Hey Guys and Gals,
I'm back again with the custom front valance setup for the B, here's the link from the previous (and lengthy) thread:
http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1606845,1606845#msg-1606845
Trying to generate some interest in a POLYURETHANE valance and splitter. So no more cracking when/if you hit a curb and no crazy fitment issues that you would have with fiberglass. I'm also in the process of making a rear valance like the Sebring style, but also in polyurethane. Let me know what you guys think, this is your chance to throw in your .02 cents! Make it count!

Thanks,
Tony Jennes
www.rideskinz.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2011 07:34PM by tonyjennes.

I like it. Depending on the price, I might look into one.

---

Wayne Sanders
Rose Lodge, OR

"I don't care to belong to any club that accepts people like me"-joined Willamette Valley Club in 2011

77 MGB - Four tone paint - some kind of electronic ignition - hood props - cheap tires - new springs all around - mixture of poly and rubber bushings - original exhaust - fuzzy seatcovers - stereo out of old F150 pickup - virtually no rust - right front wrecked and semi well repaired - just about right for me!

78 MGB - Done right by a good PO, and I only bought it. Tell Jim how nice it is. But I did put in a Datsun 5 speed.

79/65 MGB - Tubby - Carmine Red - V-6 - T-5
Going to do this one more right, less rat rod!

I'm interested... tell me more.

Mark

i REALLY like it! especially now that you've got it flush (i do have the correct car/valance, right?), it looks even better

for a "bumper" i would almost go with those little rounded vertical bars like they use on old VW's - just a thought, my $.02.

We would like to do a group buy which will work out for all of us in the end.
The valance will be in limited production and made in the good old U.S.A.!!! . We are currently working on a serial number system for the front valances and no more than 50 will be produced.

Pricing will be as follows:

Valance retails for $399

5-10 buyers- $375 + $75 for optional polyurethane splitter + $65 shipping and handling
11-15 buyers- $325 + $75 for optional polyurethane splitter + $65 shipping and handling
16+ buyers- $275 + $50 for optional polyurethane splitter + $65 shipping and handling

*Does not include any fees associated with Paypal.


Just trying to see how many people would be interested in this front valance! Let the list begin!!!

Attached is a pic of the white fiberglass valance with the optional splitter just to give you an idea on the shape. The final parts will be produced in gloss black polyurethane, which can be easily painted or left alone.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2011 08:31PM by tonyjennes.

You are correct Curtis, the front of the valance is flush with the fenders and mounts from behind. Unlike the Sebring which is recessed and the mounting bolts can be seen from the front. This valance can also be used in conjuction with chrome bumpers, if one chooses to do so.

Very nice looking, at least from that angle. I prefer the one without the splitter though.

It is a bit early for me to commit for one for the conversion fantasy ride, but if you go into production and the material turns out to be dependable, I would be interested in one.

Jack

---

---------------------------------------------------- Services to Interesting British Automobiles-- www.jackscars.net ----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------I like to think that I don't service automobiles so much as I provide entertainment, fulfill dreams and revive wonderful memories --------------

I am in the northwestern North Carolina mountains, right up against the Blue Ridge Parkway. Lawn chairs are in the shop and always time to talk. Drop in any time.

I would really like to see the Sebring style oval vents instead of the round light buckets but I do like it as is. Sign me up for one without the splitter.

Instead of polyurethane, have you considered just building a thermoforming mold and forming it out of TPO material.

TPO is what the cover on most of your car bumpers are formed out with today. There are many different types of TPO materials,with different durometers of stiffness in the material. It has a very low CTE, excellent impact strength, and is paintable.

If you built a mold out of say REN material you could easily form 100 parts.

It would stand up better and work better than the polyurethane in the long run.

---

"He had delusions of adequacy."

Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

Hey Robert,
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not too familiar with TPO, does it refer to ABS plastic? I have a supplier who I get my polyurethane from and all of the parts come out really nice. They also come in different thicknesses depending on the application. The front lip I did recently for the Lexus community was an 1/8" thick and have had no complaints as far as fitment or strength. I could bend the lip in thirds, leave it that way for 3 days in the sun, unravel it on the third day and it would go back to its original shape within an hour. Polyurethane is pretty durable stuff.

Very nice. I like the idea of being able to bumper if I wished to.

Wish I could commit but don't have a B I would change out at the moment.

I like it!

Tony,

TPO stands for: Thermoplastic PolyOlefin (TPO) and is a trade name that refers to polymer/filler blends usually consisting of some fraction of PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), BCPP (block copolymer polypropylene), rubber, and a reinforcing filler.

ABS is Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and is a much more rigid material and does not have the flexibility, impact strength or general resistance of other materials that would be used for this application

Like I said, find any late model car and feel the bumper cover material. This is a TPO material. Golf carts are made from TPO. As I said, it has excellent CTF, excellent heat/cold resistance, excellent chemical resistance, high impact strength, excellent UV resistance, and is paintable.

You can get the TPO in different stiffness ratings and can be extruded into any thickness.

I am just concerned with the polyurethane and its impact strength and heat/cold resistance. With a part that low to the ground and it being the first defense against anything in the road, I want something that I know will stand up. The polyurethane is a much stiffer material and this may be want you want. However, if you are starting from scratch, as a Design Engineer (with many automotive clients) with 30 experience in the plastics industry, I thought I would just suggest you take a long hard look at the TPO materials.

Send me a PM if you want to discuss it in more detail.

Thanks,

Robert

---

"He had delusions of adequacy."

Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

The look is very good in either format, and I would agree with Robert's comments on other materials than Polyurethane. As much of an improvement as Polyurethane would be over fiberglass, I am continually impressed by the progress of yet newer materials that keep coming out. I would suspect that there are some remarkable new materials out there, as well as older materials that have been rethought to improve their functioning. FWIW

---

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
Nietzsche

Hi Tony, Glad you are back at it! Are you still planning flares also? Any pictures of the rear valance? A friend just picked up a Midget and was interested in the Ashley GT hardtop and Silverstone front body in England. Any chance you could emulate that?

http://www.ashleygt.co.uk/



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2011 02:04PM by 260mgb.

Hey Robert and Bob,
Again thank you for your recommendations! I will definitely look into that process as an alternative. However, because my business is still starting out, I'm wondering what the costs of the TPO process vs. polyurethane process would be in the long run...

Thanks Jack! It really means a lot coming from you. Hopefully this all works out and we can see one on your B!

Thanks Rick! I'll put you on the list. Remember that this will be a group buy, so the more people we can get, the better the price will be in the end...

Thanks Wayne! I think the prices are pretty good considering you won't have to mess around with fitment or worry about cracking if you hit a curb.

Hey Jim glad to see you back here too! lol To answer your questions, I am still planning flares and a rear valance for the B, but its baby steps right now. Gotta make sure the front valance comes out perfect before I start on the other parts. To answer your other question about the Ashley GT, I could definitely emulate that no problem, but it comes down to if there are enough Midget guys out there who would buy it to make it all worth while in the end.

Tony, good to hear form you again. I thinkl your product is a woderful offering, I planned on getting one for my GT, but then ended up trading it for fred's MGB vintage race car instead, which leads me to this topic. The race carhas the standard Sebring fornt valnce, OMG, what a POS, that damn thing comes no hwere near followin the conturs of the MGB fornt end, when you around to bolted on the two end, theyu prtrude away form the MGB bodywork , maybe 6-8" and you have to put tremnedouse pressure on then to get the bolts started, te person who made and moled that damn thing is probably hiding under a raock somewhere, because it truely one the opwrse POS I ever seen in fiberglass ever, and as long time SCCA race I've seen my share of fibergalls parts.

Ok, on my race car, my thoughts are simply to have an front valance that fit the contours of the front of the MGB well enough that I can use some quick fastner like pins or zues fastners, so the front valance can be installed or removed in mere seconds for service and trailer loading, the standard Sebring valance offering does not ever come close to this, but I could tell from you photos that your valance does. Now on the vintage car, we could never get away with that large cneter opening, nor would we we want to, no more a opening than needed for the oil cooler would be the choice fo most racers to cut down on straight line drag. So while I didn't get one of your valances for the GT, since it now belongs to Fred, I want one for the MGB vintage race car, I can make the opening how I want it, I played fiberglass parts for years, and made my fair share of mods and repairs, but I think you may want to consider a second product aimed at Vintage racing, meaning no lip spolier, i love to have this but it is not allowed, and maybe no cneter opening, allow the race to make it how he wants it, and smaller brake duct openings, 2" would be a plenty. I think maybe you starting a separate thread in the Motorsport section hear would be cool, I think you have a part vintage would really with a few minor tweaks to it. Oh and I still want one, now for the race car, and preference would be fibergalls for that application and I think your idea for a ABS type pastic for the street car crownd is a good one, and fiberglass for the race car crowd is the way to go. Tony I definately want to go this route over the winter on the race car in prep for next season.

---

Hap Waldrop
MGexperience Supporting Vendor
Make Sure to check our promotions/product offerings in the Vendor Deals Forum here.