Torchies new project
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Hey Torchie,
Glad you are at it again too. I have used the panel epoxy too and it works great! Although it was a few years ago, it cost about $30 for a tube. The Supplier here loaned me the gun since it was a one time deal. I had to repair some bad work on the rear roof corner of a chopped ’39 Chevy for a customer. The car was finished and the owner wouldn’t allow the headliner to be dropped to weld in the repair. The corner had caved in from welding heat durning the chop. The guy that did the work (a “pro”) filled it with over an inch of body filler! Of course it began cracking. Along with a lot of areas on this poor car. I also had to recreate the bottom 1/4 across the deck lid that had been previously formed with filler, lol.
I formed a Steel “dome” to cover the indented area. About a foot in diamater. I wasn’t really aware of the panel adheasives available. I found this stuff and used it with great results. It does need to be clamped somehow to cure properly and give enough strength. I couldn’t clamp it in the conventional manner and ended up using pop rivets and sheet metal screws, grinding the heads off when cured. It worked just fine.
Anyway, Like Mark, I was also thinking this method could be used on your headlight rings. I may have some of the tube left if you need it.
Mitch
Most of the building polyurethane adhesives at the hardware store are very good. I pay about $12 a tube.  White, black grey… doesn’t matter. I use it all the time making signs and skylights. Don’t confuse with silicone. Same tube ,same silicone gun to apply. But polyurethanes are paintable. I also use it as seam sealer. Just wear gloves as it gets all over your hands and you wear it for several days.
Id just put a thick bead on the ring on the inside and then screw it in place. Try to not get to much on the body side of the panel but make sure you put enough on to seal the inside from moisture. I’d probably put a couple of etch primer coats on the guard on the nose prior to doing it to give added protection to the sheet metal. You can do a second seal on the inside to stop moisture getting in behind once the headlight ring is screwed up and it squishes out.
Thats how they make the new composite body truck and bus bodies these days.
Glad to see winter is breaking and progress resuming on the car Torchie!! Sadly, I am no help on the pot metal headlight rings, but I may be able to help you out with a steel set of Chevy rings. Send me a message with your mailing address and I’ll see what I can come up with.
Thanks Dave.
The steel ones I was refering to are new ones that are made by a guy out in California. Nice looking product but I think that since they are for a Chevy the depth is way too deep. So trimming would be in order. The Dodge rings are really shallow.
I think that the original Chevy rings of this era are Stainless steel. But I can’t find a legit answer about that either. lol So no welding on those for me either.
I Really want to use the stock rings as I love the Bullet shape of them.
Check out my pics in the next post.
Torchie
Hey Torchie, Glad you are at it again too. I have used the panel epoxy too and it works great! Although it was a few years ago, it cost about $30 for a tube. The Supplier here loaned me the gun since it was a one time deal. I had to repair some bad work on the rear roof corner of a chopped ’39 Chevy for a customer. The car was finished and the owner wouldn’t allow the headliner to be dropped to weld in the repair. The corner had caved in from welding heat durning the chop. The guy that did the work (a “pro”) filled it with over an inch of body filler! Of course it began cracking. Along with a lot of areas on this poor car. I also had to recreate the bottom 1/4 across the deck lid that had been previously formed with filler, lol. I formed a Steel “dome” to cover the indented area. About a foot in diamater. I wasn’t really aware of the panel adheasives available. I found this stuff and used it with great results. It does need to be clamped somehow to cure properly and give enough strength. I couldn’t clamp it in the conventional manner and ended up using pop rivets and sheet metal screws, grinding the heads off when cured. It worked just fine. Anyway, Like Mark, I was also thinking this method could be used on your headlight rings. I may have some of the tube left if you need it. Mitch
Thanks Mitch.
That was quite the creative save on your part.
I’m waiting to hear from one of my suppliers as to wether or not the can hook me up for a one time deal.
Torchie
Most of the building polyurethane adhesives at the hardware store are very good. I pay about $12 a tube. White, black grey… doesn’t matter. I use it all the time making signs and skylights. Don’t confuse with silicone. Same tube ,same silicone gun to apply. But polyurethanes are paintable. I also use it as seam sealer. Just wear gloves as it gets all over your hands and you wear it for several days. Id just put a thick bead on the ring on the inside and then screw it in place. Try to not get to much on the body side of the panel but make sure you put enough on to seal the inside from moisture. I’d probably put a couple of etch primer coats on the guard on the nose prior to doing it to give added protection to the sheet metal. You can do a second seal on the inside to stop moisture getting in behind once the headlight ring is screwed up and it squishes out. Thats how they make the new composite body truck and bus bodies these days.
Thanks Q.
I was there today checking out my options.
The biggest complaints that I have read about are..
1 The chances of cracking in the future.
2. The claims of being able to see a “shadow ” line. Which I don’t believe will be a problem as there will be some filler over the entire eyebrow area.
I had planned of a good scuff on the edge of the ring as well as self etching primer on the nose area prior to bonding.
Torchie
I’m doing the real method of Frenching on these head lights so they will have to be accessed from inside the fender.
As we all know on most other makes there are clips that take a screw and hold in the head light buckets. So you reverse the clip and put the screws in from the back to hold the bucket in place.
Mopar had a better idea.
No clips. Just some really short screws. So I had to weld in some studs to hold the bucket in place.
A tip I picked up a long time ago is to use use a Barrel or connector nut instead of the standard thickness nut.
Much easier to feel and handle when you are working upside down and backwards or trying to blind screw something.
I took the buckets off and on twice with no problems.
I had to enlarge the holes slightly as well as trim a little metal of the head light opening near the top.
Spacers in place for even gaps.
Looks good to me. See what I said about how shallow the trim rings are. But I think the shape is perfect.
Thanks for all the comments Gang.
Torchie
Torchie,
I have also used West System Six 10 for metal to metal adhesion quite successfully. I initially bought this for some rigging on my sailboats. Fiberglas to wood and/ or fiberglas to ‘glas bonding. High load situations. I comes with a mixing nozzle so no need for anything fancy to use it. You can also buy extra nozzles and the tubes themselves have a tip that seals so you won’t lose what is left unused in the tube. Regular good caulking gun is all that’s needed. It’s very impressive stuff. I would need to read up on it but I’m pretty sure it will take paint.
Thanks Mitch.
I’ve looked at West systems epoxies as I have used them in wooden boat restorations including the one I’m working on now.
I found someone that has a panel adhesive gun but not sure I want to be indebted to said person. LOL
I’m actually leaning towards short strand fiberglass reinforced filler. Good cure time and I know it’s strong.I put a slicky of this over all my welds to fill what ever pinholes there are as well to strength the areas. Also no issue with compatibility with standard filler or paint. My local supplier says that it would work as well.(He’s a personal friend so I’m more inclined to trust his word.LOL)
Anyway…..
Today was a weld and grind day.
Even managed to fix up that Buggered up old repair job..
Torchie
Lookin good Torchie. And it seems you got the headlight rings figured out. That’s an option I hadn’t considered, but agree with you. And it’s easy.
Mitch
Bonded the ring and started on the body work.
I really happy with the look. This is why I was intent on using the stock Ring.
Pics tell the story.
Torchie
Wish I had seen this earlier Torchie. Evercoat makes 2k adhesives that work in a regular caulking gun.
http://www.evercoat.com/adhesives/us/
Headlights are looking good!
Wish I had seen this earlier Torchie. Evercoat makes 2k adhesives that work in a regular caulking gun. http://www.evercoat.com/adhesives/us/ Headlights are looking good!
Thanks Ian. No worries. Those rings aren’t coming off.
I’ll book mark that link for future reference.
Covered in 2 part epoxy and the inner under coated as well.
I’ll do the final body work once the car is al put back together. AS it is sectioned I suspect there will be the need for some tweaking.
On to the other front fender.
Torchie
Wish I had seen this earlier Torchie. Evercoat makes 2k adhesives that work in a regular caulking gun. http://www.evercoat.com/adhesives/us/ Headlights are looking good!
Thanks and No worries Ian. I’ll bookmark that link for future reference.
Yes, headlights are looking good! Dave
Thanks Dave. I really like the flow.
Torchie
On to the PS front fender.
In the first picture. Near the head light hole you can see the really poor top half to bottom half of the fender fitment. Looks like it came this way from the factory. The front fender trim spear covered up the factory seams. LOL.
Yep. They don’t build them like they used to.
Torchie
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