You're in Poland so you may not be super familiar with it, but a GM subsidiary brand called Saturn here in North American had a lot of various models that utilized similar composites like SMC that the Fiero used. Most of the time they weren't fully fiberglassed or fiberglass composite bodied cars but had mixtures of these components in large quantities. I believe that where you are in Europe the most recent production car from the Saturn brand with SMC composites that was sent over there would have been the last generation Opel GT roadster (Saturn Sky).
I've seen some Saturns around. I never thought that the Opel GT is fiberglass. The Opel Speedster looks like fiberglass but I'm not sure about it. The 80's Camaro looks kind of like fiberglass but I'm sure they're not. I wish there was some 4-5seater fiberglass body with a steel frame car.
Im pretty sure the 80s camaros Are like fieros . There made by fisher body company just like fiero
The Camaros were steel. Fisher Body has made car parts for a hundred years. They used to be a part of GM. (I had a '69 Chevy station wagon with Fisher sill plates.) Fisher does steel.
[This message has been edited by Monkeyman (edited 06-20-2015).]
In the early to mid-50's, Kaiser manufactured a two door roadster named the 'Darrin'. It was steel framed with a fiberglass body, with doors that slid forward into pockets in the front fenders.
Fisher Body has made car parts for a hundred years. They used to be a part of GM. (I had a '69 Chevy station wagon with Fisher sill plates.) Fisher does steel.
Kinda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_Body From its beginning in the "horseless carriage shop" in Norwalk, Ohio, to its sale in 1919 and 1926 to General Motors, the Fisher Body Company was built by the Fisher brothers into one of the world's largest manufacturing companies. In 1916, the company became the Fisher Body Corporation. Its capacity was 370,000 bodies per year and its customers included Abbot, Buick, Cadillac, Chalmers, Chandler, Chevrolet, Churchfield, Elmore, EMF, Ford, Herreshoff, Hudson, Krit, Oldsmobile, Packard, Regal, and Studebaker. In a 1919 deal put together by president William C. Durant, General Motors bought 60% of the company. The Fisher company purchased Fleetwood Metal Body in 1925, and in 1926 was integrated entirely as an in-house coachbuilding division of General Motors. Fisher Body as a unique entity began slowly disappearing in 1984. As of 2010, Fisher Coachworks, LLC went out of business after two years of spending money but not producing a single bus.
Kaiser-Darinn, Avanti, pre 80s Corvettes, XLR. Lots of newer cars use fiberglass or SMC for various panels like hoods, fenders, decklids. 90s generation Camaro and Firebirds are all fiberglass reinforced SMC except for the steel quarter panels..all steel before.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 11-19-2015).]
The Shelby Mustangs from back in the mid-late 60's were fiberglass... as I saw one "explode" onto pieces in front of me as it was nailed by another car in an intersection. This was almost 50 years ago. I had been walking to school. I remember saving a piece of the bodywork from that Shelby that I later found on the side of the road.
The Shelby Mustangs from back in the mid-late 60's were fiberglass... as I saw one "explode" onto pieces in front of me as it was nailed by another car in an intersection. This was almost 50 years ago. I had been walking to school. I remember saving a piece of the bodywork from that Shelby that I later found on the side of the road.
I certainly didn't remember that. Are you sure it wasn't a piece of the hood, or an "add on" piece like a scoop?
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 11-21-2015).]
Keep in mind I'm remembering something that happened almost 50 years ago , but it seemed to me that it was more like a whole fender that "exploded" and not just a small section of it.
Is there any chance what I saw was a different limited production hi-performance Mustang which would've had fiberglass fenders etc? I'm making the assumption that it was a Shelby, but I couldn't swear to it. I'm not familiar enough with Mustangs to know/remember all the various specialty versions that might've been produced back in the 60's.
Is there any chance what I saw was a different limited production hi-performance Mustang which would've had fiberglass fenders etc? I'm making the assumption that it was a Shelby, but I couldn't swear to it. I'm not familiar enough with Mustangs to know/remember all the various specialty versions that might've been produced back in the 60's.
There's the rub. I'm really not that familiar, either. I work with a card carrying Ford fanatic. I'll ask him on Monday.
I work with a card carrying Ford fanatic. I'll ask him on Monday.
That would be great. It definitely was a Mustang (and not necessarily a fastback), but it had all sorts of extra scoops and spoilers and things on it... which is why (all these years later) that I'm thinking it was a Shelby. And to give a slightly more precise time-frame, the accident I observed would've occurred sometime between September of '68 and the end of '72.
But yeah, I'd appreciate hearing what a "card carrying Ford fanatic" might have to say.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 11-22-2015).]
A lot of the stuff in front of the a-pillar was fiberglass, definitely would make a mess - but the most of the cars were still steel. Interestingly, the same folks providing fiberglass for the Corvette provided the fiberglass for the Shelby Mustangs. AO Smith out of Indiana. My water heater is made by AO Smith. I've always wondered if it's the same company.
A lot of the stuff in front of the a-pillar was fiberglass, definitely would make a mess - but the most of the cars were still steel.
Very well could be the case. At the time I was only familiar with Corvettes potentially "shattering" upon impact, so sure, in retrospect it could've just been a relatively large section of that Mustang's body that wasn't steel.
I've probably still got that chunk of fiberglass that I retrieved tucked away somewhere!
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 11-23-2015).]
Never seen a production Mustang in fiberglass or plastic myself. Lots of add on panels like spoilers and scoops, sometimes a hood. Body panels like fenders, doors, roofs etc are always steel. I dont think they ever even used any aluminum except maybe on later hoods. Shelby didnt manufacture Mustangs, just modified drop shipped factory production ones. I had 2. There may well be some aftermarket companies that make reproduction fiberglass body parts. Mustang Funny Cars are one piece fiberglass
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 11-27-2015).]
I was a week late on a near-perfect Mark 4 survivor. It was just beautiful. My grandfather had one in the early 70s when I was little and so they have a lot of sentimental value. I also can't remember the last time I saw one and I have a thing for unusual sports cars...plus the whole V-4 thing...and MANUAL popup headlights. Someday...
Originally posted by Patrick: The Shelby Mustangs from back in the mid-late 60's were fiberglass... as I saw one "explode" onto pieces in front of me as it was nailed by another car in an intersection. This was almost 50 years ago. I had been walking to school. I remember saving a piece of the bodywork from that Shelby that I later found on the side of the road.
The hood would have been but other parts? Not sure. Probably aftermarket "race" parts on that partiular indivicuals car?
I was a week late on a near-perfect Mark 4 survivor. It was just beautiful. My grandfather had one in the early 70s when I was little and so they have a lot of sentimental value. I also can't remember the last time I saw one and I have a thing for unusual sports cars...plus the whole V-4 thing...and MANUAL popup headlights. Someday...
ZOMG, those headlights! LOL Don't let the shaft get rusty, that's my advice.
Mine had no carpet and being FWD the floor was completely flat. You could stick your finger through drain holes in it and just about touch the ground. Nothing really approaching handling, but the Ford V4 sounded very business like through true duals and glasspacks.
Nope, there really was a lot of fiberglass on the front end! Wiki has a good rundown.
“- By October 1966, Ford took control over engineering and purchasing. A.O. Smith was tapped to fix the fiberglass fitment and quality problems. -The 1967 redesign made for a heavier Mustang, along with a longer, fiberglass hood, and new front and rear facias. -Several body parts of the GT500 were made of fibreglass including the side intakes and bonnet [HOOD].” - That’s what I see in Wiki, Hood, front fascia I expect. If the rear facia is fiberglass it would be somewhat suprising. No mention of fenders I saw.
With the wording it didn’t clarify if the new 67 front and rear facia were indeed fiberglass or just new.
I could have missed something as well.
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 02-05-2016).]
DP
, but it seemed to me that it was more like a whole fender that "exploded" and not just a small section of it. 
