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Bonding headlight extensions to the fender


Cody 82 ZXT

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I want to fill the gap between the headlight extension and the fender on my 82 ZX. It bolts to the fender in 3 places and I assume I should also use a bonding agent as well as the bolts so the gap will not change and crack the filler used to smooth the transition.

 

I searched the forum and found about a page of info but, wasn't able to find a real answer. Seems like everyone had a different idea about the subject.

 

I thought I would bring the subject back up to see if any of the more experienced guys could tell me (us) more info about bonding fiberglass to steel.

 

Thanks

 

Cody

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I bolted and tack welded mine then filled, tried with out the tacka nd kept cracking!

 

 

Well I don't know about an S30 but and S130 has fiberglass buckets so you can't tack weld them.

 

I would think a flexible seem sealer would be a good choice but I'm not a body guy.

 

Guy

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The thought has crossed my mind to fill the seam but I've been so busy with the front end and spoiler that I completely forgot about it till you made this post.

 

I think I'm going to just leave them as is and try to get this thing painted soon! It's killing me to have it off the road! Basically at some point you just have to say enough is enough with all these small body mods, the front end was enough for me! LOL

 

Guy

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Guest TeamNissan

with glass to glass I would add bolts not use a bonding agent. A bonding agent thats flexable with still allow the bondo to crack and a stiff agent will prob crack itself and then the bondo.

 

 

After adding bolts I would fill the gap with that bumper filler/ repair bondo (I dont mean the glass one I mean the poly one) then a papper thin layer of bondo then sealer, primer, paint etc...

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I will add a dissenting opinion on glass-to-glass bonding. Many of my panels are multiple parts bonded together after they were individually formed. I roughed up the bonding surfaces (36-40 grit paper), and then sandwiched a layer of resin soaked mat (thick enough to ensure full contact) between these two surfaces. I've never had glass-to-glass parts crack or separate.

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:icon6: Just did this to my Z. Have metal fenders and fiberglass buckets. We first used 80 grit sandpaper to remove the paint and took it down to bare metal on the fenders. Only the paint on the buckets were removed. We then filled in the connection area with short kitty hair. Used two layers on it. After sanding it down with 80 grit, we filled it in with bondo (1 layer). We then sanded it down starting with the 80 grit and finished with 180 grit. We then primered it and wet sanded with 240 grit. We are now working on the back wheel openings. HOPE, to be able to paint it in the next school period (Spring):flamedevi .
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:icon6: Just did this to my Z. Have metal fenders and fiberglass buckets. We first used 80 grit sandpaper to remove the paint and took it down to bare metal on the fenders. Only the paint on the buckets were removed. We then filled in the connection area with short kitty hair. Used two layers on it. After sanding it down with 80 grit, we filled it in with bondo (1 layer). We then sanded it down starting with the 80 grit and finished with 180 grit. We then primered it and wet sanded with 240 grit. We are now working on the back wheel openings. HOPE, to be able to paint it in the next school period (Spring):flamedevi .

 

Sounds like what I was thinking. I may play with it tommarow and just see how the connection comes out.

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i have yet to do this but i know if u use the kitty hair it will hold really good. and should not break unless u get hit. and i think that would be the least of ur worries if u get hit... but ya what he listed sounds like a good idea. i do body work at my house when im not working at Chili's. lol but ya what he says should work pretty well.

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Im not worries about anything cracking really. Theres welds under everything then fiberglass to the airdam. so its pretty sturdy. Put it this way. if i push on the air damn the fender thats closest goes out a little til i let stop putting pressure on the airdamn. so Im pretty sure (if i dont hit anything) it wont crack. i hope.

 

IMG_0013-1.jpg

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Cody,

On a ZX I suggest you not to mold the headlight bucket to the fender. It will crack eventually. This is because you can't put much fiberglass to hold the 2 together. If you do there will be a lump there. I had a lot of success molding fiberglass to metal in the pass (on my yellow Z) using the same method as BlueOval. But I used a few layers of thick and soaked fiberglass mat to hold the parts together. I wouldn't do it in this case though.

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Aziza what happens when you need to take a fender off? Is your air dam metal?

 

 

the air dam is fiberglass. and im hoping i wont need to take the fender off. if i do ill probobly have to take everything off at once and the chances of it cracking then will be more likely.

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