differences between hard plastic and fibreglass lids

[licd]

Hey Everyone!

Im looking for a bit of information on the differences between hard plastic and fibre glass lids for a VY ute. I tried searching a bit but couldnt come accross much info. if the topis has been discussed before please point me in the right direction.

what are the pro's and cons of them and what is a good price to pay for them?? are soft lids or covers worth having a look at?


Cheers!

[hulmy29]

well i know the fibreglass "lazerback" ones will set you back around 1700 thats painted aswell fitting is on top of that, and thats in regonial NSW so if your metro it could be cheaper. just ring around and quote a few places

[licd]

well i know the fibreglass "lazerback" ones will set you back around 1700 thats painted aswell fitting is on top of that, and thats in regonial NSW so if your metro it could be cheaper. just ring around and quote a few places

Holden VU VY VZ Ute Hard Flat Lid Fibre glass Tonneau - eBay Body Kits, Exterior, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 10-Dec-09 15:17:36 AEDST)

how do these look to you guys?? thats the cheapest ive seen.

Cheers!

[ttfn2tt]

Gidday

Plastic ute lids are vac formed for higher production and generally need to be in Polycarbonate/ABS blend. They are glued together in two parts and generally sit higher because of the second skin. Paint finish is good if formed over male plug. Advantage cost and volume. disadvantage , thickness hollow sound, cant be repaired, no resistance to solvents and low knotch resitance, too light!!. The dark colours grow by 2% plus on hot day and black can get to 85c. Only one producer in Australia.OEM parts and accessories tend to be plastic

FRP can vary due to manufacturing method. most currently are hand laid or chopper gun laid which has some variability in process . Latest ones are vac infused which are lighter and more fully cured and give better paint surface. Imported product varies so much, is generally not heat stabilised (85c plus for 2 hours) and will shrink and the paint suface will orange peel latter.

Flat Top Products vac infuse , they are iso9001 accredited product good ,others seem to vary between hand lay and chopper. The FRP lids use plastic (stronger) or paper honeycomb and as a structure are stiffer than plastic by their nature. They can be repaired modified etc. FRP is usually used in aftermarket in both USA and Aust and depending on manufacturer achieve good customer satisfaction. beware of manufacturers with uncontrolled processes.

hope that helps

tony