Floor repair

SmokinBBC

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Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
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Location
Oak Ridge, NC
The driver's side floor is cracked bout 8 inches and hanging down a little. Kinda looks like someone tried to put their foot through the floor and partially succeeded.

Anyway, I was planning on jacking up the floor behind where it is cracked so that it is not hanging down and then using an off the shelf fiberglass repair kit from AZ. to repair the crack. I'm going to have to remove the heat/splash shield to do this.

Will this work?
 
Is it seam (bonding) between the floor and the firewall?

No. It is seperated just behind the shield mount. It looks as though the shield mount is pulling it down. I'm pretty sure it will stay together if I remove the shield mount during the repair. I just don't know what to use to make the repair.

IMG_0880.jpg
 
Remove the heat shield and grind the area with 60grit to remove all the paint and that stuff that looks like undercoating.... then move to the interior and do the same: get the area clean and rough so that the adhesive sticks.

In addition to the 60 grit I'd drill holes around the crack so that the adhesive/putty whatever you use can bond to itself when you apply it from both sides.

I'd use Evercoat Vette Panel adhesive or Evercoat SMC adhesive, both products are compatible with fiberglass. Then add a layer or two fiberglass mat on the inside. This SMC adhesive can be used with fiberglass mat, done that... Grind the outside smooth so the repair is not noticeable....
 
Agree with that :yahoo:

Here are some more detailed instructions I posted elsewhere. You can pick and choose.

First, just clean the underside of the fender with gasoline, kerosine, lacquer thinner, or acetone to get the undercoating and road grime off. Finish by spraying with starter fluid, throttle body cleaner, or any spray that does not leave residue. Do an area much bigger than your anticipated repair and let the fluids drip into a large cookie sheet or similar. Take the appropriate steps when using these flammable solvents.

Next, grind the front side bondo and cracks completely out to a feather to remove all the bondo and go thru all the cracks. On the cracks you can leave up to 1/8" gap when you grind thru. Use 20, 30 or 40 grit. The more rough the disc the better.
Wipe back side with acetone or laquer thinner or alcohol.
Then get some aluminum duct tape as used for a/c ductwork. The good real stuff is much thicker than the Homey Depot junk.
Using a bondo squeege apply it to the underside of the fender under the repair making sure it is tight. This tape is heavy and sticky enough to form a mold for you. Layer it up on the underside if you want it stiffer and/or thicker.
The using whatever speed epoxy is appropriate for your temperature and epoxy compatable mat, do the outside of the fender first probably in at least 2 layers, not stopping between layers. Important to not let the layers cure or harden.

After the outside has hardened, remove all the a/c tape on the underside.
Then using a small right angled air grinder with the same 20 grit discs, grind the underside of the fender to an area about 1" past the new glass that you put in the front. Light should show thru the new stuff easily to guide you. Then put 1 or 2 layers on the underside, same stuff. Have all your matt cut roughly to size before you mix resin.

After all has cured, you can carefully grind or sand to shape staring with 100 grit to the outside contours and also to shape the underside. Use the color of the original fender to guide how much you sand. Don't sand too deep. Ideally, you want to use NO filler when done, so be carefull with your grinding/sanding. Go up to 320 to prep for primer.

Whether this is SMC (which it is) or not, is a moot point. Epoxy resin is the best to use on any type of glass and has over 10x the adhesion properties of the other kinds of resins. Epoxy is the best to use on ANY composite.
From your pics, it looks like they used bondo instead of glass for strength.

The key to making this a simple job is to use the A/C tape as a mold.

On the bright side, if you screw up, just start over again and grind out your screwups. Glass is very forgiving.

I don't have them handy, but I can post some pics of the tape used as a form etc tomorrow evening.


Similar repair on a battery box

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Bottom side ready for glass at a later date, didn't have time

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Tools

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Here is a link to the whole thread, really a pretty funny read.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/pai...-someone-help-me-with-a-little-body-work.html
 
Interesting thread..poor guy was going in all directions..wonder if he ever finished it.

I like that foil technique. The worst part of this job is going to be cleaning all the crap off the underside. The interior is being replaced, so the carpeting is coming up anyway.
 
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