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Does anyone have any pictures of what "original" fender lips look like at the inner, top, center section where they come close to the bonding strip. Here's a pic of one of mine and I'd like to know what they look like when they left the factory. Cheers, Bill
Does anyone have any pictures of what "original" fender lips look like at the inner, top, center section where they come close to the bonding strip. Here's a pic of one of mine and I'd like to know what they look like when they left the factory. Cheers, Bill
That looks really neat & clean normally there is a slight bit of excess bonding compound that ozzes out of the back of the bonding strip. Has this car ever been worked on?
That looks really neat & clean normally there is a slight bit of excess bonding compound that ozzes out of the back of the bonding strip. Has this car ever been worked on?
Just minor stress cracks and small spots of damage. There was some oozing bonding adhesive in there that I cleaned up a bit. Eventually you won't see where I cleaned up some areas once the rubberized coating gets put back on.
I'm kind of speculating but I suspect there was some variation in where those bonding strips ended up during fabrication. I used to do the going around and running my finger under the fender lip thing - to see how much body work a car had had done. Seems some strips had more gap to the fender lip than others. I think anything they got within a 1/4 inch when gluing these cars together was called good.
Just minor stress cracks and small spots of damage. There was some oozing bonding adhesive in there that I cleaned up a bit. Eventually you won't see where I cleaned up some areas once the rubberized coating gets put back on.
I agree they do look nice now I've got all the old undercoating and blackout cleaned off. But the undercoating on the fender-tops does have to go back in otherwise I risk stars in my paint from stones. And then it gets blacked out after painting. Bill
Do you guys have pictures or can direct me to a good informative site on how to repair a fender using bonding strips, I have a 63 with flares and looking to take the flares out and replace with correct front fenders. I am really new to corvettes and fibergalss and have no idea what bonding strips do. need a primer on how install bonding strips and connect the fender back. Mid America makes a repair kit for just the flare section replacement. Not looking for NCRS correct just back to original look the simplest way possible
There's a site right here on the forum called "paint/body". Also, you may want to contact fellow forum member "DUB". If anyone could help, he would be the best guy to "pick his brain". Good luck!
Gary
Last edited by Gary's '66; 05-26-2017 at 06:51 PM.
You might remove a tire and get a picture from underneath showing what they did when the flares were added. There are patch panels to glass in after cutting out the small flares. Ecklers use to carry them but others do also. They probably just cut through the bonding strips when they installed those flares so to look reasonable stock underneath and to reinforce the wheel lip area, you would need to splice them into what remains on the underside.
Does anyone have any pictures of what "original" fender lips look like at the inner, top, center section where they come close to the bonding strip. Here's a pic of one of mine and I'd like to know what they look like when they left the factory. Cheers, Bill
What you have posted photo of looks like what I have seen countless times on ORIGINAL cars that have not been touched.
The gap that you are showing can vary....remember...they were not built like the current Corvettes of today and you can not (nor should not) expect them to be perfect.
I could blow you mind if I started to tell you where to measure things and see that what LOOKS GOOD by your eye...when a tape measure is used....it is off.
And I do not know if you are going for the facotry correct kinda thing or not...but I employ a component that STOPS any debris from damaging the underside to your top hood surround where the tires can kick up debris and 'star burst' your body panel. Once again..this part can be installed permanent and undercoat or painted..and the other is removable so judges can look and judge your inner wheel well area...and then after judging they can be re-installed.
But I will say that leaving it unprotected is just inviting a problem that if it does occur...you will WISH that you can turn back time and do it differently. DO NOT ask me how I know this.
And I do not know if you are going for the facotry correct kinda thing or not...but I employ a component that STOPS any debris from damaging the underside to your top hood surround where the tires can kick up debris and 'star burst' your body panel. Once again..this part can be installed permanent and undercoat or painted..and the other is removable so judges can look and judge your inner wheel well area...and then after judging they can be re-installed.
But I will say that leaving it unprotected is just inviting a problem that if it does occur...you will WISH that you can turn back time and do it differently. DO NOT ask me how I know this.
DUB
DUB, can you tell me what you use to prevent stones from starbursting? I'm very interested in hearing about this as I thought the only solution was to spray rubberized undercoating. Cheers, Bill
I fabricate splash shields that can either be removed for judging or made permanent.
My process is much more involved that spraying something on the underside of the top hood surround panel as above the front tires.
Whether you use some of the super dense black Styrofoam that is used in packaging...or some aluminum flashing material or fiberglass like I do...the whole idea is to have a barrier between your top hood surround and your tires so IF your tires throw up a large rock...you do not have to deal with a 'starburst' crack. Heck..I have had one local guy use cardboard and apply resin on it and made it strong enough to stop a rock.
I built an ERA Cobra a few years ago that had a material called coremat laminated to the fiberglass at the top of the fender undersides to cushion stone strikes. I only saw it after it was laminated in but it seemed to be sort of a thick (1/8 inch +/-), low-density mat that would soak up resin.
I have probably 600 pictures of building the car but not one showing the coremat.
it apparently works well. ERA has been building replicas since 1980 and a couple thousand cars and they claim to have never had a report of a stress crack or paint star in one of their cars.
Last edited by DansYellow66; 05-29-2017 at 07:19 PM.
I fabricate splash shields that can either be removed for judging or made permanent.
My process is much more involved that spraying something on the underside of the top hood surround panel as above the front tires.
Whether you use some of the super dense black Styrofoam that is used in packaging...or some aluminum flashing material or fiberglass like I do...the whole idea is to have a barrier between your top hood surround and your tires so IF your tires throw up a large rock...you do not have to deal with a 'starburst' crack. Heck..I have had one local guy use cardboard and apply resin on it and made it strong enough to stop a rock.
DUB
Makes sense DUB ... especially for people like me who drive their cars frequently. I'm surprised the factory didn't have something like you suggest as opposed to spraying rubberized undercoating.
Makes sense DUB ... especially for people like me who drive their cars frequently. I'm surprised the factory didn't have something like you suggest as opposed to spraying rubberized undercoating.
MONEY...it is ALWAYS about money. Becasue if you damaged a panel that needed repair or replacing..then they would not make money for the parts or service.
05-09-2017, 05:57 PM
Front Fender Lips
