Bonding Gp4 Flares to Body - Epoxy recommendation?

Hi are the flares steel or fiberglass? It may make a difference on what epoxy to use.3M and eastwood company both sell panel adhesives but only advertise steel or aluminum application.Hope this helps Sam

Come on Julian, self tapping sheet metal screws!

LOL.....

I thought it was pop rivets?????

Heck I used the molly bolts left over from the bookshelf project.

Is there any kind of template you'll use to trim the existing steel fenders? Or I guess you could test fit the flares, trace the outline on the car and make a cut to leave just enough meat, maybe an even inch or so, to epxoy/rivet/screw the flare to? Each one a custom trim?
I always wondered how it was done.
Are you going to leave a seam showing or are you going to mold them in?

They are fiberglass and I'm going to mould them in, no nasty pop rivets, molly bolts, sheet metal screws, paper clips, shoe laces or the like showing!

I did a web search and came across a product from Norton Automotive; Panel Bonding Adhesive in their SpeedGrip structural adhesive line.

SpeedGrip Panel Adhesive

I'm sure 3M would have a similar product, but couldn't see it on their website. Couldn't see the same under Eastwood either.

What did the factory use on the GT5 models? I don't have any pop rivet heads showing on the inner fender wells of the GT5?

Julian

My experience with molding in fiberglass to steel is a bad one.
The factory was probably right on this one.
Either all steel or attach with a visble seam.

I think that you will find that the paint will crack at the molding point somewhere.

I believe that the GT5 flare is bonded to the fender. Many adhesives now have strength test numbers greater then the materials they are bonding too.

From what I have used even something like the PL construction adhesives would work. Once they cure they will never come apart and certainly are 10 fold stronger then the fiberglass is.

Dont't the fiberglass GT5 flares have internal flanges that would accept a rivet? I have seen some that do but I don't know what is a factory part and an aftermarket for sure.

This is the product available from 3M.They say it will work on traditional fiberglass also.
Sam

Sorry attachment did not work i will try again

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotiv...ZGJL4ZglM1MQQDCT0Hbl

I have always used fiberglss two part resin to bond fiberglass to steel and have never had a problem with cracking.

Ron

I have always used adhesives and fillers from Evercoat. These are the same epoxies that hold a Corvette together.
www.evercoat.com
They also have the no shrink fillers to be used when bonding to metal.

Jake

quote:

Originally posted by Joules5:
They are fiberglass and I'm going to mould them in, no nasty pop rivets, molly bolts, sheet metal screws, paper clips, shoe laces or the like showing!

I did a web search and came across a product from Norton Automotive; Panel Bonding Adhesive in their SpeedGrip structural adhesive line.

SpeedGrip Panel Adhesive

I'm sure 3M would have a similar product, but couldn't see it on their website. Couldn't see the same under Eastwood either.

What did the factory use on the GT5 models? I don't have any pop rivet heads showing on the inner fender wells of the GT5?

Julian

Julian I dunno about the factory GT5, but I have a factory GTS andit has fiberglass flairs. They are riveted on and then they used 400 metric tons of lead to smooth it out so you can't actualy see the rivets and can just barely feel them hidding under the paint and lead. What you can see after 35 years is huge friggen stress cracks where the lead gave up the ghost under the paint.

DO NOT USE NORTON SPEEDGRIP!!!!!!!

Use the 3M product, the Speedgrip is not compatible with body filler. Read the package, not the website or catalog.

YOU WILL WANT TO KILL SOMEONE, TRUST ME DO NOT USE NORTON SPEEDGRIP!!!!!!!

Blending in steel to fiberglass will eventually lead to paint cracks due to different expansion/contraction co-efficients of the two. Plasticizer mixed into the paint may help ??, (Used on eurothane bumpers). Or keep the car in a climate controlled environment.

Don't use an epoxy, they don't allow for any flex and the car's vibration would possibly crack the gel.

I would use an aircraft grade RTV (Silicon) with the appropriate primer.

Phil

there is quite a lot of metal to cut away and once you have started there may be no going back. this is 9189, the factory cuts away the whole eyebrow before riviting on the gt5 fenders, no epoxy at all.you may also want to keep the eyebrows you cut off just in case you change your mind later !

Not sure of the reason to bond on fiberglass flares ..but there are a few premier Cars that have revieted them like the factory did and they look great. Bonding them ..its very simple its no the right job. I purchased steel flairs and welded them on .... turning back and saving the eye brows ??? well I;m not sure I;ll ever turn back.... " whats behind me is not important" ??? Quote Raul Julia in Gumball Rally.

I'm kinda late here....I have been using Fusor products. They have a wide range of 2 part panel adhesives, they supply you with a type caulk gun that has twin tubes and a mixing tube, Some cure in 1 min, others with heat and some just take longer, some are flexible and some get very hard, If you are going to "mold" them in, your going to have to finish the surface with polyester putty. You can be assured that the Fusor will not let go. I flared some fenders on a MGB years ago. I made the flair on the car with fiberglass and bondo.... only 1 cracked after 10 years and that was because the tire went into the flair under a hard leave on the right rear. I would not worry about different expantion rates, or use a flex agent.