Hi Everybody,
I'm sure that people involved in the building of fibreglass bodied are frequently asked 'How strong is fibreglass compared with pressed steel bodies.'
Before I relate my first hand experience of just how strong fibreglass is I would like to share with you the rather bizarre and amusing events that led up to my lesson in structural strength in early 1992.
My friend Jeremy Kilpin, a perfectionist car builder, used to build the Brindley replica commercial vehicles at that time. They were converted Mazda B1600/1800 pick-ups whose massively strong chassis and reliable engines would outlast the bodies that were prone to rust. They were therefore ideal donor vehicles for the Brindley that was built in van, pick-up and station wagon forms. The vehicle was named after a forebear of Jeremy, James Brindley, a canal and mill builder in the northern part of England in the 18th century.
The Brindleys were so authentic in appearance that they could have been mistaken for original vehicles. Jeremy even had his own wheels made up. In fact Jeremy relates an amusing story when he and his wife walked towards their Brindley in a car park after having had dinner in a restaurant. He noticed an elderly couple in front of the van and the old gent was peering intently at the badge on the radiator shell. He said to his wife, 'Yes, I remember the Brindley well.'
At the time I assisted Jeremy with the marketing of his Brindleys and one afternoon as I was approaching a motorway/freeway I noticed our friend Daphne in front of me turning on to the on-ramp. She then drove off the on-ramp and parked on the grass verge. Thinking that she had broken down I parked the Brindley van right under the overhead motorway and started running towards her. I had covered only a few paces when a white Ford Sierra appeared and smacked the Brindley full on without slowing or braking at at least 30 mph. Despite the fact that the van's hand brake was full on it was pushed about 30 feet along the road. It jumped the kerb and headed straight for a lone jogger running along the pavement. Bear in mind that we drive of the left in South Africa. The van was hit on the right rear corner and was pushed to the left.
The driver of the Sierra got out, uninjured and completely calm and unruffled, like he did this sort of thing everyday. He said that he just didn't see the van. Then Daphne bust into tears and assumed guilt. I said not to worry, accidents also don't bother me either. I then realised that the jogger was a director of a finance company with whom I had had a meeting that same morning miles from the accident site. I said to him, 'Nothing personal, this is no conspiracy!' He saw the funny side. The Sierra driver turned out to be a chartered accountant who then became my accountant. I also introduced the two financial men. It is said that one shouldn't meet by accident. Perhaps one should! In the end Daphne hadn't broken down but wanted to attach an estate agents board to a pole. I think the spirits picked on her that day to trigger off a chain reaction!
Anyway, now the point of the story. The Brindley's van body was a fibreglass shell with no steel reinforcing. The only steel component was the sub-frame which was attached to the Mazda chassis and this did not extend right to the back. The Sierra therefore smacked pure fibreglass.
From the photos it can be seen that the Sierra didn't look all that good. The Brindley only suffered some cracks and marks. The repair bill for the Sierra was R12,236 and to see that figure in perspective a new Sierra 3.0 GLX cost about R50,000 at the time. The Brindley's repair bill R1,590, nearly eight times less.
If you are in the fibreglass industry or build fibreglass bodied cars, please print out and stick on the wall. I'm sure that your customers will be convinced by the story of steel that smacked fibreglass in faraway South Africa!
Be strong!
Andre 40
I'm sure that people involved in the building of fibreglass bodied are frequently asked 'How strong is fibreglass compared with pressed steel bodies.'
Before I relate my first hand experience of just how strong fibreglass is I would like to share with you the rather bizarre and amusing events that led up to my lesson in structural strength in early 1992.
My friend Jeremy Kilpin, a perfectionist car builder, used to build the Brindley replica commercial vehicles at that time. They were converted Mazda B1600/1800 pick-ups whose massively strong chassis and reliable engines would outlast the bodies that were prone to rust. They were therefore ideal donor vehicles for the Brindley that was built in van, pick-up and station wagon forms. The vehicle was named after a forebear of Jeremy, James Brindley, a canal and mill builder in the northern part of England in the 18th century.
The Brindleys were so authentic in appearance that they could have been mistaken for original vehicles. Jeremy even had his own wheels made up. In fact Jeremy relates an amusing story when he and his wife walked towards their Brindley in a car park after having had dinner in a restaurant. He noticed an elderly couple in front of the van and the old gent was peering intently at the badge on the radiator shell. He said to his wife, 'Yes, I remember the Brindley well.'
At the time I assisted Jeremy with the marketing of his Brindleys and one afternoon as I was approaching a motorway/freeway I noticed our friend Daphne in front of me turning on to the on-ramp. She then drove off the on-ramp and parked on the grass verge. Thinking that she had broken down I parked the Brindley van right under the overhead motorway and started running towards her. I had covered only a few paces when a white Ford Sierra appeared and smacked the Brindley full on without slowing or braking at at least 30 mph. Despite the fact that the van's hand brake was full on it was pushed about 30 feet along the road. It jumped the kerb and headed straight for a lone jogger running along the pavement. Bear in mind that we drive of the left in South Africa. The van was hit on the right rear corner and was pushed to the left.
The driver of the Sierra got out, uninjured and completely calm and unruffled, like he did this sort of thing everyday. He said that he just didn't see the van. Then Daphne bust into tears and assumed guilt. I said not to worry, accidents also don't bother me either. I then realised that the jogger was a director of a finance company with whom I had had a meeting that same morning miles from the accident site. I said to him, 'Nothing personal, this is no conspiracy!' He saw the funny side. The Sierra driver turned out to be a chartered accountant who then became my accountant. I also introduced the two financial men. It is said that one shouldn't meet by accident. Perhaps one should! In the end Daphne hadn't broken down but wanted to attach an estate agents board to a pole. I think the spirits picked on her that day to trigger off a chain reaction!
Anyway, now the point of the story. The Brindley's van body was a fibreglass shell with no steel reinforcing. The only steel component was the sub-frame which was attached to the Mazda chassis and this did not extend right to the back. The Sierra therefore smacked pure fibreglass.
From the photos it can be seen that the Sierra didn't look all that good. The Brindley only suffered some cracks and marks. The repair bill for the Sierra was R12,236 and to see that figure in perspective a new Sierra 3.0 GLX cost about R50,000 at the time. The Brindley's repair bill R1,590, nearly eight times less.
If you are in the fibreglass industry or build fibreglass bodied cars, please print out and stick on the wall. I'm sure that your customers will be convinced by the story of steel that smacked fibreglass in faraway South Africa!
Be strong!
Andre 40
