Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

[Mark J.]

Good Friday Morning,

The front wheelwell lips on my '66 have minor damage(small missing chunks)that appears to be the result of sharp, bumpy turns. I plan to repair areas with fiberglass and resin and hand-shape to the finished product.

Before I start, does anyone have suggestions on how best to tackle this project? There is not enough damage to replace the entire panel.

Thanks, MRJ

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Mark: Tinted resin from Corvette Image, fiberglass mat from Eckler's, aluminum flashing form material from Home Depot, paste floor wax from Johnson, taper grind edges with 36 grit, follow directions on resin, saturate mat and roll out well after application, carefully grind/sand off everthing that doesn't look like a 66 fender lip.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Mark: Tinted resin from Corvette Image, fiberglass mat from Eckler's, aluminum flashing form material from Home Depot, paste floor wax from Johnson, taper grind edges with 36 grit, follow directions on resin, saturate mat and roll out well after application, carefully grind/sand off everthing that doesn't look like a 66 fender lip.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Mark,

I'll take the liberty to elaborate some on Chucksters post.

1) remove the tire, you will be working from the inside of the wheel well.

2) taper grind the inside of the repair area approximately 2 inches beyond the area needing repair.

3) Wax the snot out the flashing. The paste wax acts as a parting agent to allow removing the metal after the resin kicks.

4) Shape the flashing to fit the opening and clamp on either side to hold it in place. Allow the flashing to extend at least an inch inside the wheel opening. This allows you to maintain the thickness of the repair past the point of the final trim line.

5) Finally after the resin kicks (wait a day to be sure) remove the flashing and grind the repair back to match the factory width. Also smooth the surface of the repair area.

6) Spritz a little flat black Krylon over area followed by a light shot or two of undercoating and call it good.

good luck.
tc

BTW, unless you want tinted resin, the good ole polyester resin and fiberglass MAT availble at Walmart works as good on the factory original fiberglass on your 66. If these panels have been replace with the GM SMC material, you will need to use resin formulated for this compound.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Mark,

I'll take the liberty to elaborate some on Chucksters post.

1) remove the tire, you will be working from the inside of the wheel well.

2) taper grind the inside of the repair area approximately 2 inches beyond the area needing repair.

3) Wax the snot out the flashing. The paste wax acts as a parting agent to allow removing the metal after the resin kicks.

4) Shape the flashing to fit the opening and clamp on either side to hold it in place. Allow the flashing to extend at least an inch inside the wheel opening. This allows you to maintain the thickness of the repair past the point of the final trim line.

5) Finally after the resin kicks (wait a day to be sure) remove the flashing and grind the repair back to match the factory width. Also smooth the surface of the repair area.

6) Spritz a little flat black Krylon over area followed by a light shot or two of undercoating and call it good.

good luck.
tc

BTW, unless you want tinted resin, the good ole polyester resin and fiberglass MAT availble at Walmart works as good on the factory original fiberglass on your 66. If these panels have been replace with the GM SMC material, you will need to use resin formulated for this compound.

[Terry F.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

I use cellophane instead of floor wax. I lay the cellophane over the fresh repair and then clamp it. The cellophane peals off after it has kicked off. I have never used floor wax. I make molds from sheet metal, wood blocks also, angle iron, you name it, anything that will work. I also like to use other pieces of fiberglass from broken panels. I look for shapes that will approximate the area I am working in.

Sometimes, I have used a large sponge with a block of wood clamped over it. I have found that it will sometimes naturally follow the original contour depending on the location I am working on. I would of course use a piece of cellophane between the sponge and the resin.

Wash the area with laqure thinner and get it clean. Mask off with blue masking tape. Bevel to the edges of the masking tape. I try to bevel 1 1/2 to 2 inches width either side of repair. On outer body surfaces you want 2 inches to minimize visability if possible. Leave the masking tape in place and clamp over it. When you are done, the tape can be pealed away. I sand the repair flush to the preveous surface level. The tape will leave you a crisp line and show you when you reached the correct depth of sanding. You can make stuff up as you go. I typically only use the panel adheisive from corvette image (resin and short strands of fiberglass tinted black). I will sometimes smash it into random matting untill fully saturated and then use it to make my repairs. It all depends on the repair. Sometimes I don't even use matting. Sometimes, I will clamp things up just to build an initial structure to work from. Then, I rough sand it and clamp things up again for a final repair. It is sometimes hard to fix something on just one attempt (hope that makes sence). Truly, you sort of have to think the repair through and decide for yourself. There is usually more than one way to get it done. If you use just resin and mat, try to minimize the resin because it make the repair brittle. I hardly ever use it.

Wear a respirator. Good luck, Terry

[Terry F.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

I use cellophane instead of floor wax. I lay the cellophane over the fresh repair and then clamp it. The cellophane peals off after it has kicked off. I have never used floor wax. I make molds from sheet metal, wood blocks also, angle iron, you name it, anything that will work. I also like to use other pieces of fiberglass from broken panels. I look for shapes that will approximate the area I am working in.

Sometimes, I have used a large sponge with a block of wood clamped over it. I have found that it will sometimes naturally follow the original contour depending on the location I am working on. I would of course use a piece of cellophane between the sponge and the resin.

Wash the area with laqure thinner and get it clean. Mask off with blue masking tape. Bevel to the edges of the masking tape. I try to bevel 1 1/2 to 2 inches width either side of repair. On outer body surfaces you want 2 inches to minimize visability if possible. Leave the masking tape in place and clamp over it. When you are done, the tape can be pealed away. I sand the repair flush to the preveous surface level. The tape will leave you a crisp line and show you when you reached the correct depth of sanding. You can make stuff up as you go. I typically only use the panel adheisive from corvette image (resin and short strands of fiberglass tinted black). I will sometimes smash it into random matting untill fully saturated and then use it to make my repairs. It all depends on the repair. Sometimes I don't even use matting. Sometimes, I will clamp things up just to build an initial structure to work from. Then, I rough sand it and clamp things up again for a final repair. It is sometimes hard to fix something on just one attempt (hope that makes sence). Truly, you sort of have to think the repair through and decide for yourself. There is usually more than one way to get it done. If you use just resin and mat, try to minimize the resin because it make the repair brittle. I hardly ever use it.

Wear a respirator. Good luck, Terry

[Mark J.]

Thanks, Guys! *NM*

[Mark J.]

Thanks, Guys! *NM*

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Terry, if Mark checks the archives, he will find several long detailed posts I (and others) have made on how to make fiberglass repairs. I thought I would just hit the high points this time, and let Mark connect the dots. You guys did a good job filling in the blanks.

In some of those early posts, I recommended using Saran wrap. As I got more experience making small detail repairs, I found the polyester resin would dissolve Saran wrap leaving you with a mess. Saran wrap is also problematic when trying to get a perfectly smooth mold-like surface because it wrinkles and doesn't fit the form tightly. Maybe the cellophane you're using is free of these problems.

I changed to paste wax and found I could get perfectly smooth surfaces on the finish side, and eliminate the problems of keeping the plastic wrap smooth with no resin penetration. If you apply the wax to the forms and let it dry, it will be hard and resistant to transferring to the bonding area. If you do manage to contaminate the bonding area with the wax (not real easy), you will be in trouble.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Terry, if Mark checks the archives, he will find several long detailed posts I (and others) have made on how to make fiberglass repairs. I thought I would just hit the high points this time, and let Mark connect the dots. You guys did a good job filling in the blanks.

In some of those early posts, I recommended using Saran wrap. As I got more experience making small detail repairs, I found the polyester resin would dissolve Saran wrap leaving you with a mess. Saran wrap is also problematic when trying to get a perfectly smooth mold-like surface because it wrinkles and doesn't fit the form tightly. Maybe the cellophane you're using is free of these problems.

I changed to paste wax and found I could get perfectly smooth surfaces on the finish side, and eliminate the problems of keeping the plastic wrap smooth with no resin penetration. If you apply the wax to the forms and let it dry, it will be hard and resistant to transferring to the bonding area. If you do manage to contaminate the bonding area with the wax (not real easy), you will be in trouble.

[Terry F.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Is there a particular brand of floor wax that you use? I use any old cellophane. Yes, it is a challange to get the wrinckles out. I usually clamp things more than once in many instances just because of the way the repair is going. I seem to get better results and the fiberglass seems to find its own natural shape that way. If I get a wrinkle or two, I just sand them out. I have not really had a problem with the cellophane melting. I have had it soften a bit and had it not want to let go if I try to take it off too early. I really like to make repairs in fiberglass because you can take such terrible disasters and make them look nearly perfect if you take your time. If I had to do it for a living I could never make any money at it because I am so terribly slow at trying to get everything just right.

Something you might know about. I met a guy about 15 years ago that said he had gallon cans of fiberglass powder (old cans). I believe the purpose of the powder was to mix with resin to form a gell to make repairs with. It may have also been used to make panel adheisive. Have you ever seen anything like it?
Thanks, Terry

[Terry F.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Is there a particular brand of floor wax that you use? I use any old cellophane. Yes, it is a challange to get the wrinckles out. I usually clamp things more than once in many instances just because of the way the repair is going. I seem to get better results and the fiberglass seems to find its own natural shape that way. If I get a wrinkle or two, I just sand them out. I have not really had a problem with the cellophane melting. I have had it soften a bit and had it not want to let go if I try to take it off too early. I really like to make repairs in fiberglass because you can take such terrible disasters and make them look nearly perfect if you take your time. If I had to do it for a living I could never make any money at it because I am so terribly slow at trying to get everything just right.

Something you might know about. I met a guy about 15 years ago that said he had gallon cans of fiberglass powder (old cans). I believe the purpose of the powder was to mix with resin to form a gell to make repairs with. It may have also been used to make panel adheisive. Have you ever seen anything like it?
Thanks, Terry

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Terry, I use Johnson's paste floor wax. One can is a lifetime supply if you keep the lid on tight.

When you apply it, it's hard to believe a single coat making such a thin wax film is going to keep resin from sticking to raw aluminum, but it works like a charm. I haven't tried it on relatively rough surfaces like wood, but I figure it will still work if you can cover the texture with wax. If the material surface has a lot of deep irregularities for the resin to flow into (foam?!...ewwhuhuhuh!), the more difficult it will be for clean form removal.

If you read the old Chassis Service Manuals, the "Corvette Body" section references a "plastic solder" that GM sold to repair small cracks, holes and imperfections. They also offered a "resin kit" for "major repairs" that contained "resin, hardener, Thixotrope(?), fiberglass cloth, protecting creams and mixing utensils".

I wouldn't be surprised if that "plastic solder" wasn't a resin/fiberglass powder mixture. Maybe the fiberglass powder was used for bonding adhesive, as you said, or in fiberglass filled body filler. It would depend on particle size, but in "powder" form, I wouldn't think fiberglass would provide much strength...it's possible it was used as a filler to displace volume of more valuable product, just as talc is used as a filler to reduce the cost of molded plastic parts.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seeking midyear wheelwell repair tricks

Terry, I use Johnson's paste floor wax. One can is a lifetime supply if you keep the lid on tight.

When you apply it, it's hard to believe a single coat making such a thin wax film is going to keep resin from sticking to raw aluminum, but it works like a charm. I haven't tried it on relatively rough surfaces like wood, but I figure it will still work if you can cover the texture with wax. If the material surface has a lot of deep irregularities for the resin to flow into (foam?!...ewwhuhuhuh!), the more difficult it will be for clean form removal.

If you read the old Chassis Service Manuals, the "Corvette Body" section references a "plastic solder" that GM sold to repair small cracks, holes and imperfections. They also offered a "resin kit" for "major repairs" that contained "resin, hardener, Thixotrope(?), fiberglass cloth, protecting creams and mixing utensils".

I wouldn't be surprised if that "plastic solder" wasn't a resin/fiberglass powder mixture. Maybe the fiberglass powder was used for bonding adhesive, as you said, or in fiberglass filled body filler. It would depend on particle size, but in "powder" form, I wouldn't think fiberglass would provide much strength...it's possible it was used as a filler to displace volume of more valuable product, just as talc is used as a filler to reduce the cost of molded plastic parts.