Front Clip
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Front Clip
I want to remove my front clip, but I'm not sure how to approach it. Do you heat up the glue and use a putty knife? Is it hard to reglue back onto the car after restoring it...alignment wise? The part of the firewall which glues to the fender seems to be cracked, still being partially glued to it though. I mean, I want to do the restoration of my '76 the right way, not the fast way. Can somebody who has attempted to remove/reglue their front clip please respond to this post, I really need help. How did you approach it? Did you do it while the body was on the chassis, or while it was of the chassis? Do you have pictures of how it is glued to the firewall? Is it worth removing the front clip?
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 468
Likes: 36
From: OKC OK
not unless you must
I have done this a few times, both removed and installed front clips. Is it worth it? If it's not necessary, don't. Yes, it's alot of work and re-aligning can be a pain. Typically, you will do more damage removing the clip than fixing the problems at hand. Sounds like you just need to clean up the area that has become unbonded with 40 grit and rebond. The best advise I can give it read/search this forum, read books and look at the pictures relating to corvette body panels and bonding areas.
John
John
Originally Posted by vetterbetter
I want to remove my front clip, but I'm not sure how to approach it. Do you heat up the glue and use a putty knife? Is it hard to reglue back onto the car after restoring it...alignment wise? The part of the firewall which glues to the fender seems to be cracked, still being partially glued to it though. I mean, I want to do the restoration of my '76 the right way, not the fast way. Can somebody who has attempted to remove/reglue their front clip please respond to this post, I really need help. How did you approach it? Did you do it while the body was on the chassis, or while it was of the chassis? Do you have pictures of how it is glued to the firewall? Is it worth removing the front clip?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Rowlett Texas
Windshield Frame <- Bang! It's DEAD!
With rust all around the windshield frame, I guess I'm going to have to join the club! I'd like to tackle the chassis frame anyway, it's suspect...
What year is the car in the pics? It looks like it was bonded to the top of the firewall too, along with the sides close to the doors?
I think you said you did use a heat gun, if so... did you use it on the outside of the panels (painted side) or just the inside or both sides? I have no paint so that doesnt matter to me but dont want to ruin anything!
When using the chisel, I assume you start from the bottom-up?
I wouldn't imagine the front-clip being very rigid as you remove it from the cage and you can lightly pull the fender away from the body as you chisel?
Thanks!
What year is the car in the pics? It looks like it was bonded to the top of the firewall too, along with the sides close to the doors?
I think you said you did use a heat gun, if so... did you use it on the outside of the panels (painted side) or just the inside or both sides? I have no paint so that doesnt matter to me but dont want to ruin anything!
When using the chisel, I assume you start from the bottom-up?
I wouldn't imagine the front-clip being very rigid as you remove it from the cage and you can lightly pull the fender away from the body as you chisel?
Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
Originally Posted by Coldburn
With rust all around the windshield frame, I guess I'm going to have to join the club! I'd like to tackle the chassis frame anyway, it's suspect...
What year is the car in the pics? It looks like it was bonded to the top of the firewall too, along with the sides close to the doors?
I think you said you did use a heat gun, if so... did you use it on the outside of the panels (painted side) or just the inside or both sides? I have no paint so that doesnt matter to me but dont want to ruin anything!
When using the chisel, I assume you start from the bottom-up?
I wouldn't imagine the front-clip being very rigid as you remove it from the cage and you can lightly pull the fender away from the body as you chisel?
Thanks!
What year is the car in the pics? It looks like it was bonded to the top of the firewall too, along with the sides close to the doors?
I think you said you did use a heat gun, if so... did you use it on the outside of the panels (painted side) or just the inside or both sides? I have no paint so that doesnt matter to me but dont want to ruin anything!
When using the chisel, I assume you start from the bottom-up?
I wouldn't imagine the front-clip being very rigid as you remove it from the cage and you can lightly pull the fender away from the body as you chisel?
Thanks!
Don't do it unless you have to.
Windshield frame rot at the corners can be uncovered by cutting
the corner of the fender off with a hacksaw. Reglassing these back
in will be nothing compared to the clip.
Stress cracks at the edge of the fender should be ground out in a
shallow V and reglassed with matte/resin.
All that said ... yes - chisels and heat work well. I did mine before
learning to use a heat gun, too. The top of the firewall has a thin
strip bonded across the top. I chiselled this apart, but later learned
taht most people will cut the thin strip at each side and leave the center
attached to firewall.
Two vertical ribs on each side of the firewall, plus two triangular
pieces that rivet to the lower W/S frame corner. Lots of rust and
these rivets will pull right out.
More lengthy comments here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1520953
