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This weekend I spent a lot of time under the Vette, changing the header gaskets, plugs, oil, and more. I had the sidepipes off so I could maneuver the headers easier as I didn't want to damage the new gaskets squeezing them in. I apparently mounted them slightly too high when I replaced them and the corner of the driver side door caught on them. You can't see it with the door shut so I am not immediately concerned about it from an appearance point but I do want to prevent it from getting worse until I can get it properly fixed. What's my best bet here? Some sort of clear coat to 'glue' the piece back into place? Is there some sort of thin rubber corner guard I can cover it with for now? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
Last edited by jtbosarge; Aug 30, 2020 at 01:16 PM.
Reason: Grammar
I think I'd use a product from Evercoat called Vette Panel Adhesive. You don't want to lose the piece and you don't really want to store it for a future fix and leave a hole, so I think I'd re-adhere it as best as possible until a repaint is in the cards. Use masking tape on the painted surface to keep the adhesive from bonding on the color face.
I'd go to Walmart and grab the little fiberglass repair kit. Mix up some resin and use it as a glue to put the chip back in place. After that you can touch it up with a little paint and it'll look pretty good.
Looks like the broken piece will mate with the door quiet nicely. Laugh if you will, but I'd dab some super glue on the adjoining parts and hit it with an accelerator. (2 to 1 bleach and water works well). Laugh again, but you can probably find a fingernail polish that is a dead match.
Nothing to lose.
I probably wouldn't use SuperGlue, but the idea about using some good [and appropriate] adhesive to put that piece right back in place is a good one, considering the alternatives. The piece will properly fill the void and the paint is the same color. Some experienced body folks on this forum can give you tips on the right adhesive to use. Once it hardens, you just need to fill remaining gaps/cracks with some body filler, then carefully sand it down to the red paint. If you have some matching body paint left, touch it up with fine artist's brush, air brush, or fine sprayer. It appears to be a solid paint color, which will make the job a LOT easier. Take your time to come up with a good plan to salvage the damage.
When I fix a ding on one of my surf boards I tightly stretch wax paper over the repair so the resin stays flat, I use blue painters tape on one edge to secure it and then pull it over the repair and tape off the other end...Done right there is no sanding-(meaning don't over use the resin). Experiment on something a few times to get the hang of it, sometimes the tape needs to go completely over the repair so the paper stays tight because it doesn't always stick to the paper good enough..
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Last edited by 1860army; Aug 30, 2020 at 08:58 PM.
Super glues (cyanoacrylates, aka CA), while fast curing, are a brittle adhesive. As a woodworker/wood turner, I learned my lesson concerning relying on CA for any kind of permanent bond. It will fail eventually and that little chip will be gone.
I had a piece of the rear deck that was breaking off from me not pulling the soft top all the way forward, also the hard top sitting on it didn’t do any good either. So I used blue painters tape on the painted side to secure the broken piece, so it wouldn’t move. Then I mixed up a small batch of fiberglass resin and applied a liberal amount to the back side. Some folks like to cut up fiberglass mat into tiny pieces for a stronger bond. You can buy the kit at HD in the glue/paint isle. Be sure to let the resin sit in the paper cup for a minute or so, you want it to be like mayonnaise so it won’t run. Use a tiny Paper Cup for mixing up a batch or two so you can practice on the best consistency.
If you look closely, this side started to brake off, I hit it with fiberglass resin, and then some paint
Bottom Door Corner Chipped
