Okay, just as the title states......Please provide your knowledge on these types of body kits... any opinions on what you think is better? Advantages/Disadvantages of each type??

 

I dont know about abs, but on my crx i had both types of kits. i started out with the mugen replica in fiberglass. fit llike poop and cracked very easy, on now is the wings west replica
mugen kit but in urethane and its quality. doesnt break, fits perfect, and just overall a good kit. dont know about abs but fiberglass imo is garbage

 

fiberglass = cheaper = sir cracks alot
urethane = more money = takes a beating
abs is preatty hard core from what i hear

 

depends what fiberglass is used. Japan uses good quality stuff where as the mass produced kits here are just made as quick as possible. I'd say japan kits can take a beating whereas the kits that are cheaply made get banged up all the time

 

pretty dead on .. but dont be fooled by ABS plastic, they take a better beating then fiberglass but can crack as well. To put it more simply .. you know fiberglass is just that .. fiberglass, and IMO sucks but paint works very well with it .., urethane is the samn material as your heavy duty trash can, very sturdy and can take a beating and fairs pretty well paint .. abs plastic is the samn material most toys are made of and painting it takes a tad bit more (very heavy degreasing, sanding, etc.) but still fairs well.

 

i had an abs plastic kit on my old gti. its sturdier than fiberglass, but its brittle too. instead of cracking in the middle of the body kit itselft, my abs kit broke at the mounting points over time from being too low.

fiberglass can be really flexible depending how its constructed.

 

We have a new line of kits coming out in Aeroflex. It's a fiberglass product but shares the flexibility of urethane. I will post videos and photos when we recieve our first 40' container order.

Standard Fiberglass -
Pros: are it is very inexpensive, light weight, easily repairable, and vast selection of parts due to inexpensive tooling and manufacturing costs.

Cons: some parts may have inconsistencies and fitment problems depending on the manufacturer.

Urethane -
Pros: Very flexible and rugged

Cons: Very expensive to manufacture thus purchase prices are much higher, difficult to repair when damaged, small selection of products compared to fiberglass.

ABS:
Pros: Very cost effective to manufacture large quanities. Works great for front lips, spoilers, eyelids etc

Cons: Not easily repairable if damaged. Will tend to shatter if impacted in cold temperature.

 

Sup Craig...
Yes Krazykustom is right, but I would like to add...little bit.

NOW DAYS, fiber glass technology been improving a lot... fiber glass have become much more durable & flexible than before (close to urethane)

Urethane
Pros: un-match durability, will not break unless in case of accident (more than 25-30MPH crash)
Cons: Heavy about 20-30% heavier than fiber glass, custom brackets needed (heavy and to flexible without it), paint hardly stick to urethane (flexible) need a lot of sanding, primer and must use adhesive promoter. EXPENSIVE.

“Advance” Fiber glass:
Pros: Sturdier than urethane, flex little bit, very lights and rigid construction. Paint grabs it like your girl-friend’s does to your wallet. Cheaper
Cons: 20% less strength than urethane.

 

lol wth is "advance" fiberglass to be exact? it may be strong and isht, but its still gonna have the cons krazykustomz pointed out:
"Cons: some parts may have inconsistencies and fitment problems depending on the manufacturer."

 

i think his definition of "advanced" is like how Ings is. they have a custom material of fiberglass that is very very durable.

-taek

 

most poeple now already uses the "advance type" resin and fiber glass.
So yes...

 

i believe urethane is still superior... as far as paint grabbing, as long as the surface is prepped correctly there should be no problems with any of the materials listed!

 

Just get carbon fiber. Its way stronger then fiberglass and you dont have to worry about painting it. My lip kit from abs dynamics fit perfect and is crazy strong. Just dont get in an accident.

 

Wow thats pritty sad, so they rather keep a couple of dollars then try to keep their reputation credible, not cool in my book . Good luck with this man and sorry you are going through this. You should start a new post, so more people can read this.

 

I had an ABS plastic lip on my 2k1 civic and totalled it. The front and rear got some cracks in it now but they didn't shatter like fiberglass would. Urethane is expensive but it is totally worth it... if ou hit something the paint will just flake off first. Another thing about it is Urethane tears not breaks. But for the price I will stick with ABS until I'm done w/ college.