Fiberglass bodies

[AOtt]

Good morning
Another thread here got me wondering how it feels to drive and ride in a glass tub. Can it be equally compared to the ride of the steel bodies?
Cant imagine it so can you guys give some needed insight?

 

[suckerpunched]

bout the same but you won't be able to see through the floor.

 

[gnpenning]

bout the same but you won't be able to see through the floor.

When did you drive mine...

 

[Deano]

I drive a fg body bronco everyday to work and I have a metal body one also and they are about the same to drive in my opinion. They stop the same they ride the same corners about the same I don't see much difference other than fg won't rust out

 

[la hi]

What about resale value. Do collectors want fiberglass? Since the bodies cost about the same who will get more at sale time?

 

[SteveL]

If uncut non-modified I would think steel. Closer to stock get the most $$. If modified it's a toss up. I'm thinking guys in rust prone areas would go fiberglass in a heartbeat.

 

[AOtt]

I drive a fg body bronco everyday to work and I have a metal body one also and they are about the same to drive in my opinion. They stop the same they ride the same corners about the same I don't see much difference other than fg won't rust out

Thanks Deano can you tell me if anything on yours is steel related to the complete body

 

[Deano]

Thanks Deano can you tell me if anything on yours is steel related to the complete body

The one I drive everyday has metal doors and front clip. but if anything happens to it it will go back fg except the grill I like the metal grill better

 

[tasker]

98% of people DON'T know the difference....I have both, kind of....my daily is a steel tub with glass outer panels. My build rig is all glass but I plan on driving year round as I live in NH. I built mine for me not a collector....personal choice. good luck and feel free to ask anything

 

[Broncobowsher]

What about resale value. Do collectors want fiberglass? Since the bodies cost about the same who will get more at sale time?

No, they don't.

For Bronco people who know what is going on, a fiberglass tub on a street rig means that the body rotted out. And the frame probably has a bunch of hidden rot about to come. Doesn't matter if that is true or not, that is just what is expected.

A decent collector will be turned off by bedliner as well. It is a well know way to hide rust. And any collector car/truck the biggest issue is dealing with rust. A clean steel body will be the most desired.

For a race rig, a glass body isn't that big of a deal. Body panels are consumable. You can get light weight bodies. At which point you are really just buying the race parts in a collection and by chance it happens to be bodied (and maybe an original chassis) of a Bronco. So not really a collector.

 

[Glass Pony]

I built mine for me not a collector....personal choice. good luck and feel free to ask anything

Same here. Living on the coast and using the Bronco as a beach buggy I'm so glad I went with the fiberglass tub. If I had a bunch of time and money in the steel body I would be worried about the salt everytime I come off the beach.

 

[ep67bro]

It all depends on your use. If you live where there is salt on the roads or in the air and you want to drive your bronco all year long fiberglass is a great option. If you are a collector then they wont look twice at a glass rig. I have seen broncos that were "restored" and then driven a lot, within a few years rust seems to find its way back. I know of a truck local to me they guy had a sweet paint job and body work done, within 8 years the truck was full of rust again so bad now the body is junk! If I was building a daily driver from the ground up for use on the east coast I would take a good look at a glass body!

 

[Kbpony]

The difference in the ride/drive is you don’t have to hear as much metal on metal noise with every bump...