Matty Gritt

I am in the process of rebuilding my 1978's front end after it was backed into. Headlight doors were toast as they were up. My hood has always been a bit lower than my front nose clip and I took it as the hood was just out of alignment and needs shims to raise it. However it looks like there is a metal bar underneath the fiberglass that the nose is not connected to?

This is what my nose looks like in relation to the hood..



So when taking a look underneath I see there is a very visible gap...


So I believe after reading topics that there is an adhesive I can use to glue this back together and clamp so it will bond together? Also, is there some sort of support bar that my car has been missing? I was browsing the forums and kept seeing a Front Nose Support Rod mentioned. It appears to bolt to the center of the radiator support?

Any help is appreciated! This is my first time working around the front end. Thanks guys.

gbvette62

I guess some people could refer to that as the "headlight support bar", since the headlight horseshoes attach to that, but I've always heard it called either the "top surround reinforcement" or the "header reinforcement". On 68-72's, it was riveted in place, and on 73-82's it was bonded. You can reattach it using a good bonding agent, preferably the same type used to bond the body panels together.

Before attempting to glue or bond it back together, I would suggest making sure that it's in good shape. They are prone to rusting, and it may have come loose because it is rusting out, causing it to push away from the top surround. If the reinforcement is in good shape, go ahead and reglue it, but if it's rusting replace it, they're only about $100.

You should have a header support rod too. The support rod bolts to the header reinforcement, and the bottom of the core support. The illustration below is from the 74 AIM, but the same rod is used from 73-79.

Matty Gritt

That answers both of my questions! Thank you so much. I will check it out to see if it needs to be replaced. If not, are there adhesives I should look for specifically or any ones I can pick up locally to get the job done at the store?

If it does need to be replaced, what does that look like? Can I remove the entire piece with maybe just taking the hood off?

gbvette62

You can get fiberglass panel adhesive anywhere they sell automotive paints, body shop supplies, auto parts stores and from most Corvette parts vendors.

I've never replaced a header reinforcement myself, but you should be able to do it after a bit of disassembly. Besides removing the hood, it would probably help to have the grills out and the lower valance panel off. You'll also need to remove the headlight assemblies, because the horseshoe supports bolt to the reinforcement, and the two triangle shaped reinforcement end brackets, that attach the reinforcement to the inner fenders (marked REINF in the aim illustration I posted earlier). Once all that's out of the way, you should be able to remove the reinforcement.

DUB

FOR WHAT THIS IS WORTH:

And just wanting to clarify previous information posted.

ALL of these headlight support beams were bonded in place. The 1968 to 1972 had a fiberglass bonding strip riveted to this beam and then it was bonded to the top hood surround.

Then GM changed its design and used an epoxy adhesive to bond the steel headlight support beam to the underside of the top hood surround.


The integrity of the support beam is CRITICAL. If it is rusted...it should be removed and repaired or replaced.

I personally like using the SEM 39747. It has a long enough work time and it is epoxy based. SO...even if you get a new beam and grind the bonding surface really rough like it is advised from SEM to do for MAXIMUM adhesion. As long as you cover the bare steel with the adhesive...it CANNOT RUST.

I have recently did one not too long ago and I did it with ONE tube of teh 39747...but I had another cartridge as a back up ...so just in case I needed it...I would not regret it.

And keep in mind that there is a layer of the adhesive GM used that will either be stuck to the metal or stuck to the body.

So depending how you plan on doing this...IF you plan on removing the beam (which is what I do) make sure ALL of the adhesive has been removed.

I can say that I feel you can do this but it will take a bit of effort. If you need me to help you through this by talking to you. Just let me know either on this thread or PM me. It is involved but not impossible.

DUB