What's composite in a late F?

[3800_Firebird]

Hey guys. Had a quick question since I'm new to the whole non-metal major body parts, coming from a Grand Am. What portions of the 93-02 F-body cars are metal and what isn't? I know the front fenders, rear bumper and nose are not metal but what other portions are composite?

[Trash man]

doors i beleive

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

It might be easier to give a list of sections that are metal....

Hood & Rear Quarter Panels

Everything else should be composite. This applies to '93 to '02 model years.

Personally I like the composite panels even though GM has moved away from them. After almost 10 years the composite panels on my '96 looked new. The rear quarters had dents from doors of other cars.

Composite panels expand and contract more in differing temperatures and GM had to increase the panel gap when using them. So it doesn't look as nice as metal when new. Just compare the Saturn Ion to the Chevy Cobalt and you can get an idea as to why GM limited their use.

[3800_Firebird]

Personally I like the composite panels even though GM has moved away from them. After almost 10 years the composite panels on my '96 looked new. The rear quarters had dents from doors of other cars.

I can relate. Mine's a 96 and the only dent it has is on the right-rear quarter.

Thanks! I had heard rumors the door skins were composite but wanted to know what was composite for sure.

[BrdWAtti2d]

I can relate. Mine's a 96 and the only dent it has is on the right-rear quarter.

Same here, I have a little door ding on each side, the rest of the body looks new.

[Wild Willy]

Obviously, the roof panels and hatch, too. Sort of a poor man's vette with a mostly plastic body. The best quote I heard was one of my mechanic friends describing the F-body as a trickle-down from the Corvette- whatever the 'vette got, the F-body got a couple years later- LT1, LS1, brakes, etc. Not absolute, but some truth to it-

[darkhorsecustoms]

I thought the doors were fiberglass, not composite. Could be wrong though.

[Christopherrr]

No fiberglass...all composite.

Only dent I got is right in front of the fuel door.

Even after an accident where I nudged a car on the front driver side fender...I walked away with scratches and little else.

Compsite all the way!

[SteveH95Formula]

Composite simply means a combinaton of two or more elements for create a panel. Fiberglass is a composite of glass fibers and urethane. So is Carbon fiber. There are a lot of "composites" in the automotive and aerospace industries IE. the Boeing 787.
Hopefully the new Camaro is not too heavy like the new GTO and other modern performance cars. Usualy composites adds to the cost of the product but can reduce a lot of weight like the new Corvette ZO6 with its carbon fiber hood and fenders and aluminum frame. Its able to stay under 3200 lbs.