Door Panel upper lip Repair
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
Door Panel upper lip Repair
I bought a thin piece of 1/2" aluminum angle to fab a new upper lip for my door panel which keeps popping off of the door lip. 
What adhesive will work the best for aluminum to plastic? Ive used J-B Weld on arrow nocks with good result. Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
What adhesive will work the best for aluminum to plastic? Ive used J-B Weld on arrow nocks with good result. Any other suggestions?Thanks!
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
i had the same problem except that most of my panel was cracked. i ended up reinforcing the whole panel with fiberglass. it was pretty easy to do. i too had to make a lip for the to of the panel. I repaired it about 2 years ago and everything is still holdin up well.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
The angle I bought isnt wide enough so I laid up a 1" fiberglass strip which I will use to extend the lip tomorrow. I will lay up a little more on the inside of the panel and attach the strip. My panel is cracked along the top too. Thanks for the idea. I hope the resin sticks to the el cheapo Corvette America panel. Looks like the panel was badly molded then they cut the lip back too far when they tried to clean it up. Musta been Friday at 3:30.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
The angle I bought isnt wide enough so I laid up a 1" fiberglass strip which I will use to extend the lip tomorrow. I will lay up a little more on the inside of the panel and attach the strip. My panel is cracked along the top too. Thanks for the idea. I hope the resin sticks to the el cheapo Corvette America panel. Looks like the panel was badly molded then they cut the lip back too far when they tried to clean it up. Musta been Friday at 3:30.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,783
Likes: 15
From: Northern California
The lip is not the problem.
It's the upper reinforcing Ribs that are all cracked, deforming the upper part of the door panel.
One common fix is to drill a small hole in each side of the broken ribs and zip tie the two sections back together, which will bring the top of the door panel back into shape.
It's the upper reinforcing Ribs that are all cracked, deforming the upper part of the door panel.
One common fix is to drill a small hole in each side of the broken ribs and zip tie the two sections back together, which will bring the top of the door panel back into shape.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,689
Likes: 0
From: Cape Coral, FL 33904
just did this repair last weekend. No ribs were broke on mine, but where the ribs connect at the bottom, all cracked in the plastic. Patched with aluminum and at the top where it hooks was very warped, managed to fab some aluminum clips. Used some epoxy, but found gorilla glue worked best. Scratched both surfaces really good and glue worked better than epoxy, faster dry time too. The panels were just a crap design....up to '93 anyway..
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 10,428
Likes: 9
From: Southside of Western Norte Americano State of Confusion, ColoFornia
St. Jude '13
The door panel itself is actually pretty easy to repair.
there is an adhesive out there that works slick as heck on all the plastic parts. This is a clear liquid glue not the old tube pastes like testors etc. it is MEK methyl ethel ketone i believe.
Its called tenex or tenax its a solvent style glue for plastics (model cars etc) get it at your local hobby store. get a couple inexpensive small paint brushes and flow the Tenex in the cracks. it actually melts the two pieces together so dont go overboard with it.
I used the metal screen sold by Bondo or used to do drywall patches, cut and formed to the back of the door panel and flowed the glue around it to soften the plastic. This allowed the metal mesh to fuse with the door panel and made a very strong bond. It "dries" or re-solidifies in about 10 minutes.
A word of caution though, If you use it on visible plastic it will leave a shiny spot on the plastic, if you use too much of it.
there is an adhesive out there that works slick as heck on all the plastic parts. This is a clear liquid glue not the old tube pastes like testors etc. it is MEK methyl ethel ketone i believe.
Its called tenex or tenax its a solvent style glue for plastics (model cars etc) get it at your local hobby store. get a couple inexpensive small paint brushes and flow the Tenex in the cracks. it actually melts the two pieces together so dont go overboard with it.
I used the metal screen sold by Bondo or used to do drywall patches, cut and formed to the back of the door panel and flowed the glue around it to soften the plastic. This allowed the metal mesh to fuse with the door panel and made a very strong bond. It "dries" or re-solidifies in about 10 minutes.
A word of caution though, If you use it on visible plastic it will leave a shiny spot on the plastic, if you use too much of it.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
I am finding out fiberglass resin will not stick well to the plastic panel so it makes me wonder if I have done any good. I am sure the reinforcement will help and the added lip seems to be ok, maybe I hgave made a big clip for the panel to sit in. I still need to reattach the window seal and the upper trim panel and reinstall it on the door.
Heres some pics. First one shows how short the lip on the Corvette America panel was cut
Heres the strip I layed up to form the new lip
And heres the more or less finished reinforcement.
We shall see during reinstallation if it was worth while. A metal strip woulda been better I am thinking.
Heres some pics. First one shows how short the lip on the Corvette America panel was cut
Heres the strip I layed up to form the new lip
And heres the more or less finished reinforcement.
We shall see during reinstallation if it was worth while. A metal strip woulda been better I am thinking.
