Molding fiberglass widebody kit to metal

Anything goes in the world of fiberglass and plastic



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:42 am
What’s up guys! In need of some help as this is my first time doing bodywork. I like to believe I’m pretty handy though so I’m confident I can tackle this little project saving me about $3000 that I was quoted for to do this project.

I’m looking to mold a set of fiberglass fenders to my 2017 camaro. These fenders are a widebody kit that is made for my car. My main concern is cracking in the fiberglass down the road due to the differences in composition in the metal and fiberglass bond. If you guys have any products that you have used with success to prevent cracking, please recommend them to me! My basic steps to molding the fenders are below... I chose to use these materials based on some google research I’ve done the past few hours lol so again I’m open to all advice on the steps I’m taking and materials I’m using. Thanks

1. Sand the fiberglass fenders and quarter panels (on my car) mounting surfaces down to bare metal to create rough adhesion surfaces (80 grit)
2. Apply 3m panel bonder (http://a.co/d/4fg92zL) to the fiberglass fenders and secure onto the car using clecko pins about every three inches or so.
3. After the panel bonder dries, sand the joint surface as much as possible with a low grit to create as smooth of a joint as possible. (I’m guessing the less fiberglass I use the less chances it has of cracking? Also I’m guessing a low grit will give the fiberglass a better grip to the metal surface)
4. Apply thin coats of evercoat fiberglass (http://a.co/d/4CpmQ0w) to the joint surface until the joint is seamless. Sand afterwards.
5. Apply one or two coats of filler (http://a.co/d/fzYjOUd) on top of the fiberglass to fill in any small imperfections.
6. Sand up to 320 grit, then apply primer out a spray. Check for body lines to be correct. Sand more of necessary before dropping off to paint shop.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 5:17 pm
Well, welcome here.... and yes, we've been through this here at least a half dozen times over the years since we started the Fiberglass section. Porsche, Camaro, BMW, Firebird, and just about any metal creation has had this attempted. They all eventually fail. They might last a few days, a month, a year but nope, they all start micro cracking. I did know one guy who had a Porsche that didn't show cracking for about 2 years. He drove the car about a 1000 miles each year during the summer, only drove it on the back roads (never over 45 mph), and lived in a heated/cooled garage all the time. He'd only go to early evening car shows with it.
As for what you've got planned there is nothing wrong with it but there is little you can do to improve it. My only thought would be to try and stay in one "system" for all the work. I'd do everything in West System Epoxy using only a flex style finish putty for surfacing at the end. Something like USC Body Icing. I've seen that stuff do a lot of flexing before it began to flex/fail.......
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:49 am
Thanks is for the reply! I’m coming to accept that this will eventually crack down the road sooner or later. I guess, my next question is what materials in specific would you recommend from west systems? I was initially going to just use fiberglass resin with short strands in it but I’m thinking pairing it with Fb Mat May with hold from cracking better. I’m trying to keep the amount of materials I’m using to a minimum with the logic that less fiberglass equals less chances of cracking...

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 1:07 am
This is what we use in both my wood shops and what I use for kit car builds....
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JKYCV8G/?c ... _lig_dp_it
You can get that also in smaller containers with metered pumps as well. Just make sure whatever size you get, also get those metered pumps. The shelf life is great once your pumps are in and just really convenient. I would be using something like Evercoat's Sea Glass mat and chopping that up finely, slowly feeding it into the wet resin. Just make sure whatever mat or cloth you get is rated for epoxy resins. If you think that keeping the fiberglass on the light side might be better....consider doing just a layer or two of cloth from the inside spread out to distribute the load/stress.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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