it seems like a good idea. i mean the 2nd gen eclipses have them, along with 240s, and uhh just alot of cars to list. anyways ive been looking im curious why i havent seen any. would anyone care to explain? lemme know and thanks.

 

I know theres at least one or two out there, but they might be fiberglass. They also don't keep the full glass. Its kinda a notchback look, like the ferrari 355. The lack of cf hatches might have something to do with the enormous size of our rear hatches.

 

Would the only function be for looks?

You can get lexan hatches if you're worried about the weight, otherwise I don't see a point in replacing it with a carbon fiber hatch.

 

wait, how much do the lexan hatches go for, and how much weight would you say is saved? along with the fiberglass hatches?


EDIT: actually i did a search and apparently lexan saves around 15-20 lbs?

 

Those are show pieces (the fiberglass hatches with the vertical windows). He's talking about weigh reduction parts (as those show pieces likely weigh just as much or more than the stock hatch and glass).

The reason they don't sell them is because they wouldn't sell. CF hatches are a niche market as it is, with the show crowd because frankly a lot us who want to go fast will find cheaper ways. Secondly, speaking of cheap, that is the FC crowd. A lot of people with these cars own them because they are cheaper than an FD. Thus, they aren't willing to spend $500 on a neglible mod (performance or style).

The hatch itself weighs about as much as the glass. ISC Racing sells a polycarbonate rear window for the FC that saves quite a bit of weight, so if you're looking for a weight reduction, this might be one of the better cost-effective ways to get it.

 

Let us move onto FD's. lol

 

ISC's window is $295, and supposedly saves 20 lbs. They say the stocker weighs 48. I don't know if it's that much, but I know to lift it off the car it took two people. It's very heavy.

 

Look at your hatch. 90% of it is glass (or something). That's why they're not made. It would be very hard to make an appropriate CF hatch for near cheap. The CF would need to be thick/reinforced due to the design. Also, the weight saved wouldn't be worth the money.

Once again, unless it's for show (ALOT of money involved).

 

there are CF and FG hatches with lexan for the FC but only in japan and you dont wanna pay for shipping once you even find one. you can just spend that money on some superlight TE37 / CE28N wheels and have more of a performance gain than the CF hatch.

RxBen had his hatchglass replaced with lexan from percys Speed Glass and its so light now its pretty amazing, even with just one hatch strut it pops open like a ten dollar *****. definitley a 20 pound weight savings and its in a good location to cut some weight once you get nitpicky about where to lose the pounds from, i think it was $400 shipped for the top of the line lexan, they have cheaper options if you want cheap.

 

mazda already did a lot to make the hatch lighter, like extra light glass and ****. 7's don't need as much weight reduction parts as other cars

 

i hadn't thought about that! how much does a stock/aftermarket wing add to it also?

 

you would need some top quality, best-of-the-best cf for a cf hatch. if not, it would shatter with the weight of the glass when you try to close it

 

Why?
Can you take advantage of the weight drop?
Or you just want to brag that you have one of those things?


-Ted

 

ER?
"extra light weight glass"......."and ****".....

Have you ever held the hatch when its off the car? Its gotta be at least 60lbs. In my books thats not lightweight glass.

There is really no wayto make tempered glass lightweight. Its compostion dictates a certain thickness, density and breaking strength so if it were made "light-wieght" it would shatter when you hit a bump. Not to mention the fact that the rear window on the FC was the largest piece of production glass made for automobiles at the time, as such its part of the STRUCTURE of the car, would you design a lightweight re-bar? or lightwieght crumple zones into your new car that must meet saftey standards?
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The reason they aren't produced is beacause NO ONE WOULD BUY THEM. Trust me. Even if you think you would buy one, you wouldn't. The cost would be too high and the gains to minimal.

By all means though, start a group buy thread and see if someone like Shineauto will re-produce them.

 

FB wouldnt be such a bad idea, though only if you had some lexan or somthing like that

 

I notice FD's tend to have carbon fiber and titanium, while FC's don't. I'm gonna say cost is the reason.

I've learned some things from my materials classes, btw: Fiberglass, lexan and chrome-moly are lousy materials off the race track. Fiberglass snaps and is hard to repair. Lexan deteriorates and scratches easy. Chrome-moly is very brittle; it must be regularly inspected for cracks and replaced. Ditto for high carbon steel (though perhaps not as much). Titanium, carbon fiber and magnesium are nice, but expensive. Always go with the 6000 series aluminum (especially 6061-T6). 2000 series is stronger and somewhat brittle but okay. 5000 series is weaker so you use more material, but otherwise good. 7000 series is very brittle, stay away from it. Most of the brittle materials are pretty expensive anyway. With careful inspection and short use they are great; NASA and racers love them. Otherwise stay away from them.

No, you just have to make the cf thicker. I can't imagine such cf existing, or making much of a difference if it does.

 

Yup. Thus, the price problem.

 

i dont know about you but to make the *** end lighter would be bad for me...i can hardly get traction as it is...LOL

Teh 7 Can'T LoOse!!

 

lift a rear hatch from an fc, its HEAVY, one of the heaviest of any car. the front windshield is heavy too. i wish th efc hatch was like the fb one. i dont have my spare one anymore, so i cant weigh it.. when i get back to work on my fc project i may get a lexan rear hatch, save me 30+lbs i bet. and if i keep my fb shell, its getting lexan glass everywhere it can, as well as backhalfed.

 

You have an AL hood, Lightweight spare, and AL jack... Mazda dropped some pounds. Lexan is the only way to go for a lightweight hatch! I disagree about the stock hatch being heavy, my 240's hatch isn't that light, and its got a steel hood too, thing weighs a ton!

Probably easier and cheaper to lose weight somewhere else, But Good Luck!

 

sure, your 240's hatch might be heavier...and the 240 is heavier overall. But that doesn't mean the FC hatch is light.

Its a f***ing pig dude!!

 

RE Amemiya makes a fiberglass hatch frame... Add a lexan hatch and you've just saved alot of weight... And spent alot of money...

 

My first guess as to why they aren't made is because they'd be a pointless/ricer mod. Second, the material would be prone to break with the slamming of the hatch combined with the weight of the stock glass. And third is because FC owners that will cough up that kind of money for such a senseless mod are few and far between. If you were honestly worried about shaving weight from the hatch you would replace the glass with Lexan.

 

I would spend the money for a Lexan hatch with a fg/cf frame...

 

you could always use bamboo, duct tape and clear plastic.