Mud-club

Chat & Social => The Bar - General Chat => Topic started by: way2deep on January 02, 2006, 20:45:28

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: way2deep on January 02, 2006, 20:45:28

i am thinking of making range rover bonnets and tail gates and other bits (light pods etc) ..does anyone know what the laws  are on making copy body panels.....

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: Xtremeteam on January 02, 2006, 20:48:07

if you had said u were gonna do this 6 months ago i would abeen up for a set,sold the rangie project so no need,
AFAIK MM4x4 are selling GRP panels at the mo

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: muddyweb on January 02, 2006, 20:49:00

I don't know specifically... but I would imagine that if the bit in question is a registered design, then it would be protected under copyright.


Just a cautionary tale...   we had a 90 in the workshop before Christmas with a 'lightweight' fibre glass bonnet on it....   it was about 30% heavier than the standard Td5 one !   If weight saving is the main reason, it's well worth doing a bit of checking to see if you can actually make an improvement.

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: Xtremeteam on January 02, 2006, 20:52:32

<snip Just a cautionary tale... we had a 90 in the workshop before Christmas with a 'lightweight' fibre glass bonnet on it.... it was about 30% heavier than the standard Td5 one ! If weight saving is the main reason, it's well worth doing a bit of checking to see if you can actually make an improvement.snip>

i have a GRP bonnet just like that,its about 15/20mm thick  :lol:
also for ARC comp motors if using a GRP bonnet & pannels it has to meet the correct spec for fire retardance <sp>

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: snezza69 on January 02, 2006, 20:55:39

Quote from: "muddyweb"

I don't know specifically... but I would imagine that if the bit in question is a registered design, then it would be protected under copyright.


Just a cautionary tale...   we had a 90 in the workshop before Christmas with a 'lightweight' fibre glass bonnet on it....   it was about 30% heavier than the standard Td5 one !   If weight saving is the main reason, it's well worth doing a bit of checking to see if you can actually make an improvement.

If you modify the design even by just a little bit you should be OK, worth checking out with a solicitor if you are looking at making a business out of it though! :D

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: Sheddy on January 02, 2006, 23:24:41

If a design is altered by 10% then it is not a copy.  The fact that it is being made from a different material is enough.

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: barmiebrumie on January 03, 2006, 10:23:47

I would be up for a bonnet (at the right price) as mine is v/heavy, dont know why they never made it from ali insted of steel,




John.

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: Eeyore on January 03, 2006, 11:44:21

Quote from: "barmiebrumie"

dont know why they never made it from ali insted of steel

Too complex at the time to volume produce - the draw was too deep for the shape and wrinkling was (and still is) a huge problem. More formable alloys, available at the time weren't stiff enough when pressed to do the required job or softened too readily in service and would have required excessive reinforcement. It's quite a big list!.......and it don't end there either!

It was kinda solved on the L322 by the application of huge amounts of wonga.

Anorak of the Day award?  :wink:

cheers
 8)
Eeyore

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: way2deep on January 04, 2006, 00:04:01

If weight saving is the main reason, it's well worth doing a bit of checking to see if you can actually make an improvement.[/quote]
 my rangie bonnet for example is ridiculously heavy ,i am sure i could produce a lighter version :D years ago i made "custom" cortina bonnets that were mega light

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: Tom Mc on January 06, 2006, 22:22:45

Back in 1988 a company (now defunct) kindly supplied my Paris-Dakar team with GRP panels for our two Range Rovers by way of a sponsorship deal. They were excellent, such a shame the company went to the wall.

The panels in question were bonnets, front and rear wings, rear quarter panels (the ones that house the light clusters) plus top & bottom tailgates. Somehow they managed to strike a happy balance between strength and lightness, so making the bonnets an absolute joy to use and as for the rear tailgates – they were awesome. Without telling folk about the GRP bottom tailgate, my party trick was to ask people what they thought was different about the tailgate, and when they said they could not see any difference I would jump up and down on the lowered tailgate like a mad thing – then inform them it was made of fibreglass. Nobody ever twigged and of course they were all amazed. The other pleasure was lifting the bonnet with one finger (no exaggeration), extremely handy when totally knackered in the middle of the Sahara!

It can be done therefore, if you have the time, patience and will to get them right ... then market them ... then produce them ...

Question is, are there enough RR Classic owners out there willing to fork out for a lighter bonnet of rust-free tailgate?

Title: fibreglass panels
Post by: TUFFTEE on January 07, 2006, 08:45:21

Bonnet with light pods built in? 8)  :lol:
Just an idea? :wink: