I did a search and found no results. I have been seeing advertizments for products that allow body panell,s to be replaced by glueing them together. Is this a viable alternative to welding? What are your thoughts? Ive seen things like door hinges that are glued on newer vehicles.
I've used automotive body panel adhesive on later model stuff but I stick to the traditional nut's ,bolt's and welding on the old cars. HRP
Glueing rivals welding on full panels Usually not good for splices unless the seam is at a crease or body line. If thinking about glueing a seam thru a low crown panel such as a door bottom, it will ghost thru. Glue on a whole door skin and it will be fine
The technology has been around for quite a while. Have a brother that was gluing panels on late models years ago...like 15 years or more ago. I think it would be great for panels. Tim
I did use the panel adhesive for a repairs (lower cowl/lower door) on a my model A. The repair was a patch on the lower section. The stuff is strong you'd tear the sheet metal before it will let go. HOWEVER I installed lake pipes that extend along side the lower cowl when I got the pipes good and hot you could "read" the repair through the paint. The paint went back after it cooled with no noticeable marks, but it had me poop'n. I ended up making some cool heat shields to take care of the heat. Otherwise everything looks great, it's been about 8 months since I painted it. BTW, I used the set-up that Eastwood sells except I bought the adhesive at my local PPG Painter's supply. IIRC it was Lord brand.
Guys this topic has been best to death here...no to glueing on patch panels...adhesive expands and contracts at different rates than the metal...when you do this things look and seem ok until a nice hot sunny day and suddenly.....oh look there's that patch you glued on...unless you are putting on a full quarter panel, a door skin, or a roof skin...WELD IT!
Hind sight is 20/20 looking back I think I would have welded the panels, I'm just saying. Sometime things seem like a good idea. The plus side is nothing warped.
Any glued joint requires an overlap of the sheet metal to have an area for the adhesive to do it's job. Now sit the car in the sun at a few shows, well it takes longer for two thicknesses of metal to expand than it does one thickness. These differing expansion rates will result in a ghost line showing up right where your seam is, through paint and all. Is it an option? Sure. Be choosy about where and when it is used. The technology has been around a while and even today's car manufacturers use it. But they don't put a seam down through the middle of a quarter or door panel as they know it will not remain an invisible repair. They are very selective about where it is used, and it typically has a channel for flowable seam sealer or a piece of trim to cover the joint. Put your seams out in the open and it's as good as guaranteed it will show up through the paint.
a friend glued in some floor pans on his 55 Chevy. not something I would but it seemed to work. I wouldn't do anything that would be seen.
It is great technology, but your parts have to be designed for it, (hidden seams) the catch is, not much traditional stuff was designed for it. As others have said, if the seam is where you can see it, you will!
Not a big fan. Gotta think this would haunt you or someone else later that had to do repairs down the road. All that bedliner product people use for insulating as well. These products were developed for vehicles intended to be disposed of at 10 years or so.
Old Wolf I have seen lots of stuff glued on late model cars. I think that one thing to take into consideration between the later model stuff and the cars that we normally play with it weight. Our body panels are heavier that the later model stuff. maybe it will hold just fine but it is something to think about.
We ran out of weld wire on quarter #2 on a 69 Chevelle one nite---fired up the Flexor. Applied the adhesive and stuck it together with clico pins and --VOILA-- worked just fine. I have no idea if this product is even made anymore---this info is about 15 years old. If anything, it likely is improved upon. I wouldn't hesitate.
I don't think It would come apart no matter how heavy. Semi trucks are made from glued & riveted overlapped aluminum sections. you remove the rivets and you cant get the glued seams to let go. Ive even heated them and that glue still held. I had to grind off the part I wanted to replace. Ive got several Pk cabs that the rockers are rusted. the rocker pieces overlap and are held by spot welds and don't have a finished seam. the step plate will cover most of it. welding them would show more that glue. So the glue there should be Ok. However the cab corners would not? I suppose glue will work where there is a trim that would cover the seam. Like the lower quarters on my 64 fairlane. Im wanting to get away from welding & grinding and the warpage ect. any road most of my stuff gets a rattle can primer( over sealer) paint job so I think Ill give the glue a try.
Im thinking instead of a flanged lap joint. Using a one inch piece of band iron applying that to the backside . and fitting the parts exactly the same as if you where wire welding. That should help with different rates of expanding metal at the joint?
Glue, pop rivets, sheet metal screws, welding, there's many ways of getting the job done. Some better than others, some leaning toward being hack work. Short of having an NOS panel to install it the same way the factory did, any method will have it's downside. MIG welding leaves you with having to planish and grind the welds. TIG or gas welding is about the best method going. Pop rivets will work till they loosen up. Glue will work until it shows through the paint. Whether a flanged seam or a band stuck to the backside, two thicknesses are two thicknesses. Bottom line, you have to do what is within your skillset or comfort level, or if need be, find someone with the skills to do the repair for you. The results will be driven by the method used and how well that method was done.
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