Normal Body Joint?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,569
Likes: 126
From: San Diego California
Normal Body Joint?
You can barely see it in the photos, but there's a channel straight across the Fender tops.
Question: Is this the factory joint on these cars, or has this car been repaired?
If you look close enough in the photos, you can see the "crow's feet" formed underneath the paint. That's the main reason I'm stripping off all of the paint and starting on fiberglass.
Steve
Question: Is this the factory joint on these cars, or has this car been repaired?
If you look close enough in the photos, you can see the "crow's feet" formed underneath the paint. That's the main reason I'm stripping off all of the paint and starting on fiberglass.
Steve
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,278
Likes: 4,372
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Steve,
The original front clip had a 'one-piece' hood surround with fenders on each side of the surround that were bonded about 4" below the fender crown.
The repair you're seeing was very typical when cars that had been hit in the front, but not too hard, and were being repaired based on the amount of insurance payments. There either wasn't money to replace the entire surround, or perhaps the owner was paying himself. It appears that perhaps a 'butt' joint was used which has 'telegraphed' through the repair and paint.
Regards,
Alan
Here's the typical surround.
Here's the typical original surround/ fender bond. There was a long thin fiberglass bonding strip (3" wide?) that ran the entire length on the back side of the bond joint and helped give it it's strength.
The original front clip had a 'one-piece' hood surround with fenders on each side of the surround that were bonded about 4" below the fender crown.
The repair you're seeing was very typical when cars that had been hit in the front, but not too hard, and were being repaired based on the amount of insurance payments. There either wasn't money to replace the entire surround, or perhaps the owner was paying himself. It appears that perhaps a 'butt' joint was used which has 'telegraphed' through the repair and paint.
Regards,
Alan
Here's the typical surround.
Here's the typical original surround/ fender bond. There was a long thin fiberglass bonding strip (3" wide?) that ran the entire length on the back side of the bond joint and helped give it it's strength.
Last edited by Alan 71; Feb 27, 2016 at 06:12 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
You can barely see it in the photos, but there's a channel straight across the Fender tops.
Question: Is this the factory joint on these cars, or has this car been repaired?
If you look close enough in the photos, you can see the "crow's feet" formed underneath the paint. That's the main reason I'm stripping off all of the paint and starting on fiberglass.
Steve
Question: Is this the factory joint on these cars, or has this car been repaired?
If you look close enough in the photos, you can see the "crow's feet" formed underneath the paint. That's the main reason I'm stripping off all of the paint and starting on fiberglass.
Steve
The surrounds were also serviced this way by aftermarket company's.
Sadly, the crows feet you can get rid of but the line over time will come back.
Willcox
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,278
Likes: 4,372
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Steve,
In looking at your pictures again I notice the size of the gap between the surround and hood changes at about the same location.
That might be another clue that something's amiss in that area.
Regards,
Alan
In looking at your pictures again I notice the size of the gap between the surround and hood changes at about the same location.
That might be another clue that something's amiss in that area.
Regards,
Alan
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
Check for a bonding strip under that area. If there isn't one, you'll have to make one and bond it into place. Then ditch out the joint and build up the area with fiberglass and then use normal block sanding and finishing techniques.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,682
Likes: 3,135
From: Shamong, NJ
What you have was a common way to repair front end damage in the 60's and 70's.
When you got front end damage with a metal car, you just unbolted the damaged fender, and bolted a fresh one on. Since Corvettes were bonded together, it was often cheaper to just bond in a section of fender, instead of a whole panel. It's not the best way to make repairs, but insurance companies weren't going to pay for more work than they had to.
Unfortunately, you can grind, fill, and do all you want with it, but as Wilcox said, chances are that the seem will eventually come back again. The only way to get rid of it permanently, is to replace the whole top surround.
When you got front end damage with a metal car, you just unbolted the damaged fender, and bolted a fresh one on. Since Corvettes were bonded together, it was often cheaper to just bond in a section of fender, instead of a whole panel. It's not the best way to make repairs, but insurance companies weren't going to pay for more work than they had to.
Unfortunately, you can grind, fill, and do all you want with it, but as Wilcox said, chances are that the seem will eventually come back again. The only way to get rid of it permanently, is to replace the whole top surround.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,569
Likes: 126
From: San Diego California
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
You could probably get it to stay hidden if you ground it out and tapered both sides back probably about 4-5". Basically, make each edge look like a wedge with the thin edges touching each other. Then, build it back up using progressively wider strips of fiberglass mat until it is level again. There is no way will you ever permanently hide it if the seam remains a butt-joint.
I would go to YouTube and look up some fiberglass boat repair videos. You can find some good stuff there. There is a 3 or 4 part series posted by one place that shows good detail.
I would go to YouTube and look up some fiberglass boat repair videos. You can find some good stuff there. There is a 3 or 4 part series posted by one place that shows good detail.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Feb 29, 2016 at 11:52 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,682
Likes: 3,135
From: Shamong, NJ
There are two issues with trying to keep the seem from returning. The first is that the filler will shrink with time. You have the same problem when you remove a luggage rack from a car, sooner or later the filler will shrink, and indents will show up were the rack was mounted. None of the shops around here will guaranty that the holes won't come back, after removing a rack, or that the seem won't show up again, when dealing with a sectioned nose.
The second issue is that there's a lot of weight on the front of the nose, forward of the point where it's been sectioned. The weight of the headlight assemblies, radiator, core support, AC condenser, etc., all cause a lot of loading on the nose, and put a lot of strain on the seem. The situation is worse, when then nose is sectioned in the center of the wheel opening, but it's still a factor when the section is further forward on the nose, like on your car.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I don't know if there's anything available, that will prevent it.
There are two issues with trying to keep the seem from returning. The first is that the filler will shrink with time. You have the same problem when you remove a luggage rack from a car, sooner or later the filler will shrink, and indents will show up were the rack was mounted. None of the shops around here will guaranty that the holes won't come back, after removing a rack, or that the seem won't show up again, when dealing with a sectioned nose.
The second issue is that there's a lot of weight on the front of the nose, forward of the point where it's been sectioned. The weight of the headlight assemblies, radiator, core support, AC condenser, etc., all cause a lot of loading on the nose, and put a lot of strain on the seem. The situation is worse, when then nose is sectioned in the center of the wheel opening, but it's still a factor when the section is further forward on the nose, like on your car.
There are two issues with trying to keep the seem from returning. The first is that the filler will shrink with time. You have the same problem when you remove a luggage rack from a car, sooner or later the filler will shrink, and indents will show up were the rack was mounted. None of the shops around here will guaranty that the holes won't come back, after removing a rack, or that the seem won't show up again, when dealing with a sectioned nose.
The second issue is that there's a lot of weight on the front of the nose, forward of the point where it's been sectioned. The weight of the headlight assemblies, radiator, core support, AC condenser, etc., all cause a lot of loading on the nose, and put a lot of strain on the seem. The situation is worse, when then nose is sectioned in the center of the wheel opening, but it's still a factor when the section is further forward on the nose, like on your car.
Another issue... the expansion and contraction ratio of the filler material is and always will be different than that of the press molded surround panel. There are just too many pulling inferences when they are cut like that. You can put a bonding strip under it, you can grind it out and kitty hair it.... at some point, it'll show again!
Sadly, the only way to get rid of them for good is the entire upper surround panel.
-Willcox
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 878
Likes: 55
From: Deep South Denmark
You could probably get it to stay hidden if you ground it out and tapered both sides back probably about 4-5". Basically, make each edge look like a wedge with the thin edges touching each other. Then, build it back up using progressively wider strips of fiberglass mat until it is level again. There is no way will you ever permanently hide it if the seam remains a butt-joint.
I would go to YouTube and look up some fiberglass boat repair videos. You can find some good stuff there. There is a 3 or 4 part series posted by one place that shows good detail.
I would go to YouTube and look up some fiberglass boat repair videos. You can find some good stuff there. There is a 3 or 4 part series posted by one place that shows good detail.
Short of covering the entire surround with new fibre mats there is no permanent fix (other than replacement)
Last edited by Danish Shark; Mar 1, 2016 at 06:47 AM.
