Texas70

Working on getting the cowl reinstalled and need to clean off the bonding areas for the front clip (I am working on a 1970 coupe). Should I remove all the old bonding adhesive down to the original fiberglass strips? Some of the original adhesive was not even touching the front fenders and in some places the adhesive is at least 1/2" thick. I am planning to use the SEM panel bond during the install.

DUB

For what this is worth....and it is ONLY my opinion on this.

I grind down the adhesive and check it with the panel. The reason is....that I have also encountered some bonding areas that were really thick from the factory with adhesive. So I choose small areas...about the size of a normal postage stamp...and leave them alone and only lightly hit them with the grinder. Just enough to get it cleans and scuffed up. Then I grind down the adhesive between the areas I have chosen to be my shim points. Which is what these postage size areas are. This is also dependent on the condition of the factory adhesive.

After all the fitting and st-up...I look at the bonding areas so I know how much to apply to make sure I am getting a good bond and it makes contact with the panel being applied/installed.

MY OPINION:
If your Corvette was in my shop. I would not use the SEM product. Not that I do not like it or use it from time to time. But...for me...I use the SEM products and others like FUSOR on the 1984 and newer Corvettes.

I use a different adhesive which is more like what you have on the car now. The only place I would use that SEM type of product on your car would be if I were installing a new door skin to the steel inner structure...and that is it.

Needless to write...you are more than free to do as you like. But I have worked on the 1982 and earlier Corvettes that had the 2-part urethane type adhesive used on it and it caused problems.

My philosophy is this. The 1984 and newer Corvettes do NOT have any bonding strips that need to be filled in and shaped by hand like your 1970 Corvette. All of the panels are bonded from the underside and normally the adhesive is not exposed to a painted area...except for the rear door jamb area....and that gets filled in/over with another product that can take primer and paint without swelling. So even though these 2 part adhesives are great...that are not always (in my opinion) the best choice in all repairs...regardless what 'they' say. I know many people will swear that it is fine...but I have encountered problems with the nature and properties of the adhesive which showed itself when it got hot. All it takes is for ONE mess up....which I have seen more than ONE...and I will not use that process when I have something that does not fail. Remember..a broke clock tells correct time twice a day.

Your car...your choice.

DUB

Texas70

Thanks Dub, I was hoping you would comment.

Since I have not purchased any adhesive yet, what product would you use? Keep in mind that I have never bonded a panel before, so I will need as much time as possible before the adhesive sets (the main reason I was thinking about using the SEM product). Based on how things have gone up to this point, if I only have 10-15 minutes to set the front end I will be in trouble.

DUB

I will advise you in any way I can to let you know YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!! Have you ever built a model before???? A car, plane, ship of whatever???? If you have...then this is NO DIFFERENT...except for scale. If you have not ever built a model....then as long as you have PATIENCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, FOCUS and DEDICATION. Then you can do this. If you DO NOT have PATIENCE...then you might want to re-consider doing this.

Before we get to what type of adhesive I use and would advise using...what are you planning on using for a front end???? A one-piece...or building it as GM built it in the factory???

Need to know first.

DUB

Texas70

My plan is to simply put the original front end back on the cowl. I swapped rear clips (birdcage back) due to my car having a bad cage. I removed the cowl from the original car and am currently in the process of installing it in the donor cage/rear clip. I will strip the paint from the original front clip, repair any damage (mainly re-glue the front light bar) and re-install. So far the front clip is still all one piece, just unbonded at the cowl.

DUB

I use the SMC Panel Adhesive from Evercoat (part# 994).

It uses a cream hardener to active it so you can adjust how much to put in to give you the work time you need. TESTING is required because you have not used this stuff or done this. The choice is yours. If you choose to use the 994...PM me and I will give you my shop phone number and you can call me so I can give you a tutorial on the process i sue so it can go as painlessly as possible. The choice is yours.

DUB