63 glove box face

[Frank D.]

I am replacing the damaged face of my glove box with a new one. I fought the old face off of the original glove box door back (not fun).

What adhesive is best for attaching the new face to the old back ?

The stuff I scraped off looked/smelled/sanded like Bondo but I can't swear to it...I can't believe that's what the factory used...

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Frank,

I have used clear silicone RTV several times with success. It won't discolor the paint on the back but I would not go overboard with excessive silicone. Clamp the two pieces together and leave overnight.

JR

[Joe M.]

Re: 63 glove box face

I have two doors, both have a very hard yellow glue bonding the door to the face.What color 'bondo'?

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 glove box face

I have two doors, both have a very hard yellow glue bonding the door to the face.What color 'bondo'?

Joe, all the ones I have ever taken apart had the same yellow hard glue. Looks like 3M weatherstrip adhesive. Would not use that as it tends to melt what it sticks to.

JR

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Yup - the nasty stuff was a hard, blonde-looking pale yellow. I had to take chemical paint stripper to soften it up enough to scrape off.
I went with the RTV and the piece is drying as I write.

Apparently, later '63 glove boxes were unpainted on the backside so I had to strip the paint that some PO had applied there...

[Joe M.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Looks good Frank!I had a friend who owned a body shop and said He had a 63 door I could have. He dropped it while getting it down fromthe attic. Looked like new.Oh well!Like the 'patina' of the original door, the cracks give it character, though I am tempted to put a new face one one of my other two doors. A tear will fall when I see that free broken faced door.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 glove box face

I am replacing the damaged face of my glove box with a new one. I fought the old face off of the original glove box door back (not fun).

What adhesive is best for attaching the new face to the old back ?

The stuff I scraped off looked/smelled/sanded like Bondo but I can't swear to it...I can't believe that's what the factory used...

Frank,

Help me out on this, did you purchase just a face plate for the glove box door. I would consider this for my early car because I still have the original door but the face is cracked.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Yes - I purchased just the face to adhere to my old back. A repro entire door is available for a few dollars more than just the face. It is incorrect as it has the wrong swivels for the drop rods. The correct swivels are satiny metal with a concentric ring in the head; the repros are black.

Sooo I chose to do what I've done. Trim Parts sells the face and if I'm not mistaken they may be Lexan (some repros definitely are), indistinguishable from plastic and nigh on indestructible.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Does the reproduction door face allow the lock to sit inside without the round bezel. The early doors sit the lock in flush like the 64-up door and do not use the round bezel.

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Does the reproduction door face allow the lock to sit inside without the round bezel. The early doors sit the lock in flush like the 64-up door and do not use the round bezel.

Tim, I asked Trim Parts that question a few years back and the answer was no, But for an additional $75.00 they will alter the door to fit the early lock.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 glove box face

I have a later car with the bezel so I can't say from experience. My gut reaction is to say yes, that the earlier lock will fit inside correctly since they don't make an early AND late door -- just one '63 door for the whole year. A phone call to your vendor of choice will confirm I would think.

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 glove box face

I have a later car with the bezel so I can't say from experience. My gut reaction is to say yes, that the earlier lock will fit inside correctly since they don't make an early AND late door -- just one '63 door for the whole year. A phone call to your vendor of choice will confirm I would think.

63's are funny animals, my April car has the early door.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Yup - "1963 Corvette; every VIN number unique in its own way"

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Looks nice Frank. Did you use paint stripper on that backside? It's fiberglass right? I forget. Chemical stripper could hurt it if the backside was plastic.

Too bad they didn't make those cup holder "depressions" a little deeper. Not really made for driving and certainly not for acceleration. Probably just for the Drive-Ins or Submarine Race refreshments, however a little far away from the rear storage area couch.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 glove box face

Yes, I used a medium strength chemical stripper from Ace Hardware to remove both the Bubba paint and soften the adhesive that adheres the face to the rear....worked fine. The glove box backing is fiberglass and it now shows the fiberglass unfinished "grain", etc.. as is correct for late '63 cars.

Learned a lot at Howie - found some cheap but correct NOS fender emblems to replace my too thick repros. Just working through the small easy stuff for now... Have to get my original mirrors fixed next. They had loose mounts on the pedestals and flopped around terribly....running repros now. Understand there is a gal that will be at Lakeland that restores these...