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View Full Version : Molding ABS with Fiberglass



BigBlockOlds
09-14-2004, 03:47 PM
I'm in the process of having the rust and misc. problems with my '87 fixed along with having it painted and am adding a few things in the process.

To tie in the front air dam and rear wrap around valance, I have purchased a set of used '99-'04 Mustang side rockers for it.
They have the exact shape and look I have been after (or at least as close to the original FE3X concept as I could find) but are just a bit too short from wheel well to wheel well.

If you have never seen them, they are a two piece design with a short end at the front that slips into the longer rear piece. But my Cutlass is about 5" longer in this area.

My thought was that I could splice the two pieces together using fiberglass and make them one longer piece.

But, the Mustang rockers are plastic and I wasn't sure how well the fiberglass would work with that material. I'm mainly concerned with cracking because of the dissimilar materials. Is there a way to do this and avoid the cracking if possible?
Thanks for the help!

F70t/a
09-17-2004, 07:23 AM
I used fiberglass resin on plactic bumper's (Abs). It's been like 3 years now and still no cracks.It worked fine and seems strong. I'm sure you can use better stuff though. I'm no expert :bananna2:

68protouring454
09-17-2004, 07:53 AM
hey, if you have a peice of abs you would splice in, i would use something from fusor
www.fusor.com
iwould use fusor 100 ez heat set for the structual part, then using there repair cloth i would make like a fiberglass repair and bridge the seam, going from small patch to big, in 2 or 3 peices, then use fusor 114 (like bondo for plastics, will not lift) and feather off repair, then your ready for primer, this should not ghost line or anything as it is same material.
goodluck, also look at the repair procedures on their site as it will give you an idea of what to do, also they have a awesome tech line, try it
1-800-234-fusor
jake

BigBlockOlds
09-18-2004, 10:23 AM
hey, if you have a peice of abs you would splice in, i would use something from fusor
www.fusor.com


Thanks for the link. That looks like a very good alternative to what I had planned.

My recent idea was to just make the small front piece of the rocker out of fiberglass using the original as a mold. Then I could add length to it and still have a slip fit in to the rear ABS section.

But, if I buy another set of these rockers and cut out a section of them in the center, I could splice that into the other set to make them longer using the Fusor products. Smooth them out and paint them.

Any idea who carries the Fusor brand stuff? I looked on their site and found a few places but none of them are really near me. Would a Napa or the like sell this stuff?
Thanks,

68protouring454
09-18-2004, 10:29 AM
my local auto body supply shop carries it and most are starting to carry it with the shut down of system 2000, many are going to fusor and SEM, fusor is i guess the favored in dealer body shops. i have used fusor alot molding body kits on import cars, etc, also gluing door skins and panels on also, there stuff is very good, i would try a local body shop store, i bet someone close has it, where you located??
jake

BigBlockOlds
09-27-2004, 05:18 PM
I'm in Ohio.

I stopped by a local CarQuest today on my lunch hour and they carried quite a bit of the Fusor line.

I bought the Fusor 114/TR9 Finishing adhesive. Going to try it out this weekend.
Cost was around $27 with tax.

Thanks for the help!