Tweet
I was wondering if anyone could post a pic on their 69 original unmolested front fender lips at the bottom aft of the front fender(just below and ahead of the "gills")? My car at one time had over size wheels and these areas have been broken out. Any close ups would be appreciated so that I can put them back to original. Thanks.
-
-
Re: 69 fender lips
I have seen what you are talking about. You can pass go and just find a section of that area from a wrecked car. That is probably the best way, and fastest way to make the repair. You can cut the section back a small way and clean it up, line up the new section and draw a line on the back side where the two meet. Cut it out and clamp it in place to test the fit. Next, bevel the edges on the back side of the two sections that are going to go together. Be careful as you approach the edges, you want to save on work and hide the repair.
I use an 80 grit high speed (run it slow) disk grinder as much as possible. You want it to be rough as possible and open up the fiberglass to get a good bond. I have seen indications on old NOS panels that they would lightly sandblast the areas that were to be bonded together. It would nicely expose the fiberglass and remove the resin. A long bevel is hard to achieve but 1 1/2 to 2 inches is great. You can get away with much smaller depending on the situation and how small of a piece you are working with. Also...I like to leave areas on both pieces that correspond with one another not beveled. That is where I will use a clamp to get better alignment (it is hard to clamp two beveled surfaces together). Also, if you can't get a clamp in there, you can used very small screws with washers along the line of the two surfaces to be fused. How you lay the fiberglass in there is up to you. Depending on your skill and how particular you are, you can make it as good as new. If you want more particulars on that, let me know. I would also work the outside of the repair but not untill the inside is finished. This may be a lot more information than you wanted but I figured it would invite conversation and other ideas. Wear a respirator, Terry -
Re: 69 fender lips
Thanks Terry,that's good advice. Only problem is that I already did the repair on one side...I carried the lip across the horizontal portion and then verticaly down to the lower edge that aligns with the bottom of the rocker panel. It was a bit of work I'll admit but it looks quite good. I'm thinking now though that this lip that I created should not be there and that the lip should just fade away like it does on the front lower area and also the rear lower of the reat fender. This is why I need some accurate pics of these areas so that I don't create something that is not supposed to be there. Speaking of replacing a section...would you know where I could get a drivers side "gill" patch panel without having to buy the whole fender?Comment
-
Re: 69 fender lips
Greg, try The Corvette Image in Gresham, Oregon ...they sell partial repair panels. Check for their website on the internet.
In fact, I think they will make you whatever you need, but the downside is that these small sections are ususally hand-laid. If judging is your objective, then you will need to sand the backside of the panel smooth for "press molded" appearance.
You might tell them your intentions and ask them to build a little more thickness into the panel since it will be thinner by the time you knock off all the high points; finished panel thickness is nominally 0.100".Comment
-
Re: 69 fender lips
You can email me and send me a picture of the area you need. I might have it. I have one of those corners in my garage, maybe both sides. I will work on sending you a picture soon. TerryComment
Comment