carbon, and to be honest the best front ii had was my steel one. very stable, very strong, very good fit. no problems with it at all. Didnt crack like the fibreglass one and the carbon one either although the carbon one only cracked on the gel coat.

[JetBLICK]

so to answer ur qu's IMO...

Q: The Pros and Cons of a carbon fibre front end?
A:lighter than fibreglass
A:Costs more than fibreglass
A:
A:

Q: The Pros and Cons of a fibreglass front end?
A: Easy to change by adding more fibreglass to areas
A: Cheaper to buy than carbon fibre.
A:
A:

- Just go for kevlar - its so bloody strong! anything else is a waste of time on a road car.

Q: The Pros and Cons of haven a flip front of this type?
A: lighter than haven a metal front end
A: No rust
A: easy to repair if you have a bump
A:Hard to line up (not sure????)
A:
A:



Q: The Pros and Cons of making your flip front go upwards instead of forward?
A: harder to get the lifting struts in the right place.
A:
A:
A:

If you want hinges like mine they because £120 and are imported from www.superfastminis.com in america. The hinges themeselves where easy to fit, they just go on the top shocker mount. The brackets where a little tricky to line up on the front end, but if you've got the front positioned correctly before hand its not too bad.

To live with its brilliant - i mean its really really really really really very very brilliant. I've had the engine out, changed the clutch, and put it back in all in a couple of hours - and thats on my own with no help and without and engine crane. The reason being, because its just so easy to get to every nut and bolt! and to get the engine out you only need to lift it over the front of the subby. If you take the head off, rad, and other gubbins off, then jack the engine up from the gearbox so its higher than the front of the subby, its easy to just lift it out!!

The front also means its easy to do little things that would usually be a pain - like adjust the dizzy, fit a bottom rad hose, or unplug ur speedo if you have a limmited mileage not that i'd do that, im just saying if you wanted to, for instance....

Any more questions i've missed just ask...

[marksmini]

that's fantastic!!!

im going to look into thoses hinges but i might also see if i can make them my self.
if i get any more questions as i attempt this in the next couple of months i will contact you, if not i will keep my project section updated as the build goes ahead.

Thanks again

Mark

[marksmini]

some of the builds on that web site are mind blowing... loads of nice pics on there but still not 100% sure on how it works exactly.

http://www.superfast...photos_page.htm

the front end slides forward on the hinge with a slight up and down movement then once forward the lifters then raise the front end up.

what stops the lifters rising up while the front end slides forwards or is it meant to rise up as well has come forward?

how do you lock the front end down?
i can understand the locking parts on the A piller but what about the front end? along the front its self? i cant see any fixing clips on any of the pics ive seen of this conversion

is any of it spring loaded? so you remove the front end holding down clips and it opens up own? or does it only open when you pull the front end forward?


MT FF Hinge Kit #130300 = $176.00 ( converts to £91.22080 so basicly £91.30p is that correct?)

Click here for the shop
(pics and links have been put up so i can find them at a later date if needed)

Mark

[marksmini]

Kevlar

don't think i can afford this now, if its needed i will have to save up, but if i went for fibreglass the down side would be it craCKS EASY ON CRASHES ???(DOESNT EVERYTHING LOL) ok its not as strong but it shouldnt wave around once bolted down correctly and is cheep and easy to repair.

for me fibreglass wins unless anyone else have anything else to add about fibreglass

this is the look im wanting to go for:

[Retro_10s]

Don't forget there's a 20% discount from www.absmotorsport.net for TMF members username = Body Stylist... he's the Mr ABS.

I've used fibreglass... nice fit, looks good and plenty strong enough,... and i quite like the smell of the dust too

[marksmini]

Click here for all the mini goodies

has anyone used them before.... i think the prices in there.

20% off, do you just need to tell him i run tmf lol or what, how did that discount come about? cant say ive come across that one before.

as for :

i think im doing to try and make my own.

not sure how i get around the measurements as yet not sure if it matters as long as the 2 leaver bars are the same length (i think)