Fiberglass questions

"Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig" (AndySheehan-StreetsideStig) 01/13/2016 at 11:04 • Filed to: None

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So I finally found a replacement fender and header panel for my CRX. These panels are made of thin, brittle plastic, which is why they’re so hard to come by, but after a 90 minute trip out of town to a cool junkyard in the middle of nowhere, I have the parts.

But neither is in very good shape. The header panel is cracked in two places, and the fender is cracked, with a small chunk taken out of it.

The plan is to paint both, but I want to reinforce them first. I thought about coating the backs with Gorilla tape before paint, but then I wondered if I could just get one of those fiberglass kits and slather them down along the backs.

Would that work? Would it bond? Would it actually strengthen the parts, to keep the cracks from spreading?

OPPOsaurus WRX > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 11:11

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsoKAH…

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 11:12

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Hmmm, if you rough up the surface the resin should stick to it. If you’re fixing cracks it’s a good idea to drill a hole at the tip of the crack to relieve stress on the area before repairing it...

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 11:22

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Dominion sure seal 2part plastic repair kit $17 repairs just about anything.

so does 3m panel bonding adhesive at 5 times the price.

CalzoneGolem > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 11:32

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Wheeler dealers has a fantastic episode where they restore a bumper cover. Let me see if I can dig it up.

EDIT :

Think this is it can’t video at work.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 11:37

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I spent some time looking for ways to repair a Thule rooftop box. Plastic welding is the answer. The plastic repair bonds permanently to the plastic being repaired where fiberglass and resin will not. It’s also easy to do.

Seat Safety Switch > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 12:01

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I think there are a lot of variables here. I would do as BiTurbo says and drill the end of any cracks before filling them with a body filler intended for use with the plastic material you’re dealing with. Regular Bondo or similar might not work the way you want them to.

As well, I would reinforce the back with Tiger Hair or a similar fibreglass product instead of Gorilla Tape or regular Bondo, which aren’t necessarily waterproof to the same degree and don’t offer the same structure. Make sure any waves or dents in the fender structure are dealt with before you set them in stone.

That said, I’m not a body man. What I would actually do is take those fenders to the local autobody supply store where body men hang out and then ask the most grizzled looking guy behind the counter what to buy. Bonus: you can pick up a paint match spray can while you’re there and compare stories about inhalant abuse.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/13/2016 at 13:59

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Harbor Freight has a plastic welder for, like 15 bucks. And it will probably come in handy in the future for this car. Good idea. But I do also want to reinforce it in general. It’s so flimsy.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 01/13/2016 at 14:24

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Whenever you are “welding” the plastic, you are adding material to the back side. If you wanted to, you could add plastic gussets pretty easily. Getting fiberglass to adhere to plastic seems to be an issue. http://www.madmechanics.com/forum/technica…