Fiberglass front valance good idea or not?

Post by **Orkney** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:57 pm

Was pondering where to begin on the bodywork earlier - the rear bumper removal thread jogged the old memory.
Need a new front valance - whats there is beyond repair at best guess - think it will disintegrate upon removal.
Having priced them up like not the £140 for a new steel one and see there are much cheaper FG available.
Anyone had any experience of these or is it false economy?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:33 pm

Without making recomendations... I would say that fibreglass bumper valances (quite a common part) are an example of false economy as these are often broken by 'other's who think they are steel and stand on them!
As for other body parts - if they aren't going to get stood on then it's certainly an option worth thinking about.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:49 pm

My front valance is fibreglass - and absolutely excellent - looks completely like the original - why would anyone stand on it ? Or you could just go for the 'racy' look - and have no front bumper at all! But then no starting handle option on a cold winter morn - ie most days in Orkney!!

Post by **kennatt** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:52 pm

I fitted front and rear fibreglass valences to mine can't tell the difference from closer than five foot. Also no more rust.Was shown steel examples (Tom roy),Aparently they were the only type available,very poor quality. Looked like three bits of metal welded together,very roughly. Chris,from tom roys said he always fitted the glass ones,on rebuilds,unless the customer wanted steel. In his opinion the fit of the glass ones was far better then the aftermarket steel. Standing on your bumper,If someone stood on my bumpers,it's not the bumpers,they would be thinking about,it would be my right boot up their Ar*****s.cos thats what they would get.

Is this a new asbo trick,lets find a moggie and stand on it't bumper

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:56 pm

Is this a new asbo trick,lets find a moggie and stand on it't bumper

have you ever watched an MOT tester doing your shock absorbers... some push down on the wing, but not all of them

Post by **Orkney** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:07 pm

But then no starting handle option on a cold winter morn - ie most days in Orkney!!

No worries there - had to build a flippin garage for it

Ironically because still havnt poured the concrete floor in there i actually did stand on the valance reaching something on a shelf and found out how rusty it was.
Sounds like fiberglass is the way to go then, like the fact that its not going to get rusty most of all and suppose if it were to get broken could buy several for the price of a proper one.
Will check out the best delivered price from teh usual suspects

Post by **M25VAN** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:12 pm

Parking prangs are another issue and just how close people get when they manouver their car into the space in front or behind your minor. I've had a rear light dinged on my van and the surrounding glass fibre just sprang back to shape (I have a glass fibre cab). On the front however, the valence has been slighty deformed by the latest close proximity parking experience.

Post by **MoggyTech** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:38 pm

FG front valance has another advantage. In a moderate frontal impact, it will crumple an not damage the main front panel and grill, which the steel valance tends to do. After my impact with an electric golf cart (don't ask) the price difference made it a no brainer. The FG panel is superb quality.

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:29 pm

MoggyTech wrote:FG front valance has another advantage. In a moderate frontal impact, it will crumple an not damage the main front panel and grill, which the steel valance tends to do. After my impact with an electric golf cart (don't ask) the price difference made it a no brainer. The FG panel is superb quality.

Sorry I just have to ask!!?? How did you manage to hit an electric golf cart???

Post by **RogerRust** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:25 pm

If the electric golf cart was overtaking you need to tune your engine.

Post by **MoggyTech** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:35 am

AndrewSkinner wrote:
MoggyTech wrote:FG front valance has another advantage. In a moderate frontal impact, it will crumple an not damage the main front panel and grill, which the steel valance tends to do. After my impact with an electric golf cart (don't ask) the price difference made it a no brainer. The FG panel is superb quality.
Sorry I just have to ask!!?? How did you manage to hit an electric golf cart???

Oh what the heck, here's the story

I had just finished fitting a recon gearbox and new clutch. Took the Moggy out for a test drive at 11:00Pm on a Friday evening. Must be a good time to meet drunken youths who steal electric golf carts to get home. The stupid booger came right through a stop sign on a fairly dark street, I barely got my foot on the brakes. Moggy T-Boned the golf cart which sort of exploded

Had I not had a badge bar fitted I reckon the front bumper would have taken all of the impact, but the badge bar tanned the grill, and the steel valance creased the main front panel.

I was miffed at the time, as the offending would be F1 Golf Buggy Jockey, did a runner. Now it's just a laugh even for me. Traffic cop couldn't keep a straight face. At least I got rid of the stone chip paint applied by the previous owner to the front panels on the car. One in a million really if you consider the two vehicle types

Post by **MoggyTech** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:43 am

RogerRust wrote:If the electric golf cart was overtaking you need to tune your engine.

Traffic cop was impressed that the Moggy managed to get up to 30+MPH between the traffic lights, and the accident junction only about 50 yards up the road. He was also impressed with the fairly 'Minor' damage to the Minor, while the Golf Cart was in a zillion bits. Apparently they are quite heavy due to the batteries, and low centre of gravity.

As for tuning, that's my favourite job on the minor

Even went as far as porting the head a few years back