FRP vs. Fiberglass vs. Urethane vs. Cheap Fiberglass
 

Hey guys, I need a little bit of insight in a problem I am facing. I know there are many of you who wish to keep the aero kits off the Zs, but I asking for a little advice anyway. I have noticed that there a few media in which a front bumper can be produced, like Fiberglass and FRP (Fibre reinforced plastic). I was wondering which do you think would be fitting for a mostly road going Z, driven by a college student. The flipside is that I want it to be very functional as well as beneficial to the overall performance of my car.

One example is the Greddy/Trust bumper...There are three version available on the market. There is the $575 original Greddy piece that is hand laid fiberglass. And it is very light. There is a Kaminari unit that is very similar, and ALOT cheaper. However, I am not sure as to the quality. And then there is a aftermarket unit sold by Z1 that is identical to the Greddy bumper. The two execptions is the fact that it is VERY VERY HEAVY and it is and slightly more expensive than the Kaminari piece.

Which version should I consider? I want the best of both worlds...

IF your car is lowered and weight is not an issue then Urethane is usually the way to go for longevity. Fiberglass is easily repaired and if the kit was made correctly it should weigh less than Urethane. FRP is just the technical term for any composite. EX: fiberglass, carbon fiber, and kevlar are all considered FRP. Cheaper fiberglass kits are going to be heavy. They wont neccessarily be weaker or more prone to cracking but fitment can also be very poor on a cheaper kit. But that's not neccessarily true 100% of the time. You can find good kits for cheap if you look around and do some research (just like you're doing now ;) ). Kaminari has been in the business for a long time and their quality is usually good. However their kits are almost purely cosmetic, but so are 90% of the kits out there. Major japanese brands are going to carry a heavier price tag just because they have that name on them. It's just their way of protecting their prestige. But they do put quality into their parts. Get the best you can AFFORD. If you go too cheap you may end up putting more money into getting the kit to fit right and fixing any flaws from the manufacturer that would've been avoided with a higher initial purchase.

Good hunting :)

If you're worried about weight, stay with stock... it's at least 1/5 the weight of even the lightest aftermarket fascias.

If you're worried about cost, stay with stock... you don't have to spend anything for that.

Fiberglass is the worst in terms of durability. It will crack if you bottom out, and that's all there is to it.

Fiber Reinforced Plastic is better, it's more flexible than fiberglass, but it's still solid and will crack if hit hard enough.

Polyurethane is the best for durability due to its extreme flexibility. Bottom out, it bends, the paint will crack or spider, but that's the extent of the damage you'll see. I had a polyurethane fascia on my 300ZX... I wrecked the car by going over a median, which ripped off the fascia. My car literally drove over the fascia. Afterwards, if I wanted to, I could've simply repainted the fascia and stuck it back on... all it had were spider cracks all over the paint from the flexing. You'll NEVER be able to do that with any fiberglass composition.

Fiberglass IS FRP. Theres absolutely 100% no difference between the two. FRP is just a general term used. Like I said before, Fiberglass, carbon, and kevlar are all FRP. To use an analogy, FRP is to Fiberglass like Z car is to Z32.

Eh, who cares. Stay stock, it is the best in durabilty. And, it is still quite stylish by today's standards. I once thought about going with another fasca. But, that was only because I wrecked mine in a little bumper bender.

i have the greddy fiberglass one and i LOVE toco bell but beacuse i have a fiberglass one i have to go with my friends and cant drive there. there is a high incline to get in to it and i tryed to go in once and chiped my bumber like crazy now it looks like crap. if u are going to buy one i have to say look on ebay, they sell the urethane ones for 260+50shiping so for 310 you can get one instead of spending 250 for a fiberglass one that will crack. i will never buy a fiberglass bumper again. spend the extra money to get the urethane one!!!

Me too. haha I'd say wo with Urethane. that is flexible as hell and it is durable as well. just fill it in with Foam or make brackets to keep it form flexing too much and your paint should be cool.

I m kinda wanting to change up the look slightly from the stock form. However, I can t really force myself to stray from it. I agree, I still like the factory fasica. I might just go with a Lower lip from stillen..or there is a company from Japan called Tokyo Auto. I like the design of that front lip as well. Is there a difference between the TT and NA bumpers..other than the obvious intercooler ducts. Does the TT bumper hang lower?

Ok, I do like that Stillen OEM fascia design that has the chin spoiler. I will admit that. But, I am a stock fiend. I am trying to fight the urge to mod the heck out of my TT. But, I keep having the feeling that it will be worth a pretty penny some day. ARGGH!

thats one reason all the mods I have done are not permanent..i ve tried to keep stock parts stored away nice and neat so that if the time came to sell it I could get my money back out if it. I do not like doing EXTREME modifications like shaving or welding. i ll just do bolt on stuff that doesnt require to much modification to the car itself.

imho, I'd stay away from fiberglass at all costs. jfairladyz is technically correct on the frp topic, ie: coke to soda pop. Fascia wise I think frp relates to a newer hybrid version of a fiberglass compound. But I'm not positive.

If anything, go with the jdm fascia. It's made to fit and won't break as easily as the other materials. It has a much better vertical look than the rounded off look of the usdm one. I've thought about that stillen lip too, but for the price, for what you get, it's only about $125 more for the jdm piece.

Someone here recently installed one of those Greddy stlye ebay fascias. It didn't sound like fitment was too bad. I have seen other posts where the quality wasn't so good. Ideally, quality improves over time. I like the Greddy style one myself. If I buy it, I can pick it up locally and return it if it's a p.o.s.

I've replaced my stock front skirt once and I'm about to again....bottoming out sucks but unavoidable sometimes. I was thinking about attaching a titanium skid plate to the underside of the front lip just so I can make cool sparks when I hit thes days. Stupid lousy California roads.....

Yeah, gotta love those "dips" every other block. California roads and highways also kill tires pretty quick. Just out of curiousity, have you ever driven in AZ. Man, they have smooth roads there.

Yeah I spent over 3 years in AZ stationed at Ft Huachuca. Big, long, straight stretches of pavement with little traffic and 90% of the year it didn't rain.....and I drove an effing Ford Splash.....lol It was actually for the best, if I had owned a Z at that time I would have killed it through neglect and abuse.

its because they have one of the highest concentrations of ground up tire rubber in the pavement mix. i read an article about it in motor trend or car and driver or something a while back.

ya well its doesn't &%*#^@ snow there eather try driving in connecticut