The bottom of both of the fenders on my front clip have broken off. Before fiberglass, I was thinking of riveting a thin aluminum sheet inside to reinforce. The break was most likely caused by bending the fenders over the pins. Best way to repair?
^^^ You need to ensure that when glassing together that you maintain the correct profile so that when closed it follows contour of body and door.. I would repair first and later sand the inside repair down and both sides of the aluminium sheet before bonding together with resin. Then lay a couple of sheets of matting on outside (x 3) sandwiching it in for added strength and spreading the load. Vibration will always be there so you'd need to adjust with a firm shoulder for stability on inside and maybe some dense foam for the front to rest against so that when pressed up hard the securing pin can be inserted to hold in place. I'd also use hood pin plates on the outside. Drill the hole later to correspond with locating pin. I'd use a beefier locating pin with a larger diameter for strength.
Many drag cars with flip fronts had a parting line in that general area with that part of the fender affixed to the lower cowl area . Probably won't find only these sections in fiberglass but I think those are being made in steel as patch sections. Should not weigh enough to make a difference.
I'd make a profile gauge from heavy cardboard sheet, enough for cowl extending all way to where fender tucks under body. Tuck sheet up flush against 'A' pillar and mark, cut notches out for upper and lower door hinges and lower cowl. Lay it up against pillar with straight edge in tight and up against door edge. Now scribe a line all the way from top to bottom. I'd also mark an upper and lower horizontal witness marks on doors and template so when putting back again it is easy to line up. I'd put the front on and line up so gaps are correct across cowl and to leading edge of doors. Extend the previous witness marks onto your glass front so your template will now line up when doing repairs.. There, it's done. Now cut the cardboard on the line and use this to retain OEM profile when you glass the bottom back on so the front is pretty close to what it should be. Sand up to 3" either side of join on both sides for better adhesion. Once set fibreglass doesn't have the give of steel so it's best to spend some time in preparation now rather than try to rectify things later when set. Put the front back on car and adjust, this is where witness marks will come in handy. Wear a mask, closed footwear and eye protection when sanding and long sleeves as the fibres aren't healthy when ingested on under clothes. Steady steady wins the race. Resin and hardener is 2 part mix and will go off so use sufficient hardener but not too much where it goes off before you have a chance to use it. Only do one side at a time so you don't waste consumables. Get yourself a new paintbrush, small ice cream bucket, rubber gloves, acetone for cleanup, fibreglass matting and a roller to squeegee all the air bubbles out of the matting. You might need to think of something to hold things in place until it goes off. Thin aluminum backing sheets each side might be OK if bent to shape beforehand as they will hold things in the right contour. Double check with that profile gauge you made. PS Forgot about using core mat for added strength in lieu of that aluminium sheeting. A friend uses it when he lays up bodies, hand laid are better than chopper gun, more consistent thickness throughout and a bit more time consuming. Is that the gelcoat or paint, as stated it may be deteriorating due to exposure to the elements?
I kind of wonder about the "age" of the fiberglass, and the exposure it's been subjected to? Light and the elements break the fiberglass down, making it brittle, and harder to repair; you repair one spot to have it crop up in another with flexing. Bracing will go a long ways to help, but only after you've repaired the damage. It also depends on how it was made; was a chop gun used as opposed to layering? It looks like a chop gun was used. Layering will be stronger, and usually lighter weight. A friend has a 56 front end made with a chop gun, and it's been outside since he came into it used. In just a little over a year, it's taken a beating just being out in the elements. I've told him to at least get it covered to protect it from light, because it does't have a finish on it. It's deteriorating quickly. Some 40 years ago, I bought a new glass nose for my 56 Pro Bracket Car; it was made with layering, and arrived in a big box not as tall as the nose was. So, the trailing ends of the fenders had been rolled under to fit into the box, and took that set. When the fenders were pulled out, the hood would bow in. It went back, and I got a refund. I then bought a used front end that had been made with a chop gun. It was heavier in construction, but still needed to be braced. After bracing it up, I sold it for twice what I bought it for, and made a tilt steel front end (I regret doing that to this day).So, the only real advice I have, is to brace it up after repairs are made to keep it from flexing and causing more damage, and get some kind of paint on it to protect it from light. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Hit the wall with my Gasser once and smashed the flip front end into 5 pieces. Worked with a big truck shop to put it back together. Patience and lots layers saved the front end. They fix fiberglass tilt front ends all the time on semi's. Here's a picture of the car after being fixed.
Attached the missing pieces. Disregarded great advice from mgtstumpy (" It will be close enough") and will now have to work to get the driver side contour anywhere close. Have not added aluminum yet. A picture as nice as the gasser above is only in my dreams. Teardrop Scoop is next
The Jalopy Journal
