I am restoring a '72 that was in an accident and is missing one of the mounting tabs/holes in the gill opening.

On the passenger side, the left tab/hole is there but the right one must have broken off in the accident. (see pics in posts below)

Has anyone ever glued in a new piece of fiberglass to replace a mount before? I'm wondering if it will even hold up?

Any other suggestions? Anyone know how I would go about doing this? I'm afraid that the gill will break off of the car if I only mount it with the bottom bracket and the top left screw.

Thanks!
Bridget

 

I don't know why but the site is flipping my pics upside down. Sorry it's confusing.

entire opening


Left side


Missing right side

 

Hi Bridget,
Originally there was a small fiberglass flange bonded to the inside of the fender just above the grill opening.
This strip is used to mount 2 u-nuts for the screws that secure the top of the grill.
It appears part of the strip has been removed on the fender in your picture.
Just realized you knew all this because you have the other side to refer to!!! DUH!
You could certainly bond a fiberglass piece in place as a remedy. A smarty could cut the existing flange section in half, CAREFULLY pop it loose, and bond it in place where it's needed…. without marring the nice new paint! Be sure to leave the flange section were it needs to be to catch the rear screw.
Regards,
Alan

I enjoyed looking at your album!
If you find that "Haynes" manual on the floor useful….. do you know about the 72 GM Assembly Instruction Manual, and the GM 72 Chassis Service Manual?

Right side



Front, right side



Rear, right side

 

Have you got the "gill" panel ?

I realise its just a wild guess BUT maybe its still screwed to the mount plate?

if not then time to break out the mat and resin !

 

Cutting the existing flange might not be a bad idea. We were trying to figure out how to create a flange that would be the correct thickness and strength. Yes I do have the assembly manual for the 72 and some other service manuals for multi year Corvettes. I do not have the chassis manual however. I wish the assembly manual would give instructions and sizes of screws and such. The guy I bought the car from had removed most of the pieces and started the bodywork himself, but unfortunately did not save the screws needed to replace the parts he removed. It's been a real pain trying to figure out how things get reattached. I just realized last night that the 72 chrome mirrors that I was planning on putting back on the car, we're never on the car. Apparently it had a later model mirror (The bullet type ) because the screw holes do not match up to the 72 mirror.

Thanks for the help!
Bridget

 

Bazza,

How I wish it was that easy! The guy I bought the car from made a real mess of it taking it apart. He took most of the parts off to do the bodywork and never saved any of the screws or labeled anything.
Thanks for the advice!
Bridget

 

Hi Bridget,
Finding the descriptions and specifications for bolts can be especially frustrating when working on a car that you didn't take apart while putting all fasteners into bags with labels.
What's equally difficult is that MANY fasteners had something unusual about them that made them for use in a specific location. So it's not just a matter of size, but also the fastener's unique configuration.
Generally, how apart is your car, what areas are apart, and can you develop a list of specific fastener locations that someone might be able to help you identify?
Regards,
Alan

 

Alan,

I'm finding what I'm missing as I go along. Literally everything was removed either by the previous owner or by myself. I, however, labeled and bagged everything. I bought an interior fasteners kit so I should have brand new screws to put all my interior panels back on. I also bought new bolts to replace the seats and the rear bumpers. (I'm not sure what I have for the front bumper, I haven't looked into that yet.) I have no idea how to put the rocker moldings back on, so I know I'll need to look into that soon. My newest "oh no" was when I went to reattach the wiper door panel, the guy broke off one of the bolts in the panel. I'm not sure how I'm going to get it out. I think I'm going to try to find a machine shop that would be able to drill it out for me without damaging the panel. My car came with a power antenna (even though I don't think it was an option for a '72) but the motor is frozen, so I need to replace it. I haven't decided if I want to replace it with another power one, or with one that was original to the car.

I just got it back from the body shop so I have just started the reassembly. I see that you are a senior member. Would you mind if I added you to my friend/contacts on here so I can message you if I have future questions?

Thanks,
Bridget

 

Hi Bridget.
Here 'senior' only means you've made 100+ posts.
In my case it also means that I'm an old man.
You may feel free to ask questions, there's lots of info here!
The wiper door 'hinge bolt' repair is a common but difficult repair. Is this something you want to try yourself? There's someone here that does the repair gratis except for shipping the door to him.
The rocker trim fasteners is an example of Chevrolet gone crazy.
Some make sense and some don't.
Here are the fasteners from a 71's left side trim piece. Forward is to the left.
I don't know why the second screw from the left is a 'pan head' rather than an a 'oval/counter sunk' head like the rest…. I put an oval head like the screw to the right end in place because it looks better.
Regards,
Alan



The screws for the lower left dash pad.



The screws for the storage compartment frame, hinge, and doors.