Fibergalss to steel

C

carolinacustoms

A customer with a 65 mustang wants a fiberglass Shelby style scoop molded into the steel hood (already tried to talk him into a repro fiberglass hood with no luck) The scoop is a bolt on style, so mounting is not the issue. What I am unsure about, is what product/products to use to mold the scoop into the hood without risking failure and cracking down the road. Anyone have any experience with this or suggestions on products that will work? Thanks

Kelly
 
You need to bond that scoop on for it to last-just bolting it on will allow too much movement with expansion and contraction even if you think it's solidly mounted. It needs to fit good in a relaxed state for the best chance of success. The metal hood needs to be prepped well with good texture and cleaned well with 2 good coats of epoxy before bonding the hood. I use a product from fusor designed for installing glass and plastic parts to epoxy primed metal parts. After the bond is cured well you can taper the flange, remove any excess adhesive and blend the transition with regular fiberglass techniques, mat and resin, fillers...but any bare metal needs to be coated with epoxy first for increased adhesion which also provides more flexibility that's needed to deal with the different rates of expansion between glass and metal. The scoops I've done this way don't fail.
 
On the 3M panel adhesive I used on my door skin project it said works for steel, aluminum, fiberglass, smc, etc etc. Would that work for bonding fiberglass to steal? In my mind if it adheres fiberglass pieces and steel pieces, it should work to bond them to each other as well.

I'm not tryin to jack the thread, just trying to add to it a little :)
 
Bob Hollinshead;31785 said:
You need to bond that scoop on for it to last-just bolting it on will allow too much movement with expansion and contraction even if you think it's solidly mounted. It needs to fit good in a relaxed state for the best chance of success. The metal hood needs to be prepped well with good texture and cleaned well with 2 good coats of epoxy before bonding the hood. I use a product from fusor designed for installing glass and plastic parts to epoxy primed metal parts. After the bond is cured well you can taper the flange, remove any excess adhesive and blend the transition with regular fiberglass techniques, mat and resin, fillers...but any bare metal needs to be coated with epoxy first for increased adhesion which also provides more flexibility that's needed to deal with the different rates of expansion between glass and metal. The scoops I've done this way don't fail.
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I think this might work and obviously has for Bob...never has for us on anything but a show car...what we do is finish the bottom of the scoop to fit exactly and with a "rounded edge" so that it can be bolted on....paint separately, then bolt on....
 
Don't know how I did the double post....sorry....Dave the compooter genuisse
 
flynams, you said Bob's method has never worked for you. What problems arose from when you attempted Bob's method?
 
flynams;31790 said:
Don't know how I did the double post....sorry....Dave the compooter genuisse
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I've noticed a lot of the recent replies after the site was hacked have double posts, something funny going on? I saw Barry double post, Crashtech, and right now my reply might become a double post as well.

- - - Updated - - -

flynams;31790 said:
Don't know how I did the double post....sorry....Dave the compooter genuisse
Click to expand...

I've noticed a lot of the recent replies after the site was hacked have double posts, something funny going on? I saw Barry double post, Crashtech, and right now my reply might become a double post as well.
 
mitch_04;31801 said:
flynams, you said Bob's method has never worked for you. What problems arose from when you attempted Bob's method?
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We would have cracks between the two materials...I think the hood is a bad place because of the uneven opening some people do and the slamming during the closing...however I have become unwilling to take chances anymore on almost anything where I have had problems in the past which is on almost anything cuz I have been at this game since the beginning of time.
You will also notice car manufacturers don't and never have done the procedure you want to do...just sayin'
 
I don't want to do it, I don't even have anything to do it on! I was just wondering what had happened in your experiences with this method. My curiosity with fiberglass to steel is so I will know and understand the correct procedure if I come across it in the future.
 
Well that's what I was afraid of......mixed thoughts on whether it could be done successfully or not. The customer is set on using the glass scoop on a steel hood, and he wants it blended in (molded in) to the hood. I have read for several days and I am still not sure what to do. I think the panel adhesive would be the best option, but I still have read where that fails and cracks at some point in the future also. I hate doing stuff like this. I am used to doing repairs and returning work that I don't have to worry about

What are you guys thoughts on this process, the hood is already in epoxy after being blasted, so block and recoat with fresh epoxy, feather the edges of the scoop to minimize the thickness of the filler needed to blend the scoop in, then use the panel adhesive to secured the scoop, after the adhesive has cured, use filler (or short strand fibergalss?) to blend the edges of the scoop into the hood. I know there is no really good way to do this, but I think that may be the best way I have came up with so far using the suggestions from this site and a few friends in the business. Any thoughts, suggestions, comments, or bad words for this process?

Thanks again for all the help so far

Kelly
 
I wouldn't use panel adhesive. The Lord Fusor website seems to be down right now otherwise I'd get you the part number. The stuff is white in color and made for this exact purpose but I can't remember the part number. I've never seen a failure.
 
Bob Hollinshead;31806 said:
I wouldn't use panel adhesive. The Lord Fusor website seems to be down right now otherwise I'd get you the part number. The stuff is white in color and made for this exact purpose but I can't remember the part number. I've never seen a failure.
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I agree with bob here if you're set on doing it in this manner...
 
Sorry for my lack of explanation, I was referring to the fuzor product you mentioned when I said panel adhesive. I really don't want to do it at all, but its what the customer wants done. He has something against fiberglass hoods. I will try to find the Fuzor product you are referring to, my local jobber carries Fuzor brand, so he should be able to point me in the right direction for the particular one you are talking about. Thanks again guys.

Kelly
 
Just wanted to update the thread now that I have the hood painted. I used the method recommended by Bob and I am very happy with the results. I sure hope it keeps looking this good. I got it sprayed yesterday and just need to get over it with a buffer to shine it up and little. Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys I really do appreciate it.




Kelly
 
Let us know if you have any issues with it in the future.. It does look pretty good though.. I think I would have attempted to make it out of steel and weld it in.
 
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