Headlight/Nose support header

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Mar 9, 2006 | 02:26 PM

evalu8r

Thread Starter

Racer

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 470

Likes: 1

From: Amelia Ohio

Headlight/Nose support header

I re-bonded this header in today, it seemed to take a lot of clamps and pressure to get this in and it seems to me that is why none of these seem to stay bonded. So my question is that would riveting be a better more perminent way to do this? Obviously it would require drilling and counter sinking the heads, but I still have to do body work so holes don't matter.

Chris

Mar 9, 2006 | 02:55 PM

big_G

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 5,752

Likes: 4

From: Austin Texas

The bonding method is good and strong. What happens is the header rusts and the adhesive had nothing to hold to. Rivets will have nothing to hold to if you counter-sink them. The f'glass is too thin.

Mar 9, 2006 | 04:06 PM

Easy Mike

Team Owner

Joined: Jun 2000

Posts: 38,923

Likes: 1,481

From: Southbound

Cruise-In II Veteran

St. Louis used only bonding compound on about a half million C3s. You should be okay.

Mar 9, 2006 | 04:12 PM

Twin_Turbo

Race Director

Joined: Dec 1999

Posts: 16,945

Likes: 9

I used epoxy to bond mine, it's solid as a brick.

Mar 9, 2006 | 09:01 PM

evalu8r

Thread Starter

Racer

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 470

Likes: 1

From: Amelia Ohio

I used SEM epoxy and it is like a rock, I was just thinking. I went back and looked at the glass area and it is pretty thin there. Oh well I think I'm good then. So item # 963 is complete, starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks

Chris

Mar 10, 2006 | 08:51 AM

Vette Gator

Burning Brakes

Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 918

Likes: 5

From: Gainesville FL

Earlier model C3's were both riveted and bonded on. The problem is that over time, the rivet heads start to show as slight bulges in the paint. I believe that this is why Chevy went to the bonding only method later.

Mar 10, 2006 | 09:30 AM

Dalannex

Safety Car

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 4,077

Likes: 27

From: Northeast South Dakota

The bonding technique will work just fine for you. As long as you have the metal and the glass ground clean it'll stick just fine. Carry on to the next project.

-Justin

Mar 11, 2006 | 09:07 AM

seventysixvette

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2005

Posts: 845

Likes: 1

From: Columbus Indiana

I just bonded a new header bar in also. I used SEM non sag SMC structural adhesive. They wanted 42 bucks for the 'special' gun this requires, so I modified my caulking gun and used it. I got my header bar from Corvette America. The first time I test-fit it it required a lot of pressure to push into full contact with the fiberglass. I tweaked the header bar untill I kinda had a happy medium between the glass shape and header bar shape. It didn't take much. You just never know if the fiberglass shape is perfect and you should tweak the bar to match it, or if you should be drawing the glass that 3/16" down to match the shape of the bar. Wot ever, It's a done deal now. Using the headlight frames to locate the bar worked great! Something I learned here! Being a supporting member of this forum paid off with that one hint!
John