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If it's okay to apply bonding adhesive to properly ground down fiberglass then is it okay to apply fiberglass mat and resin to properly ground down bonding adhesive?
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Re: Fiberglass question
Greg,
This shouldn't be a problem, but more specifics as to the resin type and bonding adhesive would help.
Is the adhesive factory applied (what year)or aftermarket? Using polyester or epoxy resin?
tc -
Re: Fiberglass question
Sorry Tracy...All products are Evercoat. The bonding adhesive is their Vette Panel Adhesive #3 for the older Vettes. The resin is polyester. The Vette is a 69. The main reason that I'm asking is because after rebonding my header panel assy to the underside of the nose,some adesive squeezed out between it and the headlight opening lips. The lips need some repair so I was wondering if I could fill the area between the opening lips and header bar with bonding adhesive,trim so that the headlight door gaps are close and then apply the resin and mat over top of the cured adhesive. Any thoughts on this would be great. ThanksComment
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Re: Fiberglass question
Greg, squeezing out of bonding adhesive is typical of many factory joints and will appear original. I am sure polyester resin will bond to properly prepared bonding adhesive, but if you are interested in having your repair look factory original, I think you are on the wrong track. I assume your purpose for using bonding adhesive as described is to fill the volume behind the door opening lip and make the lip repair easier. A better way would be to position some "waxed" back-up material of some type in that area to help form up the back of the opening lip. Judges will look for signs of body repairs, and if they pick up on this use of bonding adhesive, it will look decidedly "unfactory".
Also, I don't think I would attempt to reduce the gap around the headlight door because the headlight door gaps were not subject to any variables that would change them. The headlight opening was formed in the top surround panel by a mold and ALL of the openings, as well as the cast aluminum doors, are the SAME SIZE. Making your gaps smaller could create door opening problems, and if anyone noticed that the gaps were smaller, it would be atypical of C3s. My recommendation would be to simply adjust the headlight doors to equalize the gaps on all sides; then your gaps would then be no better or no worse than all the other C3s.
But, its your car...if you aren't having the car judged, then I answered your question in the first paragraph.Comment
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Re: Fiberglass question
No problem with your application Greg.
Reqular ole' "bondo" will also work fine or you could use some "cat hair" reinforced polyester filler. This stuff has very fine fiberglass strands mixed in the base material. It's typically used when the filler needs to applied thicker than 1/8 inch and is availble at most auto supply houses (O'Reily, Auto ZOne etc..)wherever they sell regular body putty or polyester resin.
The cured product will look similar to land layed fiberglass using random fiber cloth
tcComment
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Re: Fiberglass question
Thanks guys. Oh Chuck,I'm not actually reducing my gaps. A few years before I bought this car(1988) it had a small accident and wasn't repaired properly at the time(bondo fixed everything for whom ever fixed it back then)this included some of the headlight door opening lips. Now that I'm redoing it I'm trying to make it as close to original as possible. The areas between the header bar and fiberglass supports on each side of the opening were filled with the correct brown bonding adhesive from supports to the lips so that was my main area of concern. I just wanted to make sure that I could refill these areas with bonding adhesive and then fiberglass over them,which now I see that I can. There are only two areas that need repair that don't have original bonding adhesive to back it and there I will have to take your advice and back it up so that I have an original looking lip when I'm finnished. I know this isn't a big dollar car compared to some but it is a low mile numbers matching one and I am very picky so I am trying to repair it to as original condition as I can. Even though I don't think I'll have it judged (don't know of any place near Calgary,Canada that I can take it for that),I am restoring it as per the NCRS Techical Information & Judging Guide as well as the factory assembly manual. Thanks again guys.
GregComment
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