How crazy is this?

[charger69]

It is a Nissan 350Z. body kit is made using foam for construction, and i Guess he used kit to fix the shapes afterwards. Is this material good enough for this, etc?

 

[Sandy52]

WIll look OK, it looks great, but no structural strength at all, will just collapse in a shunt.

 

[charger69]

WIll look OK, it looks great, but no structural strength at all, will just collapse in a shunt.

That is what wonders me, is it useful the construction foam for less larger bodykits and then cover them with kit, like this guy has done? and what if you add a structural strength to it? say aluminium parts to keep it? I stand for function over form, but this idea is weird and awesome. hope he'll do well.

 

[Sandy52]

Body structural strength is very complicated for modern cars. The compromise is and has always been what strength do you need and what does it weigh. We all know modern cars have been getting heavier, and a LOT safer due to the latest safety requirements. It looks great as a show car but you couldn't drive it on a circuit, or the road without of lot (money) of engineering mods to ensure there is adequate strength.

 

[charger69]

Body structural strength is very complicated for modern cars. The compromise is and has always been what strength do you need and what does it weigh. We all know modern cars have been getting heavier, and a LOT safer due to the latest safety requirements. It looks great as a show car but you couldn't drive it on a circuit, or the road without of lot (money) of engineering mods to ensure there is adequate strength.

but you know construction foam gets very strong after it gets dry and attaches hard to the surface it is applied, plus it has no weight at all, like cotton. and if you apply hard fill on the surface of it after you cut that foam to the shape, I believe it wont require anymore strength adds? But I am not sure if this foam can be well attached to fiber glass body parts, or even metal ones covered in paint? Weird thing, but seems cool, and I think it has 75% to work if the hard fill is done properly over the foam after being cut into the proper shape

 

[obi_waynne]

Not convinced this will work myself, as has been said it depends much on the finish over the foam before the paint was applied. I would worry about long term durability, as the car heats up and flexes it could very well degrade the foam and cause it to detach.

Now if this was covered in fibreglass and finished it will be fine and gives a good surface for the fibreglass to take a shape from, but I still think you'd be better off creating a mold and making the fibreglass panels from that.

Manufacturers use a similar process to create a shape and test it for aerodynamics, the pictures could well just be showing the early prototyping and then the car is built from fibreglass or carbon fibre weave.

 

[charger69]

But I also have seen a lot cars have the inner of their front and rear bumpers filled with foam, from factory.

 

[thexav]

It gives them strength absorbs sounds and in a crash helps to absorb some of the impact.