Do I need bonding strips?
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Sunnyvale California
Do I need bonding strips?
I have a front right fender that has sustained some damage at it's leading edge. I've managed to obtain the front half of a complete fender (forward of the wheel well). My question: Is there a way to remove the just the front half of the fender I currently have on the car without damaging the bonding strip underneath (where it attaches to the hood surround) so I can reuse the bonding strip? Or is that a stupid idea? Do I need a bonding strip at all? (This is not a restoration, just a daily driver). Can I just back up the seams with fiberglass matte to keep them together?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
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From: San Antonio TX
If you are careful, yes, you can remove the panel from the bonding strip and reuse it but new strips are available if you are not successful.
But overall, what you're trying to do is create a monolithic panel and that's what the bonding stips do. The panels are glued to the strip. Just laying mat between the joints without the strip to join them will probably set up a fracture scenario unless you have some skill in doing this since the factory panels are not traditional fiberglass.
It doesn't really matter whether the car is a driver or a show car, a stress fracture is a stress fracture and will look ugly.
But overall, what you're trying to do is create a monolithic panel and that's what the bonding stips do. The panels are glued to the strip. Just laying mat between the joints without the strip to join them will probably set up a fracture scenario unless you have some skill in doing this since the factory panels are not traditional fiberglass.
It doesn't really matter whether the car is a driver or a show car, a stress fracture is a stress fracture and will look ugly.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
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From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
1) Grind the damaged fender away at the bonding strip leaving it bonded in place to the surround leaving a "flange" to bond the repair section to.
2) Then bond the repair section to the strip. Where the splice is (where edge of repair panel meets edge of existing fender), you can temporarily use sections of sheet metal on the underside of the panel and use sheet metal screws through the fiberglass to hold the repair section in position with the remaining fender.
3) After the bonded area cures, remove the sheet metal supports and screws, and on the underside of the panel use a few layers of fiberglass mat to back up the splice. 3-4 layers should do it.
4) Now go topside again and bevel back the blunt edges of the car's fender and the new replacement section so that you form a very shallow V that extends down to the backup material but not into it. Fill the V with layers of fiberglass mat so that the repair surface is about level with the rest of the fender.
5) You can finish any low spots in your repair with body filler (I like RAGE GOLD by Evercoat) and sand it flush.
The Eckler's fiberglass repair book gives a lot of examples like these repairs. It's well worth the $$.
Good Luck!!
2) Then bond the repair section to the strip. Where the splice is (where edge of repair panel meets edge of existing fender), you can temporarily use sections of sheet metal on the underside of the panel and use sheet metal screws through the fiberglass to hold the repair section in position with the remaining fender.
3) After the bonded area cures, remove the sheet metal supports and screws, and on the underside of the panel use a few layers of fiberglass mat to back up the splice. 3-4 layers should do it.
4) Now go topside again and bevel back the blunt edges of the car's fender and the new replacement section so that you form a very shallow V that extends down to the backup material but not into it. Fill the V with layers of fiberglass mat so that the repair surface is about level with the rest of the fender.
5) You can finish any low spots in your repair with body filler (I like RAGE GOLD by Evercoat) and sand it flush.
The Eckler's fiberglass repair book gives a lot of examples like these repairs. It's well worth the $$.
Good Luck!!
Last edited by LemansBlue68; Aug 16, 2005 at 05:30 PM.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 80
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From: Sunnyvale California
Thanks for the responses, very helpful!!
Regarding the Eckler's Fiberglass repair book, it looks like it's out of print? Any ideas where to find it? They sell a two volume DVD now, which I assume is the same?
Regarding the Eckler's Fiberglass repair book, it looks like it's out of print? Any ideas where to find it? They sell a two volume DVD now, which I assume is the same?
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