REDZMAN

Okay, I'm probably getting one of those GT Lip kits that's coming in, but I dread getting FG on my car, despite what anyone says, I've seen what happens to it, and am not interested in cracking/shattering it the first time I hit a tumbleweed.

So, I've been working on some ideas, but can't find a lot of info online about folks that have done it before.

1. Rhinolining. Get the new lip, rhinoline it all around in black, attach it to the car.
+ No painting.
+ No chances of chipping.
+ No shattering.
+ Any cracks from hitting something will be unseen, as the entire piece is encased in rubber.

2. Make your own replacement with polyurethane.
^^^
Using products like this... http://www.dascarplastics.com/ http://cgi.ebay.com/Polyurethane-Casting-R...1QQcmdZViewItem

Make a replacement by making some sort of mold with it. Maybe you make a positive mold out of the original one, and then fill it? Thinking of a frame with plywood and using the original piece to make a mold. Some general ideas in my head, but I'd have to start drawing them to get it right.

Other ideas.

3. Wrap original piece with plastic wrap, making sure there are no seams or bubbles and layer with polyurethane until at the desired thickness. Several coats would be needed obviously. Peel the new one off and remove the plastic wrap. Use the new piece for a mold, by using one of the release agents, and coating the inside until at the desired thickness. Dry, pull off and trim.



Okay, let me know what you think about my crazy ideas, i"m having lots of them lately. I do NOT want any replies about "USE FIBERGLASS", because the idea is to AVOID FG totally.

Anyone have any links to anyone that has tried something similar?

supercow

try it! start a gt lip factory.

They closed down right? no ones going to be coming after you for the design.

majik

In considering #1…

If you’re taking a fiberglass piece and using rhinolining on the entire thing, I think it’s going to look crappy. In Georgia, the popular thing seems to be using Rhinoliner on the bottom half of your lifted truck so it’s easy to wash off after you go muddin’… I’ve seen a few at car shows, it looks like crap. It’s rough, bubbly (look like tons of trash in the paint), and dull. Also, if it ever DOES crack, it’ll be a total PITA to fix the crack.

Fixing cracks in fiberglass is fairly simple. Fixing cracks in polyurethane kits is by far more difficult. Heck, even J3R0MY can fiberglass! (see his thread)

I would LOVE a urethane kit as opposed to fiberglass, it can literally bend itself over if you get it caught on a speed bump and pop right back up on it’s own. It’s great stuff… but the dozens… hundreds of times I’ve scraped with my fiberglass front bumper, it has yet to crack. The only cracks/chips I’ve received have been from running over a curb (hitting it head on), and when I hit a dip in a crappy parking lot and the crumbled up concrete caused my nose to dive into another hole, again, this was a head on hit. I’ve seen cracked polyurethane front bumpers on mini trucks that hit the air bags too hard… they aren’t immune from cracking.

Getting a lip on your front bumper, you shouldn’t worry about it cracking, and if it did, it’d be an easy fix on your own and you could spray paint and clear the small section yourself. Your lip kit shouldn't be low enough to scrape... if it does, you just need to spend time learning how to avoid scraping and taking dips/ramps at an angle.

I know you didn’t want “use fiberglass” replies, but I wanted to provide as much personal experience and information to help you make the proper decision.

supercow

I was thinking about it when I ran out to get some lunch, it seems that the mold will need to be hard, possibly fg would be the way to go. Then make a new lip out of poly. However the only way to find out would be to try it.

LNHeart

^^^ I second that. I think the mold would have to be hard, but you can try doing one and one. Also rhinoline i thought was bubblie and tough... isnt it the one that people put on the beds of the trucks for all the tools not to scrape and by slideing all over the bed?

I hate fiberglass now that i've worked with it and have experienced with different front bumpers... the new i have is that i went with the original front bumper again cause i got tiered of haveing to worry to much about the front end breaking or cracking. I will never go back to fiberglass again. mad.gif

UrS0NvS

that is the problem i have with the gt lip also Jer. when we at first didn't think we were going to be able to get these i went a bought a poly lip kit for a 2gn eclipse. to my amazement it actually fit the opening we have for our fog lights and radiator very good, but it is at least 6 inches short on the side to meet the tire well.

so yeah, i am going to have to cut and splice it, where the fg comes into play but it won't drop the bottom of the frontend any and that is what i was wanting in the first place. the look without sacrificing ground height.

SOCKS_old

ill post more on this later, but i don't have the time right now..

FYI, about urethane.. my brother had urethane kit on his cavalier.. when he totalled it (flipped it over) his side skirt bent under the entire car, so it folded in half, and sat that way at the impound for a week. when i took the parts off the car, every one bent back into shape with NO damage besides chipping paint..

the mold would be hard though, i would try doing more of a poly coating, then paint..

fiberglass seems to get lots more chips than urethane, even with good prep.

J3R0MY

even me.... wtf does that mean? lol j/k. yeah i have more repairs to do once it gets warm again.

DTN

I think a rhino lined kit may or may not look good. It depends on the car. Can you put up a pic to photoshop?

patcournoyer

I think you should do a mold whit fiber glass of the lip. After that fill the mold whit one layer of gelcoat and add polyeurethane. If you break it you already have the mold so...