Having the hardest time...
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 512
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From: NH
Having the hardest time...
finding Urethane or 100% PolyUrethane bodykits for our cars...can any one help me? JP was the only one (that i like) that makes urethane but they have very limited selection. Lextacy has a nice one that am really digging but its FTP (or summthn like that) which pratically fiberglass. My bodyshop guy advises tostay away frm anything other that urethane.
Any help would be great since my car is in the shop now for 2 weeks and would like it done at the same time.
thanks in advance.
Any help would be great since my car is in the shop now for 2 weeks and would like it done at the same time.
thanks in advance.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,537
Likes: 1
From: GA
Only kit I know that is Urethane is Rod Millen, and Tom's, maybe Prussian Blue. I bought the Rod Millen front bumper from my buddy Don, who bought the Tom's front bumper, and so I've seen both first hand and they are urethane, not fiberglass.
The Tom's front bumper is fiberglass. I've installed two before.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
Last edited by JeffTsai; May 12, 2011 at 10:12 AM.
Like others have said, urethane kits are hard to come by. I mixed and matched my kit when I did my setup; L-Sportline Front, L-Tuned sides and Rod Millen rear. Out of the 3, only the Rod Millen is findable these days, the other 2 have been discontinued...
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Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 512
Likes: 0
From: NH
The Tom's front bumper is fiberglass. I've installed two before.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
Lextacy has a nice kit that i really like http://www.lextasy.com/executive_lexus_gs300.htm
but frm my research it seems like you can get cheap FG kits or better ones that dont crack easy. Has anyone ever delt or knows someone who has with them or this kit? if so are they anygood?
as always your help is always appreciated!
now all 3 are discontinued but still float around from time to time....
Lextacy has a nice one that am really digging but its FTP (or summthn like that) which pratically fiberglass.
this is some VERY usefull info.
Lextacy has a nice kit that i really like http://www.lextasy.com/executive_lexus_gs300.htm
Lextacy has a nice kit that i really like http://www.lextasy.com/executive_lexus_gs300.htm
when did ANYONE mention VIP? OP didnt ask for a VIP kit.BTW the JP kit he mentions isn't even junction produce it is JP USA or something like that. Junction Produce doesn't make a urethane kit that im aware
finding Urethane or 100% PolyUrethane bodykits for our cars...can any one help me? JP was the only one (that i like) that makes urethane but they have very limited selection. Lextacy has a nice one that am really digging but its FTP (or summthn like that) which pratically fiberglass. My bodyshop guy advises tostay away frm anything other that urethane.
Any help would be great since my car is in the shop now for 2 weeks and would like it done at the same time.
thanks in advance.
Any help would be great since my car is in the shop now for 2 weeks and would like it done at the same time.
thanks in advance.
1. Regular Fiberglass
2. (FRP) Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic
Most of the newer kits are made using the FRP material which is pretty durable. Don't let the word "Fiberglass" scare you. I'm pretty picky what goes on my car and I won't put nothing but the best parts on my baby.
Originally i had a mis-match kit; I had a RM Front Bumper (urethane) and Veilside skirts (FRP) and Veilside Rear bumper (FRP). At that time, I didn't know anything about FRP, i just thought, "its Fiberglass and i need to be extreme careful with it" Having the kit setup from 2001-2007 - I've had more issues with the Urethane front bumper than the rest of my kit. I've had the front bumper painted like 2-3 times due to paint-flex issues (the bumper is a bit soft and does flex) which cause some issues and the fitment wasn't that great. I even had to replace the front bumper for hitting some debris on the hwy (it cracked) and puzzling how I haven't any issues with the FRP skirts or rear bumper. Moving forward to when i decided to replace the RM Bumper due to clearance issues, I decide to go with Tom's because of their reputation and products are Top notch and that the Tom's kit continue the Veilside look without having to re-do the whole car.
I had an experienced shop who only work on hot rods, classic & muscle cars painted my kit, and from what they said, "The fitment and quality of the Tom's FRP Bumper was the best they've ever seen" and they been in business over 30 years.
A testament that FRP is just as good, On my move from ATL to TX, I had my front end taped up for the 800 mile drive and in Beaumont, TX i hit a large plank of wood that came off a truck and hit my bumper and scar my headlights and scuff my Passenger Front Wheel. Arriving, I pulled off the tape knowing i would see damage underneath.. to my surprise, no cracks, no spider-webbing, not even a blemish - NO DAMAGE at all.. The FRP is strong or atleast the Tom's FRP is that strong. Now having experience what I have experienced going with a Reputable company known for their history even though they might be more expensive (Cost is not the issue) getting a great product is most important.
So, though if i could have found a Urethane bumper to match my Veilside look, i would have gone with it but consider the FRP stuff because they are not as fragile as the old fiberglass stuff we've all heard of..
The Tom's front bumper is fiberglass. I've installed two before.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
As for why they are not many urethane kits out there. It requires a MUCH more expensive plastic injection mold to make urethane bumper and such. Fiberglass is for production at a much smaller scale.
Say for example, it costs $5000 for a fiberglass mold of a bumper. It takes longer to to lay down the fiberglass and then vacuum bag it. So this is ideal for lower production numbers. It might take anywhere up to a few hours to make a fiberglass bumper. Then after the vacuum bagging, the material needs to be gel coated, adding more time.
Now, for a urethane bumper, that mold might cost anywhere in the range of $50,000-100,000+ or more. However, it is very easy for them to crank out bumpers when they have a plastic injection mold. They pretty much just set the mold in place, have a special plastic injection pump that fills the mold, then open it up and they have a bumper. They can probably crank out a bumper every 5 minutes or so.
So, it comes down to how many bumpers the body kit manufacturer is planning to make. If they do a plastic injection mold, they can spend over $100k or or more and that's just simply not worth or is too risky it to them when they don't know how many will sell.
OEM bumpers are polyurethane and made by plastic injection molding, but they make hundreds of thousands of cars so it is worth it to them. Not to mention at those numbers it's far cheaper to make polyurethane bumpers. The aftermarket manufactures that make OEM style bumpers also use urethane because they expect to sell much more than what a modified body kit maker will expect to sell.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 512
Likes: 0
From: NH
^^^^^
i think i may have found a kit (used) for cheap and seems to be FRP material. Question thos...is it a mix of fiber glass and poly?
Thank u everyone for your input and info, truley y i love this site. u guys rock!!!
i think i may have found a kit (used) for cheap and seems to be FRP material. Question thos...is it a mix of fiber glass and poly?
Thank u everyone for your input and info, truley y i love this site. u guys rock!!!
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