Well I am getting to the fun part of putting my body back together. I am starting to clean up the old glue and such. I have always heard that the front clip of the body should be put together with a layup of mat and cloth. But my old one looks like it was glued up with a type of liquid nail. Does anyone know the correct procedure?
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Re: C3 Front end Instalation
Bryan
I use a brand called Lord Fusor and it is mixed in the tube of a special gun and comes out like liquid nails. Make sure you fit the front clip dry on the frame with the hood on to make sure everything is correct before you start to glue.
Lyle -
Re: C3 Front end Instalation
Hey thanks alot I found a web site that I can buy from.Comment
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Re: C3 Front end Instalation
Chevrolet never used mat and cloth on a C 3. Use a good panel adhesive on properly prepared panels and bonding strip and it will be as strong as newDick WhittingtonComment
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Re: C3 Front end Instalation
Personally, I use original formula adheisive. The reason is this...I have found the two part urethane adheisive to set up way way too fast for me. The origainl formula sold by Ecklers or Corvette Immage can be adjusted for the rate of going off. It can be used on black glass cars as late as 68 and 69. If you have SMC or similar, forget everything I said and use SMC products sold my the same people. You need to have time to move things around a bit. Test fit panel alignment and panel height to panel height. Glue little blocks of fiberglass or SMC in the places you need to control panel alignment and depth (grind them for fitment). You can also just run a bead of adhesive and let it dry and grind it down for fit. I use cargo straps to clamp huge sections of the panel and avoid using screws at all cost. If you use a screw, it can usually be a very small one, real small (only if I can't get a strap over it). I use blocks of wood strapped to the adjacent panel to made the panels line up. Try to let the panel flow or find its location. If you clamp you can form low spots and waves and more work later. Lord Fusor may sell adhesive that sets off more slowly than the stuff I tried to work with once. Good luck and take your time. Rough grind all areas that are being glued together. Align the rear door edge before putting the front end on. Try starting with two shims under each hinge for panel height. Play with those as needed but try to stick with 2 shims. Good luck and have fun, TerryComment
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Re: C3 Front end Instalation
I forgot to mention....mask off all the areas you want to protect from bonding adhesive. Depending on what adhesive you are using, I rub it into the are of the panel by hand (gloves on). Then, I apply a thick layer of adhesive. As the panel falls into place it will smash out and run out in some places. After you get everything in perfect placement you can take your gloved hand or a piece of cardboard and do a crude job of smoothing out some places. If you want it to look original, don't do too nice a job. I think it is one of the funner things to do. But can be gut wrenching if you come back later and find that something slipped or didn't align correctly. For whatever reason, the glue sort of acts as a lubricant and things seem to fit differently than dry fit. So consider that. Be prepared with little pieces of fiberglass just in case you need to wedge it between a door panel or something. Make sure you have something to support the nose in the corners. I can talk and talk about it all day. Not enough to say about it. Take your time. Good luck, TerryComment
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