Fabricating "Gills"
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,734
Likes: 276
From: Port Huron MI
Fabricating "Gills"
I love the look of the 69-71 mako's with the "gills," the side fender louvres... Problem is I have a '75. The older louvres don't fit, nor do the 80-82 inserts.... So, since I've concluded a "correct" 75 won't be worth as much to me as a custom, I'm going a little over the top.
I'm wondering if anyone here has had any experience fabricating inserts for this vent, beyond the wire mesh I saw in an old thread here. I'm thinking: 1. Styro model of the part, mold around it and then pour a poly or plastic into the mold, hit it with high gloss black and attach. Doesn't sound too complicated, though I know it will be...
So if anyone has tried anything like this or found a product that will fit (I've looked everywhere)... Please let me know. I'm a couple of weeks and a great deal of research away from this attempt, so there's no rush. Sounds like messy fun to me.
I'm wondering if anyone here has had any experience fabricating inserts for this vent, beyond the wire mesh I saw in an old thread here. I'm thinking: 1. Styro model of the part, mold around it and then pour a poly or plastic into the mold, hit it with high gloss black and attach. Doesn't sound too complicated, though I know it will be...
So if anyone has tried anything like this or found a product that will fit (I've looked everywhere)... Please let me know. I'm a couple of weeks and a great deal of research away from this attempt, so there's no rush. Sounds like messy fun to me.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Buy two used/broken 68-69 fenders for the gills. Trim the gills out of your donor fenders. Cut your fenders and bond in your gills and or use your donor gills to make a mold.
Have you checked the assembly instruction manual? There is a bonding joint in the area where your 68-69 gills will mount. That's why the last one on each side was a fake.
Have you checked the assembly instruction manual? There is a bonding joint in the area where your 68-69 gills will mount. That's why the last one on each side was a fake.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 124
Likes: 2
From: Nashville TN
Stroh, I am toying around with a similar idea... need to do SOMETHING to "fill the hole". It's freezing outside for the next couple of days, so I won;t get much done, but lets see what we can come up with?
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,748
Likes: 0
From: Titusville FL
Here is a thread I created to find 68-69 "gills" for my 72...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...on-a-72-a.html
I know this is not exactly what you are looking for, but it seems Josh at Custom Image Corvettes is currently developing something for 70-72 model years, so it may be worth a shot to see if he has plans for 73-79.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...on-a-72-a.html
I know this is not exactly what you are looking for, but it seems Josh at Custom Image Corvettes is currently developing something for 70-72 model years, so it may be worth a shot to see if he has plans for 73-79.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,734
Likes: 276
From: Port Huron MI
Thanks for the link, Spacecoast. I'll definately check it out. Thanks.
Hey Tennessee 77, I'm thinking I'm a little down the road. I've got finish by interiro resto, first. But My silver vette is getting black "gills" one way or another. Easy Mike's suggestion to trim 69-71's is a great one if I can find 'em cheap, which has been difficult.
I'm thinking somekind of poly in a mold experiment will work. It might take a couple tries but I think it'll be worth it. I'll let you know what I come up with.
Hey Tennessee 77, I'm thinking I'm a little down the road. I've got finish by interiro resto, first. But My silver vette is getting black "gills" one way or another. Easy Mike's suggestion to trim 69-71's is a great one if I can find 'em cheap, which has been difficult.
I'm thinking somekind of poly in a mold experiment will work. It might take a couple tries but I think it'll be worth it. I'll let you know what I come up with.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,200
Likes: 3
From: Lehigh county Pennsylvania
You can 'trim' from now until doomsday but you'll never find gills on '70 & '71 fenders. As was already pointed out, only '68 & '69 had proper Stingray gills. '70 and newer had air duct outlets that did not resemble any part of a shark.
