Hy guys,
I'm doing a frame-off restoration on my 69', now I'm working on body and I'm stripping everything because most of metal parts are rusted, also front nose reinforcement (between hood and headlights)! Someone know how is it fixed to body?(Glued?) and how to remove it... I don't want to damage fiberglass!

 

That brace is bonded and riveted. Most of the time the rivets rust and cause the fiberglass to swell. If you look closely, the swelling can be seen.

 

Thanks
I've seen rivets but I didn't know if they fix the brace to the body or the 2 boxed parts of the brace... Do you know if these rivets has a special head on the outside? I can't see them...I suppose they are under the paint but the thickness isn't so big to suppose hidden rivets heads..
Removing rivets without seeing their heads isn't so easy!

 

Technically...the aluminum solid rivets begin to corrode and not rust. I have never found the rivets here to be steel.

This beam can come out. It will take time and PATIENCE. It is glued onto the underside of the top hood surround panel. The outer ends are bolted in place where the two stands are bolted to the front section of your inner skirts.

Remove the support stands on each end of this beam. Then ...using a heat gun...begin heating up the fiberglass on the outside of the panel.

Then...when you get it HOT... ( Hot is defined by being so hot you can not hold your hand on it...but not so hot you get it to smoke) you can go in with a thin wedged tool...like flat blade screwdriver or a narrow putty knife and CAREFULLY slide in IN BETWEEN the outer panel and the bonding strip that is riveted to this metal beam. You will know you have it HOT enough when you poke at the exposed adhesive and it is spongy and soft.

Using light pressure....slide the screwdriver/putty knife in and see if the metal beam AND bonding strip show signs of releasing. MAKE SURE you do both sides of the metal beam because it is bonded on the front and rear edges. If you see movement....even a slight bit of movement...keep applying heat further away from the end where you have started. Then...try sliding the screwdriver in a little bit more and see if the gap is widening. If it is....I usually pull out that screwdriver and install one with a lightly thicker tip...and push it in.

Then I take the thinner tipped screwdriver and move a little bit away from the one I have installed ...getting it in the gap I have created an push it in and see if I am getting the gap to open up further.

I keep doing this BECAUSE HEAT IS YOUR FRIEND HERE!!!!

I usually hold my heat gun at an angle so I am also preheating up the area I am heading towards...instead of pointing my heat gun straight at the panel in just one spot. Taking your time and let the HEAT work for you. If you get it right...the beam will come out EASILY without damaging anything at all.

You can if you want...when heating up the top surface...you can blow some heat right on the bonding areas from the underside. Due to your design...I would heat up the outside....because later year models I heat from the underside because they do not have a fiberglass stir riveted to the beam and glued in place.

You could do all the heating form the underside...but it will take a a lot longer due to the thickness of what you have to get the heat to absorb through...to get to the glue that is on the underside of the top hood surround. That is why I am saying to heat from the outside.

JUST BE PATIENT. I have lost count on how many I have removed this way...without any damage.

You can get it hot enough to release the glue without even burning paint. You have to remember that it can be hot on the outside...and the panel hot...but may take a little bit of time to get to the glue and soften it enough to release...which is why I wrote ...BE PATIENT.

DUB

 

Thanks Dub, I will try to do it!
So heat will help to soften the glue, but what about rivets?

 

Later versions on the 69s also have a fiberglass reinforcement underneath outside of the headlight openings to help stabilize that part of the nose from flexing. Mine was built 12/69. Kinda S or Z shaped and adhered with the bonding glue. T

 

Just to add photos to Dub's excellent first hand post see this at the Willcox website:

http://willcoxcorvette.com/instructi...-1_secured.pdf

I have slight raised areas around the rivets in my survivor 58K miles 72, kind of consider them beauty marks showing its originality.

Thanks,

Mike

 

Thanks Mike for the useful link
Exactly what I've to do...

 

my 69' it's an early one (built 3th October 1968)...have you got some pics of these reinforcement?

 

I tried to picture, but due to their location and so much other stuff in the way, you can't make them out. They are just outboard from the headlight openings about 2-3"s and about 10's in length, approx. 1 1/4 in in height, the cross section would be an upside down L. You should be able to make them out of glass, then install, as I've never seen anybody that sells them. Presuming this was a late 69 upgrade I'd think any bumper car newer would have these and somebody should have their front clip off to take a clear picture to help you out. T

 

There is a strip of fiberglass that is riveted to this rusty support. Then the support with the riveted on fiberglass bonding strip is glued to the underside of the top hood surround. SO...if you get the glue soft.....the beam AND the fiberglass strip will come off together.

DUB

 

The 'trick' will be to be able to bond a newer design support beam in place. The 'trick" will be is getting the headlight supports back in and adjusted. Because you will have to remember that you will be loosing thickness due to NOT having a fiberglass bonding strip between the support beam and hood surround...and that 1/8" +/- can change how the lightheaded door can be adjusted in relation to the three slotted holes for the mounts on each side.

BEFORE you pull this support out. If you put a headlight actuator support back in you will see that the section of the headlight support that contacts this support beam that you plan on removing is flush and tight. Both parts meet each other and are not at angles. when you put this new support beam in ( if that is what you are going to do)...they are the same but different. In regards to the depth. so when the beam is in...and the actuator support is in and tight. you might see that the actuator support is tight against the beam at the back by the hood opening...but forward of that in the width of the new support beam...there may be a gap. So you might need to make shims to bring the actuator support down and make it is when it is all tightened...it is flush.

DUB

 

Thanks! I will wait for someone who can take a picture...
So they're fiberglass made?

 

I've understood and you considerations make sense but have you given a look at willcox document linked by Mike?
They suggest to mantain bonding strip and remove only reinforcement and this should help for fitting problems...if the repro part are almost the same of original (not so sure about it...)