OkeeGuy

okay...not long ago i noticed that one of my headlights was scraping the body when opening...wearing the paint on the edge of the body at the seam at the rear of the headlight cover...
well i thought it needed adjustment and then i wondered why would it just "all of a sudden" go out of adjustment? so i investigated further...

what i found was that the fiberglass is separating from the metal that runs across from left to right underneath just behind the headlights...
it is lifted almost 1/8" right at that spot, very slightly in the center of the car and about 1/16" over the other headlight...
if i press down where it is wearing, the headlight opens without touching the body...
i assume that i will have to rebond it...but how is this done and what do you use to do the bonding?
also i am wondering if this a common problem?

lbell101

I'd use the new two part panel/joining adhesives that are available. I used some on the bar in front of the lights in my 69 and it will never move again. I know this because I got some where I shouldn't have and had to use a die grinder to remove it. There are several different types for different purposes and cure times. Find one with a fast cure time that is for bonding and will adhere to both metal and fiberglass (smc). They require a special 'caulking' gun but some places have loaners.

Larry

jetech

Hi Signguy.
I have done some metal to fiberglass bonding. If the delamination runs to an edge It can be done if you can get the two surfaces clean and dry by working through the edge. Clean the disbonded surfaces with acetone being carefull of your paint. Use a Q-tip or what ever you can get into the delaminated area. You may also need to scuff sand the two surfaces to be bonded by folding 180 grit paper over a thin strip of metal. Again make sure there is no moisture or contaminates on the surfaces to be bonded. (the time to prep the area should take at least twice as long than the time to repair) Use a structural epoxy such as West Systems, Maas or other slow cure structural epoxy. The fast cure stuff will work but it is not as strong or durable. Next use a mixing stick or thin piece of metal to force the epoxy into the delamination. Load the area up with enough epoxy so that some is forced out when you clamp the bond joint. Clamp the delaminated area using wax paper over the paint and a padded block over that. Use enough clamp force to squeze out the excess epoxy but be carefull not to distort the part. Try to get a good smooth matchup on your clamping block and the top surface of the part and follow the cure time and temprature of the epoxy. If the area is bubbled in the center of a panel you can get epoxy into the disbonded area by drilling a few very small holes in the top surface of the bubble and injecting epoxy into the holes. clamp and cure the same as above. This method will require some sanding and paint touch up unless you can do this from a hidden back side.
Hope this helps :seeya

OkeeGuy

wow...thanx guys...
it is about what i figured i would have to do but advise from someone that has been there is invaluable...
i have some 3M structural adhesive that is pretty awesome stuff but ive lost the box and do not know if it is good for metal and fiberglass...
it would be cool if it is cause i already have it...
i believe in 3M products for this kind of thing so i went to their web site and they have a help number to call concerning their products...
i plan on calling them monday and see what they recomend for an adhesive...
:yesnod:


[Modified by SIGNGUY, 9:21 PM 2/1/2003]

Rolling Thunder

My support bar was also broken loose from the body. I went to the local body shop supply house and told them I was bonding metal to fiberglass. The guy hands me a tube (like for a caulking gun) of bonding adhesive (3M I believe) that listed the type of bonds that it could be used for. It worked great. The thing that impressed me was that it cured into a flexible, rubbery material. Makes sense in that metal and fiberglass have different coefficients of expansion. The other thing I liked was the lack of a high heat during the cure. Besides clean and prep, your biggest challenge will be to find a way to clamp the support to the body while it bonds. Real easy to damage the paint even with pads.

Good Luck,
Dave

Stewart's74

I replaced the whole Headlight surround support on my 74. I used the 3M stuff and it worked great. I got this tip from Brian Bair @ Bairs. You can get the 3M stuff at any Autozone.

pws69

West System!!

The best bonding / reconstructing materials I have ever used. I also found that Jamestown Distributors have the best prices and deliver very quickly.

www.jamestowndistributors.com/store/materials_lists/West_System_Epoxies.html

OkeeGuy

i called 3M today AND a friend that has a body shop and both agreed that there is only one "best" thing to use...
3M part # 8115...its "THE" thing to use on corvettes...
at $41 a tube...it better be! i'll probably use about 1/4 of the tube... :rolleyes:
it takes a special gun to use it but my friend has one to borrow...
it is a 2 part bonding agent that mixes as it leaves the tube(s)

lbell101

Save the little plugs so you can put them back in the tubes. Then you can save the rest. If the tube only comes with one mixing nozzle it can't be reused. You can still use something to push out the stuff one at a time without the nozzle. Then mix manually for small jobs. Once you use the stuff you'll find all kinds of uses for it.

My blower motor spacer is made of the stuff. I even used it to make part of a multi-launching fireworks platform last year.

Larry

OkeeGuy

thats the plan! thanx! :)