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I have to replace my '68 front clip, which I don't really want to do. Both Corvette Image and Sermersheim sell a press molded pre-assembled front clip. I have heard good and bad stories about both companies. Has anyone used either of these manufacturers that can help me decide on which one to use. I want the one that is truest to the factory panels as far as fit and originality outside and inside the panel. Any opinions and past experiences will be greatly appreciated.
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
Larry I have used both. Bair's Corvette makes the best top surround out there. I still see NOS side fender's at the swap meet's forsale. john -
Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
John,
Do you think it would be easier to bond the individual panels together, than a complete front end?
LarryComment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
Larry; The 68-72 frt. end's are the easiest. I have been working on these for 36 year's though. I live in In. but went to Denver last year to put 7 car's toghther. This shop had all the different panel's and even the one's you asked about. The Yogi Bair's top surround is about the right thickness, and fit the match to the bonding strip's and the fender's the best. Image is hard and they have had trouble with there product's, Nabor's in Texas had to redo about 8 car's because of soft fiberglass. Shemereshine I have found loose fiberglass strand's under the Gel coat. Bair's doses not make the side fender's but the NOS one's are around. If I were you I would make my own frt end. Eckler's has a good book on repair. If I can help in any question's, mail me. johnComment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
i have used corvette image for the last time. there product looks great but the panels are baked which makes them brittle. you can snap one right in half. the fit is poor because the panels are not to size or warped. if you get an assembled one you better hope the guy doing it took his time and did a good job. the last one i did i had to break appart and refit. if you can get nos gm panels that is the way to go!Comment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
John, I don`t quite understand this statement. "Image is hard and they have had trouble with there product's, Nabor's in Texas had to redo about 8 car's because of soft fiberglass." I dont know how many of these panels that you have used, but one thing that they aint is soft. Have you personally had any problems with the panels? Have you used any? I have personally built more than 350 63-67 front ends with their panels and have seen nothing that was remotely soft. I also used to build Shermershim`s for him, and I am quite familiar with his also. The problems eluded to, stem from the fact that some people refused to gelcoat the panel before painting. Some panels would develope fine pinholes in the finish, not unlike originals panels did. Image is now pre-gelcoating thier panels in an effort to help prepair the surface. The underside is morelike original, than any other supplier, showing fiberglass strands and proper colors. Sermersheims panels are also gelcoated and are, in some cases gelcoated on both sides. The colors and inside texture are not as good as Image, but they are getting better. When sandblasted, they show voids under the gelcoat, which detracts from the appearance. Shapes and details are not as good as Image. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying it is a bad panel, just not technically as good. All of them have their problems, and that includes NOS parts. As a matter of fact, many so called NOS parts are actually very bad technically.Comment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
John, I don`t quite understand this statement. "Image is hard and they have had trouble with there product's, Nabor's in Texas had to redo about 8 car's because of soft fiberglass." I dont know how many of these panels that you have used, but one thing that they aint is soft. Have you personally had any problems with the panels? Have you used any? I have personally built more than 350 63-67 front ends with their panels and have seen nothing that was remotely soft. I also used to build Shermershim`s for him, and I am quite familiar with his also. The problems eluded to, stem from the fact that some people refused to gelcoat the panel before painting. Some panels would develope fine pinholes in the finish, not unlike originals panels did. Image is now pre-gelcoating thier panels in an effort to help prepair the surface. The underside is more like original, than any other supplier, showing fiberglass strands and proper colors. Sermersheims panels are also gelcoated and are, in some cases gelcoated on both sides. The colors and inside texture are not as good as Image, but they are getting better. When sandblasted, they show voids under the gelcoat, which detracts from the appearance. Shapes and details are not as good as Image. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying it is a bad panel, just not technically as good. All of them have their problems, and that includes NOS parts. As a matter of fact, many so called NOS parts are actually very bad technically.Comment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
Wayne; Thank's for your good responce. Yes I have used Image. In fact the last one I used they had a sheet in there to tell me to gelcoat it. I have found grinding on them they seem to hard. I have not personaly had any problem's but Gary Nabobor's told me in a phone conversation that he had to remove 9 frt end's from completed car's after they were done for about 6 month's. The glass had become soft in some area's, and he told me that the new panel's that he had bought and will not use now WEEP on hot day's. he beleive's that the mold release is causing a weeping problem. I guess I have to take his advise and stay away from the problem. Also the owner of DA Corvette In Il. told me personally, he has also had to remove a frt. end because the glass went soft in some area's. Both of these company's are trying to do good work and refining there product's but who want's to do a car over. johnComment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
I ordered a 1960 hood from Image. Now I an worried!Comment
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Re: Corvette Image or Sermersheim
I had a problem with dry matting inside a Sermersheim fender a couple years ago. Unfortunately I didnt buy the panel (came with the car) so Sermersheim wouldnt replace it. I put on a panel from Corvette Image and it worked fine. I had a problem with an Image surround a while back with some sort of oils bleeding thru the paint after it was left in the sun. I think that it probably was because my painter insisted that it didnt need to be gelcoated, so he just sealed it with DP epoxy. I think the newer panels should solve this problem by coming already gelcoated on the outside.
BrandonComment
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