I've got my doors stripped and back in primer, but there's still a few spots where the skin is letting go from the door frames. Is there a bonding glue that can be pumped into the cracks and then clamped? I was thinking of trying urethane adhesive, but I don't know if that's the best way to do it. Anybody had any success in this area? :smash:

 

dually,
I'd look for some fiberglass bonding adhesive. Zip one of the Forum sponsors sells Eckler's bonding cement in Quart cans for about $15 or so. You can probably order it directly from the Corvetteforum Mall. A lot of Zip's stuff is sold there.

 

I would suggest using Evercoat's epoxy bonding adhesive considering how the door frame is steel and the outside skin is fiberglass. Is the crack big enough to pry a small gap in between the frame and the skin? You should try to get some kind of abrasive in there to clean the area up before bonding. then get some of that epoxy bonding adhesive in there and clamp it up and you should be good. :cheers:

 

dually, it depends on the model year of your Corvette; if it's a 72 or earlier, the original fiberglass was made with polyester resin, and you should use polyester bonding adhesive. If its a 73 or later, it probably has SMC body panels, and you have to use the epoxy bonding adhesive. Polyester fiberglass is a very dark charcoal gray with obvious fiberglass strands on the molded surface, while SMC is a light gray with no visible fibers. The bottom line is that epoxy adhesives will work on either type fiberglass, but polyester adhesives WILL NOT WORK on SMC.

If it were me, I would remount the door, and adjust the fit and gaps to figure out if I really need to clamp the skin to the frame, and by how much. You will want to be careful about pulling the skin down below the contour of the body. If the door skin appears to match the body contour, I would not clamp the skin. I would just rough up the gap area on the door skin/frame, make a cake decorator cone out of heavy brown paper, fill it with mixed (catalyzed)bonding adhesive, and force the gap between the frame and frame full of adhesive. This procedure is for the polyester bonding adhesive; if it is epoxy adhesive you're using, then I believe it comes in a two-part mixing applicator. My favorite supplier for fiberglass materials is The Corvette Image; they will sell you the appropriate supplies for the repair.


[Modified by Chuck Sangerhausen, 11:31 AM 8/3/2001]

 

Dually,
You can go to your local West Marine store and buy their West system fiberglass materials. They have the epoxy resins and hardeners that qive you different setup times. They also have additives that you can mix with the resins to fit different applications. For bonding, you would use an additive that is especially made for bonding. It's called high density filler. Also, they have these pumps that you screw on to the resin and hardener cans that are calibrated for 1 one pump of resin = 1 pump of hardener. That make it nice and clean.
I live over here in P-cola.

 

Thanks to all for the advice. Mine is a 74, so I guess the epoxy is the way to go. I need to re-bush my hinges first, then I'll re-hang the door before I bond it. It's not too bad, but I don't want to let it keep separating.

68rdstr, hi neighbor; so far, you and nastee 383 are the only forum members I know of around here. We will be racing at Holt tomorrow night. If you happen to be there, drop by the red 57 pro-street car and say hello.

 

Nice to meet you! I'm getting my car painted this weekend. But, good luck at the races.