FRP [Fibre Reinforced Polymer]

[SilviaDriver]

well, im buying a kit soon off takakaira.com and they said in their FAQ that most of the kits are made of FRP. im wondering wat is that? i heard something about its light weight like fiberglass and felxible like urathane?

http://www.speedalliance.com/kits/images/ings_frp_hi_2.jpg
http://www.speedalliance.com/kits/images/ings_frp_hi_3.jpg

i got those off a site and says thats FRP. i was wondering wat is it really. im guessing if its light weight likfe fiberglass and flexible like urathane then thats a good thing, but does it crack easly?

[adey]

AFAIK:

FRP = Fibre (fiber) Reinforced Plastic.
"better" than Fiberglass, but not as strong as Urethane (stock bumpers). They are light and flexible, not as brittle as fiberglass pieces, yet not as heavy or strong/durable as urethane stock pieces.
FRP is probably the most popular quality aftermarket body kit material due to its flexibility, weight and cost.

(If I've made any mistakes, by all means correct me)

[ruf]

Dude. Do you ever freaking read anything? Does it absorb?

FRP is a fancy name for fiberglass. There are construction qualities other than material that determine the characteristics of the part. Thinner parts flex more, but are flimsier. I think the thinness of the bumpers that we are talking about is what contributes the most to their elasticity.  The newer flex bumpers like Ings and Monkey Magic G+ use a mix of materials to be even more flexible. Are they tough? Will they crack? Of course they will. Quit thinking about it. If you don't want a bumper to crack, then don't hit anything or buy urethane. The newer flex stuff is less likely to crack. Same goes with the thin fiberglass/FRP.

In order of durability:
1) urethane
2) FRP/fiberglass hybrid
3) thin FRP/fiberglass
4) conventional thick FRP/fiberglass

Now quit asking.

[ruf]

Sorry, just tired of answering the same question 3 times. It's like he's unhappy with the answer and expecting it to change if he asks again. There are no such things as cheap, indestructible bumpers. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

[adey]

... so FRP and Fiberglass are exactly the same thing? &nbsp;I was under the impression that there was a difference.... though there very well may not be...