Adhesive for factory 3 piece front.

[Jeremy Locke]

I have an original factory 3 piece front (top panel and 2 side panels) that I am preparing to install onto a 70 coupe. What is the best adhesive to use for this, epoxy or polyester resin.

Any advice on this whole task re the adhesive and lining up of the panels would be greatly appreciated.

Is is worthwhile taking a mould off these parts before I assemble them into one piece and put on the car?




Jeremy Locke Guitars

[Wayne W.]

Re: Adhesive for factory 3 piece front.

Jeremy,

Your question is not easily answered and I think probably not well understood either. First there is no such thing as an original 3 piece surround panel. The original panel was one piece and was made of FRP polyester fiberglass. The parts you have are most likely over the counter replacement panels which could have been made of Polyester, Genite or SMC coumpounds. Because of this, recomending an adhesive is difficult except to say that epoxy should work OK at least for the bonding part on all of them. However, you would not want to use polyester adhesive on an SMC type panel. As for the takeing of moulds from the panels, we are stumped. Why would you want to do that?

[Jeremy Locke]

Re: Adhesive for factory 3 piece front.

Thanks Wayne.
The parts I have were purchased from Chevrolet in LA some 20 +years ago. They were supplied as a top panel and two side panels and a couple of reinforcing strips for under the join. They appear to be made of GRP (this may be what you call FRP (different country, different terminology I guess). The inner surface is a good as the outer.

I am not sure what an SMC type panel is, nor genite for that matter.

I would consider taking moulds just in case I needed parts later. It is easy for you guys in the US, you just drive down the road and buy the bits, I have to get them imported and that is a major pita so I tend to think ahead sometimes.