A question about R&Ring a header panel
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Drayton Ontario
A question about R&Ring a header panel
Has anyone here replaced the front header panel on their vette ? I was just looking at mine tonight and noticed its rotted bad and the aluminum head light brackets are rotted completely where they bolt to the header. I need to replace and if anyone has any tips or info on doing this , I would greatly appreciate it. I want to do this before putting the body back on the chassis as there is lot of room to work in the engine compartment.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
You talking about the Headlight header bar?
Yea replacing it now would be the thing to do. I would chisl off the new one carefully, drill out the rivets, glass in the holes and Bond the new header on like the late C3's are done, no rivets
Yea replacing it now would be the thing to do. I would chisl off the new one carefully, drill out the rivets, glass in the holes and Bond the new header on like the late C3's are done, no rivets
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Drayton Ontario
Yes , this is the header bar i am talking about. They are riveted in? and you just use a bond adhesive and glue the new one in? So , do you have to drill the rivets out all the way through the top?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 2
From: Montreal Qc.
What year is your car? Early ones were riveted, later they were just bonded, not sure when they changed over.
I replaced mine a couple of years ago, it was horribly rusted and like yours it had corroded the headlight frame thing (79, bonded/no rivets).
I just got as much of the old one out as possible by hand (came out in chunks...), then used a grinder to get the rest off. I test fitted the new one and marked it to make sure the headlight frames lined up, loaded it up real good with epoxy and held it in with about 20 clamps overnight.
I did it with the hood off and rad out, so I had pretty good access to underneath the nose, if you're body is off you have a much easier job of it.
I replaced mine a couple of years ago, it was horribly rusted and like yours it had corroded the headlight frame thing (79, bonded/no rivets).
I just got as much of the old one out as possible by hand (came out in chunks...), then used a grinder to get the rest off. I test fitted the new one and marked it to make sure the headlight frames lined up, loaded it up real good with epoxy and held it in with about 20 clamps overnight.
I did it with the hood off and rad out, so I had pretty good access to underneath the nose, if you're body is off you have a much easier job of it.
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Rockbridge Ohio
If it has rivets they will be all the way around the header bar. They are solid aluminum rivets, not pop rivets. You will just see the peened side of the rivets so they will just look like little bumps. Wether it has rivets or not, the easiest way to remove the header bar is with a heat gun. I started in the center, heating from under the header bar. Heat until the adhesive between surround and the bonding strip starts to soften. Then push a narrow putty knife between the surround and the adhesive. To make sure I did not get the surround too hot I kept one hand on top of the hood surround while heating. If the surround got hot enough that it was uncomfortable to keep my hand on it I quit heating in that area. Usually by the time it was that hot the putty knife would slide through the adhesive very easily. This method is much easier than trying to just use a chisel. When you finish, the surround will be nice and smooth with very little adhesive left on it, and it should only take an hour or two.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,943
Likes: 44
From: Florham Park NJ Port Credit Ontario
73 did not have rivets.
I replaced the this on my 74. It was really an easy task.
1) remove the headlight buckets
2) I used a black sharpie to mark its position on the underside of the front clip
3) Use a thin paint scraper to gently pry off the old support. There are support brackets on each end as well. You must remove these bolts.
4) Throw old rotted support in the trash
5) New support: Drill holes about 2 inches apart in mounting flange of new support. Not essential, but it will allow some of the new bonding material to seep out through the holes which will create better bonding.
6) I used 3M superfast eurathane to bond the new support to the fiberglass. It was recommended by Yogi over at Bairs. He'd been doing this for decades.
7) Once in the correct position, i used several c clamps to hold it securely in position until dry. I ended up leaving it clamped for approx 1 week while I worked on other projects.
Hope this helps....
Stu
I replaced the this on my 74. It was really an easy task.
1) remove the headlight buckets
2) I used a black sharpie to mark its position on the underside of the front clip
3) Use a thin paint scraper to gently pry off the old support. There are support brackets on each end as well. You must remove these bolts.
4) Throw old rotted support in the trash
5) New support: Drill holes about 2 inches apart in mounting flange of new support. Not essential, but it will allow some of the new bonding material to seep out through the holes which will create better bonding.
6) I used 3M superfast eurathane to bond the new support to the fiberglass. It was recommended by Yogi over at Bairs. He'd been doing this for decades.
7) Once in the correct position, i used several c clamps to hold it securely in position until dry. I ended up leaving it clamped for approx 1 week while I worked on other projects.
Hope this helps....
Stu
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Drayton Ontario
Well I got the header out . It was pretty rotted and it only took me about 20 minutes to get it out. Just prepping the fiber glass for the new one. Looks like it should go pretty good.
