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FJ Fairing bits, fiberglass or ABS?

Started by wakdady, February 25, 2011, 01:07:39 PM

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wakdady

The deeper i get into fixing my FJ, the more I want to do.
The lower chin spoiler thingy is ABS plastic right? mine is missing the entire nose bit and i'm going to try to fix it.
Also, the upper fairing has a small crack, is that fiberglass?
What about the intakes, fiberglass as well?

I'm going to try to fix all these parts, since there are no used ones and new is way too much.
i'll post pix of the damage, maybe i can get some feedback as to how to fix it.

craigo

Hey there,

Seems that if you join the UK FJ group, the prices do not seem that drastic.  Take a look at this link:

http://www.fjcatalogue.com/body.html

At these prices, I would buy the belly pans from them.  Just my opinion,

CraigO
90FJ1200
CraigO
90FJ1200

RichBaker

All the plastic bits are ABS.... no fiberglass from the factory.
Rich Baker - NRA Life, AZCDL, Trail Riders of S. AZ. , AMA Life, BRC, HEAT Dirt Riders, SAMA....
Tennessee Squire
90 FJ1200, 03 WR450F ;8^P

wakdady

Quote from: RichBaker on February 25, 2011, 05:27:38 PM
All the plastic bits are ABS.... no fiberglass from the factory.
are you sure? the upper fairing has no flex at all.

Marsh White

Yes, 100% sure - NO fiberglass on the OEM FJ at all.  All years.  Only ABS plastic.

DailyDriver


As stated above. ABS, no glass.

However you can repair using fiberglass. I've done some moderate repairs to my upper fairing and chin fairing with good results.
Only a motorcyclist knows why a dog sticks its head out the window of a moving car.

FJmonkey

Quote from: Marsh White on February 26, 2011, 04:56:54 PM
Yes, 100% sure - NO fiberglass on the OEM FJ at all.  All years.  Only ABS plastic.
Japanese producers using a manufacturing process that depends on difficult to control and costly manual labor and craftsmanship (Fiberglass) vs. much more precise and duplicate-able process of injection molding??? They may have stopped molding new plastics....But the mold is still out there, wonder how big it is, how many parts in one mold??? The size of the mold and potential buyers is what is killing availability. Now that volume has gone down, Fiberglass and surviving spares will be all that is left for us old bike guys. Or we could just chop them up and paint them green? :bad:
The glass is not half full, it was engineered with a 2X safety factor.

'86 Ambulance - Bent frame, cracked case, due for an overhaul
'89 Stormy Blue - Suits my Dark Side

TheRadBaron

I had to go out to the shop and double check my lower fairing after reading this thread.  It appears to be fiberglass.  Here's a picture:

It came on my '84.  I know that it looks different than the stock '84 lower fairing.  Maybe it's an aftermarket piece?  I'm almost certain that it's fiberglass because the texture of the mat is clearly visible on the inside of the fairing.  I don't think that it's a matter of it having been repaired or strengthened with fiberglass since it very uniformly looks that way on the inside and it blends into the smooth outer side very smoothly.
If all stock FJ parts were ABS, does anyone know what this fairing is?
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.  -Tacitus

Marsh White

Quote from: TheRadBaron on March 08, 2011, 09:20:50 PM
It came on my '84.  I know that it looks different than the stock '84 lower fairing.  Maybe it's an aftermarket piece? 

It is most definitely an aftermarket piece.  That said - I've never seen that one before!  I'm sure someone else here has though...

Harvy

Quote from: TheRadBaron on March 08, 2011, 09:20:50 PM
I had to go out to the shop and double check my lower fairing after reading this thread.  It appears to be fiberglass.  Here's a picture:

It came on my '84.  I know that it looks different than the stock '84 lower fairing.  Maybe it's an aftermarket piece?  I'm almost certain that it's fiberglass because the texture of the mat is clearly visible on the inside of the fairing.  I don't think that it's a matter of it having been repaired or strengthened with fiberglass since it very uniformly looks that way on the inside and it blends into the smooth outer side very smoothly.
If all stock FJ parts were ABS, does anyone know what this fairing is?

Definitely after market........ FJs did not have full fairings from the factory...... and it is probably fibreglass.

Harvy
FJZ1 1200 - It'll do me just fine.
Timing has much to do with the success of a rain dance.