Front Clip Dimples
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Sydney NSW
Front Clip Dimples
Just behind my front headlights there are 2 rows of dimples, about 12 altogether that are showing as depressions in the glass.
Looks as though the front clip has been screwed here to underneathe support.
Not factory I gather but I have also been told that the screw depressions will always show through the glass even if re coated.
Only option is to remove screws, fill and attach as previous, how ever that was.
Any experiences with this?
Looks as though the front clip has been screwed here to underneathe support.
Not factory I gather but I have also been told that the screw depressions will always show through the glass even if re coated.
Only option is to remove screws, fill and attach as previous, how ever that was.
Any experiences with this?
1969/1971/2021 Coupes
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,212
Likes: 80
From: Port Huron MI
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Yep, the rivets are made of aluminum. They still manage to get element exposure through the porous fiberglass and subsequently corrode. Corrosion results in the swelling from the rivets and beneath the exterior painted surface. There are a few ways to repair this however some choose to leave the dimples for the original look or proof that the front clip was never smacked and repaired.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: Belair Md
clip
I did a 72 that had those I believe it is caused by moisture and a reaction between aluminum rivets and steel reinforcement kind of like the electrolysis on a boat. I center drilled the rivets with a small bit then used a 11/16 paddle bit to remove the glass over top of the rivets then replaced the rivets and glassed the holes But I did it one at a time check with a vette repair guy and see what he says.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 6
From: www.Z16.org North/West Pennsylvania
Slight dimples are factory and completely normal. When the Dimples become bumps that means corrosion and time to fix. Mine has factory dimples and they are staying. 
Last edited by garage-ghost; Jan 16, 2011 at 08:55 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: LONG ISLAND
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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ZITS..................hate em................. !!! 
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
You probably have an original hood surround panel and headlight header bar. That's the good news.
The headlight header bar is stamped steel. The bonding strip was riveted to the header bar on early cars using aluminum rivets. Over time, through galvanic action, the aluminum rivets will back away from the steel and will rise against the underside of the hood surround panel. You will begin to notice spots about the size of quarters outlining the head of the rivets.
You can remove the header bar and bonding strip, remove the rivets, and bond the unit back in. Big job but saves body work and paint.
Your second choice is to remove the rivets from the top side, glass over the holes, and prep for paint.
On later cars, following the development of better adhesives, the rivets were eliminated and the bonding strip was glued directly to the header bar.
The headlight header bar is stamped steel. The bonding strip was riveted to the header bar on early cars using aluminum rivets. Over time, through galvanic action, the aluminum rivets will back away from the steel and will rise against the underside of the hood surround panel. You will begin to notice spots about the size of quarters outlining the head of the rivets.
You can remove the header bar and bonding strip, remove the rivets, and bond the unit back in. Big job but saves body work and paint.
Your second choice is to remove the rivets from the top side, glass over the holes, and prep for paint.
On later cars, following the development of better adhesives, the rivets were eliminated and the bonding strip was glued directly to the header bar.
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Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 56
From: Southeast Ohio
When I had my 69 painted in 81, I had the shop "repair" those rivet bumps. I wish I had left them alone. I later learned they were proof the front end hadn't been messed with and over time the "repairs" look worse than the bumps ever did.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,267
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
I believe that even if you remove the header bar and replace the rivets, or use no rivets, the small bumps will remain because the surround has taken such a memory-set. I don't think they just dissappear because the rivet oxidation pressure is off.
Regards,
Alan
I believe that even if you remove the header bar and replace the rivets, or use no rivets, the small bumps will remain because the surround has taken such a memory-set. I don't think they just dissappear because the rivet oxidation pressure is off.
Regards,
Alan
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 4
From: Concord Calif
This is true to a point Alan, but I was successful in removing them on my 68 by using a heat gun and getting the glass real hot and soft and then clamping two flat pieces of metal on them till the glass cooled, when I removed the clamps the bumps were gone, anyway something that could work for others.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Chrome bumper cars develop this abnormality
There are actually a total of 34 bumps in two rows...Once started they can only get worse....and they were not a latent factory defect but are a result of moisture...Some are much worse than others and when I re-discovered my 68 after 35 years they had become present. So we repaired them and that started a whole new chapter in the rebirth of my 68
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,381
Likes: 416
From: N J
I did mine this past spring on my 68, I had to, they were really really really bad. Did a little research here on the forum and finally decided to remove the header bar by drilling the rivets out from the bottom without coming through the surface. Actually I did on 1 of them. I used a 90 degree drill with a short bit for up on the sides. I left the original bonding stripp on, its glued to the bottom of the nose sandwiched between the bar and the nose, the stripp wasnt nessasary to remove. I reglued my bar back into position using Lord-Fusor 2 part metal to fiberglass adhesive. Of course the darn double tube gun cost more than the glue itself. Prior to that I drilled a few tiny holes in the bar to locate it back in the exact spot that it came out of. I also glued a few plastic spacers in a couple of spots on the top of it so when it got clamped into position it didnt squeeze out all of the adhesive. Prior to the glue, I used several wooden paint stirrirs and a boatload of harbor freight clamps to knock down the bumps, guess what...the bumps smoothed themselfs back out. So far so good.
