WHat glue to bond front bumper?

Shirley1978

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
113
Location
California, San Jose
im Putting a 73-74 bumper on my car like adam did, and i want to glue it on and use the same method he did.

got my new bumper today!!! got sorda excited and cut my old bumper off. was a pain in the ass to get the honeycomb crap and the reinforcements out.. gotta cut that out still

anyways i went to the body supply store and asked for some smc compatable glue. they had some but the guy said i needed a special gun to apply it. the thing is that gun is 300bucks..:suicide:

anyway i went to kragen and i believe i found the same type of glue.. only smaller.. is this the right stuff to use?


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I assume they recommended 3M glue - that stuff does require a special dual cartridge gun that you can find for under $100....

OR... you use Evercoat SMC adhesive, $40 for the QT... comes in a can just like Bondo, does not require a special applicator gun.

Hit the mating surfaces of the bumper and the body with 60 or 80 grit, then insert the bolts, get them all ready with a 1/2" gap between body and bumper,,,, apply the adhesive and bolt it up ... grind the bumper and fender to "feather" the body filler with some fiberglass mat....

wait for Adam to reply to this with a few photos, he did a great job glueing the bumper AND documenting it.... :thumbs:
 
i read adam's stuff like a bible everynight ;)

im not sure whether to bold the bumper on or do the corvettefever way.

http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/...per/corvette_c3_front_bumper_replacement.html

the bumper i got does not have mounting holes for hardware, but i probobly will put some in even if i dont use hardware.

seems like the corvettefever way is an easier way of doing, only id be using clamps instead of hardware to hold the bumper on while the glue dries.

still have to make the v thing to fill the gap adam did...
 
Use your old bumper as a template for the holes. I do not like the idea of doing it without bolts. First, the bolts don't cost a lot... second, it'll be even stronger than just relying on the glue.... third, I would not want to clean this glue off my vice grips...LOL
 
You don't need the gun, push the back of each side of the tube with a scredriver. Pour it on to a piece of cardboard and stir it up.

Make sure to use SMC compatible stuff. :drink:
 
I like that two part Fusor stuff. I'm convinced you could glue a block to a centrifudge with that stuff.:lol:
 
I use West System Epoxy with their 403 filler. Better get it right the first time, otherwise break out the hammer and chisel...
 
^^ ya no shit.. i fixed my front left fender since i had accidently got my bumper cought on the curb one day when i parked too close.. i reversed and kinda broke it off its support.. i used that 2part fusion glue stuff.. worked great, fender is nice and stiff.

i lined up the bumper onto the car, FITS PERFECT!!!! i doubt ill need to grind anything else, only thing i had to trim was the bottom section that bolts up to the lower valance, but it was only about an inch on each side and its on the bottom edge under the car so you wont see it. i took a few pics but forgot my camera at home...:suicide: ill post em as soon as i get home tonight at around 10.

trimmed the honey comb crap to the apropriate size and brought the crash bar with me to work to trim that down since i dont have a grinder wheel at home and i dont want to buy one... kinda broke after all this spending, but its worth it! ive never worked on this car so much, and it feels GOOD!
 
Even if it fits perfectly right now, you still need to grind like 2-3" into each part and lay mat and resin across the seam, otherwise it will show. I know for a fact because mine show - hardly noticeable but once you know it's there it drives you nutz...
 
soo ive been hiding something under that bra of mine...
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:twitch:
long story short, i rear ended someone when i was 16, twas a bad day for me... then someone backed up into ME, with a tow hitch.. so its been thru alot..
playing doctor, removed the old nose...
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repaired some damage, got the bumper cought on a curb one day when i parked too close and it cracked the section where the bumper bolts to the car
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talk about a nice fit...:thumbs:
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saved the old section to fill the help make the one that will fill the gap
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this is the only thing i need to fix before i can start bonding... im sorda stumped on how to take it out..:confused2:
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OK, you last pix there , funny as that is the exact same spot and same side that happened to me 2.5 years ago, same way even, bent/broke the bumper in half, and bashed in that same spot good and nasty, surprised it didn't mess up the headlight door, you got lucky.....it mess my Eclker's sugar scoop tray but nasty.....

so to fix it, you need pull the 5 mounting bolts from the headlight assy, better remove the hood first....trick to that, get a stick about a yard long, prop up the hood, remove the support latch from the hood, let it flop, pack some blankets/towels around the front of the hood, and between the hood and fenders with a layer of blanket in there....then with the support stick holding the hood open remove the two bottom hinge bolts outta the hood, then the two top ones, as it flops down the blanket will secure it enough....then to get someone help you lift hood outta the way....I"m a fairly tall guy and can do that myself, but my wife can't, .....

get the healight assy outta the way, probably just let it set on the bottom there, then you have to get behind that header bar running behind the glass on that leading edge....I used a 2x4 propped up a bit, with a 6" C clamp to pull that bar and the plastic back straight, try to avoid hammering at all costs....you want to pull it back right in the center of the impact point, what you trying to do is do the opposite of what happened with the impact damage....general body shop theory....when the metal is the same on both sides, as judged by a straight edge, you can rebond/glue the plastic to it....

PIA, but need get that headlight assy outta there, Methinks....

if you take the front bezel off, maybe you can do it with the lights UP, but I doubt it....


:clobbered::gurney:
 
Looks good so far. Can you get to the underside of the damaged area when the bumper is off the car ??
I'd try to lay a 2x4 piece of wood across the top and use a C-lamp to force that section "up".... think that might work ??
 
what i did, temoporarily atleast, was put a few pieces of metal between the crash bar (that i modefied and put back on) to push that section up. i left my c clamps at my friends house so ill try that one 2morro.. i didnt want to do anything permanent because i glassed the missing section part of my bumper today and i want to make sure everthing fits under the bumper (honeycomb and crash bar) before i do anything permanent.

we'll c what 2morro brings..

-Jonny
 
what i did, temoporarily atleast, was put a few pieces of metal between the crash bar (that i modefied and put back on) to push that section up. i left my c clamps at my friends house so ill try that one 2morro.. i didnt want to do anything permanent because i glassed the missing section part of my bumper today and i want to make sure everthing fits under the bumper (honeycomb and crash bar) before i do anything permanent.

we'll c what 2morro brings..

-Jonny

Stick a spacer behind the ends of the 2x4 that way you can pull it in the opposite direction and let it spring back to normal.....:crutches:
 
That old section that you're using to fill in the gap isn't urethane is it?
 
adam,

it is urethane but im not using it on the car, just a guide :D... i havent had time to really test fit the fit of the bumper after i glassed the missing section on... looks kinda funky but i can always add/trim more as needed, i checked it last night really fast in the rain and it seemed like i needed to trim some off the sides.

im back at school now so work time is now limited to weekends and nice weather.. :rain:.. if i have enough time ill just go to my friends house on the other side of town and do it there..
 
some, i only had about 3 hrs to work on it, the gf was bitchin because i didnt take her out to eat right after work.... but anyways

i managed to drill the holes for the bumper, it didnt come with any predrilled holes. sanded down to the glass on the bonding part. also went about a good 3 inches in on the top side of the car.

i still need to sand the sides, havent touched those yet. but i have the glue already, 50 bucks but the guy from the autobody store has seen me there a few times so he gave me a bodyshop discount:yahoo:

im going to work on it thursday for a few hrs after i get back home from school, and hopefully some more on saturday. theres a good chance i might have the bumper glued on by this weekend. i test fitted it with the bolts and after a little trimming it fit pretty good.

ive been ancy to work on it but finding time to do it is difficult, its over at my friends house so i can stay out of the rain, which is ironic because the day i moved it there was the last day it rained and its nothin but clear skys for the next week... but eh.. this way i can work after sundown. ill post my progress thursday.

-Jonny
 
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