Billet - What's that about?

[WindveilNJ]

I have been involved with quite a few cars - none seem to encourage modification and individualization as much as Mustangs. But one mod I don't fully understand. Eventually you can get every part of a mustang in billet, or so it seems. Is this just you all like the look of aluminum? Or do these parts and weight or performance advantages?

As a vert owner, adding billet dress-up just adds reflective surfaces that all seem to focus glare into the driver's eyes - I prefer carbon fiber's look and it absorbs more than it reflects. But that is just me. So what is up with the billet.

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[Aarron_M]

<---can't stand billet either. But honestly, cf dress up stuff usually isn't real, and even if it is, it has a clear coat which reflects also.

I'd much rather have matte black/alcantara/suede parts in the interior to upgrade the softness, and lessen glare.

But you also have a lot of owners that will buy every single thing they can find that they can stick on there car for the sake of being different, or changing something. Like chrome look covers for their strut bolts...like, seriously?!?

 

[Quackfoo]

Some people just like their bling.

 

[JohnBoyNC]

Like billet what?

 

[Evolvd]

Black plastic is lame, so folks like to accessorize with nicer looking parts. As for wheels, they are lighter than steel.

 

[Kevin08]

Better than chrome plated plastic.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I learned about billet parts from owning a Harley, and didn't like many of them then. I'm not into "dress-up" of the engine bay. I'd rather things look non-descript, so my version of dress-up is to add more of that typical black plastic, haha.

 

[BmacIL]

The only time it makes sense to get parts machined from billet is for strength. Cast parts generally are weaker for the same material. The other advantage is to change to a different material, i.e. go from stamped steel to billet aluminum.

 

[Charles147]

most stuff looks like junk, IMO. Ford spends millions of dollars to make a factory car look good in stock form. Then the aftermarket (not all but several) slaps crap together and makes the car look worse. And then, you hear the term 'ricer'. And then, folks start whining about their car and how people make comments. And then, folks cant make up their own mind so they have to make polls to ask what they should get because they need public acceptance or something...Kind of sad really.

 

[Azzurro]

most stuff looks like junk, IMO. Ford spends millions of dollars to make a factory car look good in stock form. Then the aftermarket (not all but several) slaps crap together and makes the car look worse. And then, you hear the term 'ricer'. And then, folks start whining about their car and how people make comments. And then, folks cant make up their own mind so they have to make polls to ask what they should get because they need public acceptance or something...Kind of sad really.

So you think a stock car that Ford makes is the best it can be? I don't. I don't think it's true of any car company. It's a bean counter thing. Car companies have to consider costs. Adding colorful billet caps that replace crap plastc parts don't make the car look worse. It looks worse with 30 cent plastic crap.

 

[Trackaholic]

Billet aluminum, often 6061-T6, is stronger and, more importantly, less brittle than cast aluminum. It is therefore good for components subject to fatigue like wheels and suspension parts.

Of course Machined billet can also be made to look very nice, and therefore is often used decoratively as well. I saw a Shelby modified GT500 with lots of quality looking billet caps in the engine bay and it looked very nice.

-T

 

[ranger56528]

It's a way of staying in the 80's and early 90's hahaha or it's a way of dating yourself as far as style goes,yep Billet was popular in its time and you can over due it but a part here and there now days isn't to bad IMO.

 

[plc268]

Never cared much for billet dress up items. Money spent on that stuff is money that's better spent elsewhere.

Basically it's the mod when you run of things to spend your money on, so you buy billet dress up items. I'll pass.

 

[Charles147]

So you think a stock car that Ford makes is the best it can be? I don't. I don't think it's true of any car company. It's a bean counter thing. Car companies have to consider costs. Adding colorful billet caps that replace crap plastc parts don't make the car look worse. It looks worse with 30 cent plastic crap.

Nope. Not sure how you came up with that. Oh wait, yes I do...

What I encourage you to do is read again, apply the words 'most stuff looks like junk' and 'factory car looks good in stock form'. Then take your response and remove your assumptions based on your interpretation that I think Ford made the 'best it can be' - never said Ford makes it the best it can be in stock form...Somewhere along the lines you failed to apply most stuff and looks good and came up with I think Ford made the best it can be.

Lastly, I stick to my statement, which is my opinion, so don't try to argue because I will not change my mind. You can have your billet stuff. Have at it! I have 'better' things to spend my money on than to replace a 30 cent plastic part (that works effectively for typical driving) for a $20-50 billet part just so you would think it looks good.

 

[Azzurro]

Nope. Not sure how you came up with that. Oh wait, yes I do...

What I encourage you to do is read again, apply the words 'most stuff looks like junk' and 'factory car looks good in stock form'. Then take your response and remove your assumptions based on your interpretation that I think Ford made the 'best it can be' - never said Ford makes it the best it can be in stock form...Somewhere along the lines you failed to apply most stuff and looks good and came up with I think Ford made the best it can be.

Lastly, I stick to my statement, which is my opinion, so don't try to argue because I will not change my mind. You can have your billet stuff. Have at it! I have 'better' things to spend my money on than to replace a 30 cent plastic part (that works effectively for typical driving) for a $20-50 billet part just so you would think it looks good.

Didn't mean to start a fire storm here Charles. Got it...didn't know there was the billet lovers vs. the billet haters. You should do exactly to your car what you want to.

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