Front wings

Post by **Dizzi141** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 9:41 pm

I have fibreglass. They are pretty good, mine took being dragged along the motorway not quite attached quite well. They are prone to spider cracking I think someone called it if they get bashed and that will spoil a nice paint job.
Earthing looks fairly easy certainly on the back ones, it just feeds throught to the boot but I don't know about the front.
The fact that they won't rust has got to be good but I'm going to replace mine with steel ones once I have been driving for a while probably.

Post by **winger300** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 12:28 am

yeah, i'd agree with that.

I picked one up on ebay for £5. It went on without any problem and for some reason my headlamps were already earthed to the inner wing.

Post by **Matt** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 12:38 am

I think - but can't be sure that the headlights on all moggies are earthed on the inner wing, mine certainly is!

Post by **pskipper** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 8:57 am

My headlights are earthed through the wiring but the sidelight and indicator (late type) are earthed on the wings. I recently fitted a fibreglass wing (2nd hand but a nice fit) so ran an extra wire from the sidelight unit to the metal bodywork to provide an earth, works a treat!

Post by **Willie** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 7:26 pm

I have a fibreglass front wing fitted, the only problem has been
the 'spiders web' blemishes caused by stones which have been
thrown up by the wheels. It occurs to me that this is one area
where the 'wheel arch protectors' which are advertised for the
Minor would be very useful. Once fitted you would have no
rust worries. The normal Minor front wings have a nasty
built in rust trap all down the edge which meets the door.

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:22 pm

you lose a lot of structural strength with fiberglass

Post by **Dizzi141** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:56 pm

I didn't know that the structural strength was affected?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:48 pm

having seen some of the very cheap steel wings, the thick fibreglass ones may be stronger!

Post by **Gareth** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:33 pm

Well from what I've seen, metal dents and bends, but fibreglass shatters and splinters. It appears to have very little resistance to severe impacts. I've also heard that insurance companies can be a bit sniffy about fibreglass wings, thinking them to be structural parts, or at least important to the integrity of the vehicle. Don't shoot the messenger, Ray, it's just what I've been told.

Post by **Dizzi141** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:39 pm

I didn't know that you had to declare the fibreglass wings? *Whistles innocently* I still don't know that!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:14 pm

you should declare all non standard items.
Shooting messengers? nah you must be thinking of somone else. Yes fibreglass will shatter in a severe impact - so will the filler holding rusty wings together..
Genuine steel wings are pretty solid though!

Post by **Willie** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:19 pm

I think that the steel wings on the Minor were undoubtedly
designed to provide strength to the body and a 'crumple zone'
in a crash. But, judging by the state of the wings on many
Minors I have seen it is debatable wether they were stronger
than the fibreglass ones!!

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 5:47 pm

its all in the molecules

Post by **Dizzi141** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 5:43 pm

ANd you too!

Post by **_h_____** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 1:45 pm

Nobody has mentioned poor fit of fibreglass wings, I have heard a lot of fibreglass wings have a poor fit, be warned, although that said, having just put new steel wings on mine, the fit of the o/s wing wasnt that great either, and it is a heritage part!