Unless you've never worked with fiberglass you know how easy it is to work with. I am in the process of making a sub box using the spare tire area and the glove compartment and i was thinking, Instead of tinting the hatch window so dark its usless why not make a fiberglass replacement? It would be extreamly lighter and if done right could look pretty cool.

Maybe on the inside you could mount a small monitor(sp?) connected to a small cam mounted in the rear bumper?

Am i nuts or what?

I want to go to the junk yard to get a hatch and try it out one day.

 

its illegal in cali. you must have a rear window. also itd be a bitch to look for po pos in a tv. and in everyday driving it would be a bitch

 

well its not here and the tv would be more for show.

 

i think harwood or someone makes replacement hatch, or windown kits. good way to drop over 100 pounds off the car.

 

I was just surfing Harwood's website, they have a cool fiberglass front clip for a grand. what is to stop me from pulling molds off of one of mine and making my own? I mean a "mold" is just coating the car w/ wesson oil, and laying glass over it, then you pop it loose and coat the inside of the new mold w/ wesson oil, lay glass inside the mold, pop it loose and there it is right? just a little trimming and sanding? then I could sell my own! It sounds to me like it could be done in a weekend.
Also, they list fiberglass doors. are these a good weight savings, or just getting greedy w/ weight, and asking to get hurt real bad?
Something about getting T-boned w/ a glass door makes me nervous.

 

I never heard of glass doors before. Thats awesome. Those dang doors are so heavy, thats a great way to save on the hinges and weight.

 

I dont think someone could make a complete fron end out of fiberglass in a weekend, theirs a ton of sanding involved to get it to the right finish not to mention the several layers of glass needed. Also you would probably have to make it in three or four pieces because one big mold made over the car would probably get stuck.

And i dont think i'd drive my car around on the street with fiberglass doors. Maybe a door with just the outter skin made of fiberglass but not the whole door.

 

since were gonna spend the time to glass the fenders and stuff we might as well drive down to TAP Plastics and pick up some Carbon Fiber as well!

Actually that might not be a bad idea but I'd paint it to match. Wish I was confindent I could get it right. That'a alot of glass work.

 

I think I might play around with something small like a console cover. If it works out and I get a decent mold, maybe i can sell them for about 35$

 

I was thinking of also fabricating a replacement hatch, only with a window for simplicity, but with a design similar to the notch back, I just got the idea in my head and was wondeing if anyone had done it before. Also I don't really have much experiance with fabrication but would love to give it a try if anyone can give me some tips that would be awesome.

 

You could buy a targa hatch.

 

I have been looking to do this to my T/A as well. Hot Rod Superstore and one other place had these for sale for a while as a reproduction of the original Trans Am Targa Coupe. Someone had it on EBay for over a year @ $495, now I can't find it.

good luck, and please post pics when you get finished!

xtremecustomizr

 

Are you sure? Think as long as you have two side mirrors you're good to go.

 

Also - consider that most cargo vans do NOT have rear windows from the manufacturers. Even the stupid chevy astro vans.

How does the law apply to them?



xtremecustomizr

 

Because light trucks and vans are classified differently than passenger cars. Yeah, I know you can carry passengers in them too but I don't define things I just tell it like it is.

Anytime you do some mod to your car that is not legal in your state don't whine when you get popped for it and have to pay a fine. When I was younger I thought all the cops were out to get me and If I had been smart enough to keep my car quieter and and not do things that would get me pulled over and ticketed I'd have had enough money for a nice vacation somewhere.

 

I am young and they are out to get me, I get tailed all the time when Im going the speed limit, with my quiet aerochamber muffler, heck a police officer told me to slow down in my neighborhood when I was going 5 under.....

 

If someone finds a fiberglass or carbon fiber STOCK looking hatch please post it up cause I'd love to drop that weight and thats the one rust spot in my car...

 

I doubt that you will be able to find a carbon or fiberglass hatch, other than making your own, I think the only way you can go to eliminate the normal hatch is to go targa. If you get to the point that you are genuinely serious about a switch, I would find out the weight of a fiber hatch, pull off your current one and put something in the back close to the new weight. Then you can see if its worth it to you weight wise. If you decide otherwise you already have the hatch off and you can go to a junk-yard and find a decent hatch off of a beater that isn't rusted.

 

Does anyone know of a site that sells the targa replacement hatches, i've search on the internet and can't find any.

 

82-92 CAMARO CATALOGUE

It appears by their parts list that they have a targa style bolt on hatch. And judging by the G next to it, its fiberglass. Hopefully that helps.

 

Here are a few photos of the Targas, on and off the car. I just saw one last week on EBay that came off a wrecked T/A, and had a crack in the fiberglass, and it was original, so the factory ones were apparently fiberglass, not steel.

Targa Pics

I also have some high res photos if you are interested!

Cheers