Fiberglass/Body guys - GET IN HERE
12-27-2010, 10:29 PM
#1
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Fiberglass/Body guys - GET IN HERE Here's my situation:
As you guys probably know, fourthgen body panels are mostly composite/fiberglass/magic. Awesome for weight reduction, lousy for durability.
The person that owned my Z28 before me had some shoddy work done when they replaced the driver's side window motor. One of the weight-bearing bolts holding the motor to the inner door wiggled around enough to stress the mounting hole, and eventually break a 1"x2" piece of the inner door out. BAM! Now the window won't raise all the way and it can't align properly.
My solution (to avoid buying a new door) is to rebuild that small section of inner door. I plan on using a metal Bondo self adhesive body patch, shaped to the inner door, then fiberglass over that. This is what I'm talking about:
My question is this: Should I fiberglass over the door itself with the Bondo panel as a support and hope that holds as an adhesive, or should I build this replacement panel separately, then JBWeld it to the afflicted area? Help a brotha out!
As you guys probably know, fourthgen body panels are mostly composite/fiberglass/magic. Awesome for weight reduction, lousy for durability.
The person that owned my Z28 before me had some shoddy work done when they replaced the driver's side window motor. One of the weight-bearing bolts holding the motor to the inner door wiggled around enough to stress the mounting hole, and eventually break a 1"x2" piece of the inner door out. BAM! Now the window won't raise all the way and it can't align properly.
My solution (to avoid buying a new door) is to rebuild that small section of inner door. I plan on using a metal Bondo self adhesive body patch, shaped to the inner door, then fiberglass over that. This is what I'm talking about:
My question is this: Should I fiberglass over the door itself with the Bondo panel as a support and hope that holds as an adhesive, or should I build this replacement panel separately, then JBWeld it to the afflicted area? Help a brotha out!
12-28-2010, 10:53 AM
#2
On The Tree
you said the hole was weight bearing, apart of the inner frame? And worse yet, the inner frame holding the window motor isn't metal? That sounds like a fun patch, and still very duable. I fix airframe structure on aircraft for a living, and this is what I would do....
First off, I would make sure there is metal involved in the fix. Aluminum is lightweight, and will not corrode like steel so use that. You shouldn't have to buy an entire sheet for your little patch, just find something made out of aluminum sheet metal at your local hardware store that is cheap. You'll cut your patch panel out of that. It should be between .020 and .060 inches thick. It's ok if it's painted, just remove it 1st. You'll also need a basic fiberglass patch kit for a boat hull. They aren't that expensive and should be avalible at any auto parts store.
Next you need to prep the area that is damaged. Smooth out the broken area by sanding, until all the harsh angles that could turn into a crack later are gone. Don't go crazy here, remove as little of the material as possible. Then wash the area with a degreaser, then spray it down with isopropal alchohol. The patch area needs to be absolutely clean so the fiberglass can set up properly.
Use cardboard to mock up your patch. This will help you figure out how big the aluminum patch needs to be, and it needs to fill in the area that has been broken. Your patch peice should be at least an inch bigger that the broken area to just the sides it needs to connect with, for overlap. Trace out the shape from the cardboard over your aluminum, then cut to match. Use a hammer to "make" the aluminum peice fit flat where it needs to go, do all your hammering off vehicle. Paint your patch with epoxy primer, then you're ready for fiberglass.
Use some crazy glue, to stick your patch where it needs to go and let it dry. Then pull out your fiberglass repair kit and read it's instructions on how to use. As you apply the fiberglass over the patch, all you have to do is completely cover the patch with at least 1/2 inch overlap, and do it one layer at a time untill you have at least 3 layers. Let it tac up between layers. Once it's dry, sand it smooth, paint it to match, then drill your hole where it needs to be for your window motor.
Since this is most likely the 1st time you've tried this, just take your time. The fiber glass stage has cure times and will easily take all weekend just to do that part. The cutting of the patch panel may take a day to get right. But for less than $50.00, you can do a fix to your door that will easily outlast your car. And if it doesn't look right or work right when you're done, just sand out the patch and try it again. It takes time, but it's cheap.
My 2 cents....
First off, I would make sure there is metal involved in the fix. Aluminum is lightweight, and will not corrode like steel so use that. You shouldn't have to buy an entire sheet for your little patch, just find something made out of aluminum sheet metal at your local hardware store that is cheap. You'll cut your patch panel out of that. It should be between .020 and .060 inches thick. It's ok if it's painted, just remove it 1st. You'll also need a basic fiberglass patch kit for a boat hull. They aren't that expensive and should be avalible at any auto parts store.
Next you need to prep the area that is damaged. Smooth out the broken area by sanding, until all the harsh angles that could turn into a crack later are gone. Don't go crazy here, remove as little of the material as possible. Then wash the area with a degreaser, then spray it down with isopropal alchohol. The patch area needs to be absolutely clean so the fiberglass can set up properly.
Use cardboard to mock up your patch. This will help you figure out how big the aluminum patch needs to be, and it needs to fill in the area that has been broken. Your patch peice should be at least an inch bigger that the broken area to just the sides it needs to connect with, for overlap. Trace out the shape from the cardboard over your aluminum, then cut to match. Use a hammer to "make" the aluminum peice fit flat where it needs to go, do all your hammering off vehicle. Paint your patch with epoxy primer, then you're ready for fiberglass.
Use some crazy glue, to stick your patch where it needs to go and let it dry. Then pull out your fiberglass repair kit and read it's instructions on how to use. As you apply the fiberglass over the patch, all you have to do is completely cover the patch with at least 1/2 inch overlap, and do it one layer at a time untill you have at least 3 layers. Let it tac up between layers. Once it's dry, sand it smooth, paint it to match, then drill your hole where it needs to be for your window motor.
Since this is most likely the 1st time you've tried this, just take your time. The fiber glass stage has cure times and will easily take all weekend just to do that part. The cutting of the patch panel may take a day to get right. But for less than $50.00, you can do a fix to your door that will easily outlast your car. And if it doesn't look right or work right when you're done, just sand out the patch and try it again. It takes time, but it's cheap.
My 2 cents....
12-28-2010, 12:47 PM
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you said the hole was weight bearing, apart of the inner frame? And worse yet, the inner frame holding the window motor isn't metal? That sounds like a fun patch, and still very duable. I fix airframe structure on aircraft for a living, and this is what I would do....
