Fastening the headlamp holder to the 65 front fender

[tomb22]

Do you think epoxying the pot metal headlamp holder to the front fender would work. Then I could eliminate the seam

[Lou's Comet]

Do you think epoxying the pot metal headlamp holder to the front fender would work. Then I could eliminate the seam

Read this last week and was going to comment on it, a couple times, but, my opinion changed back and forth, yea it should work,,nah prob crack etc.

Ok if your talking 3M adhesive 08115 to epoxy it I do think it will work. Probably. The 3M adhesive is for where you have a lap joint. But I do think it will work with the fender extensions since they are also bolted on.

The way I would do it is. Fit the ext's on fenders as good as you can get them and bolt tight. Grind the outside of the pot metal ext's and front fenders with 24-36 grit a good 3-4 inches back from seam on front fender, and the whole side of the ext.

Next take a marker and make a few lines across the fender/ext seam to realign parts when reassembling. Take apart and grind the inner edges of both pieces same grit, about a inch, coat that inch with the adhesive on both pieces. Run a nice bead on the feder where the ext is going to hit. Then align the marker lines and bolt back on. I would use lock washers and loctite on the mounting bolts/nuts just to be sure they stay tight.

After bolting ext on take a body spreader to smooth the seam between the two, if needed to make smooth/flat I would use more adhesive get a wider bond. After dried block it out with 80 grit then epoxy, then surfacer.

Couple random thoughts.

Ext's are kind of heavy, if you could drill some holes to lighten it that wouldn't show or hurt integrity of part may help.

If you could get a tin brush or something behind the extension to spread the adhesive across the inside seam may help with a little wider bond.

If you could weld some type of cheater strips to the front fenders to give more/better bonding areas between the two

If the car is going to have big hp, driven hard, drag car, then it may be more iffie and may evidently crack. But do think it would work for a street car with some hp.

Lou

[tomb22]

Ok if your talking 3M adhesive 08115 to epoxy it I do think it will work. Probably. The 3M adhesive is for where you have a lap joint. But I do think it will work with the fender extensions since they are also bolted on.

Thanks for getting back to me Lou. You have some awesome suggestions. Wished I would have waited now, but I already did it. I did use the 3M adhesive 08115 epoxy and I put a thick coat on it, to get the epoxy up inside the extension. Also the extensions fit terrible so there is overlap of epoxy on both the fender and the extension. I thought of the cheater strips but decided not to I will put loctite on the nuts and try to get a tin brush or something behind the extension to spread the adhesive across the inside seam to help with a little wider bond. I can still grind the outside of the pot metal extensions on top and front fenders with 24-36 grit a good 3-4 inches back from the seam. I'm building this car to be a cruiser with soft suspension, but I want it to handle nice. No drag car. So hopefully it will last. I'll get some pictures of your suggestions.
Thanks again Lou

[Lou's Comet]

Know what you mean about the the extensions fitting terrible ! Took some work on mine to get it right. Still think you will be ok. After finishing the 08115 I would wait a week or so, sand it and spray 2 coats of epoxy over it, then spray the primer/surfacer. I have seen the 08115 produce a shadow thru primer/surfacer before. Epoxy primer seals it and you can move on with no worries.

Lou

[tomb22]

Know what you mean about the the extensions fitting terrible ! Took some work on mine to get it right. Still think you will be ok. After finishing the 08115 I would wait a week or so, sand it and spray 2 coats of epoxy over it, then spray the primer/surfacer. I have seen the 08115 produce a shadow thru primer/surfacer before. Epoxy primer seals it and you can move on with no worries.

Lou

Thanks for the advise Lou I'll stick to your suggestions.

[Loner]

Do you think epoxying the pot metal headlamp holder to the front fender would work. Then I could eliminate the seam

I have silver soldered the seams up before. 57 t-bird. Then I find out afterwards the 57 Fairlane are the same but steel not pot metal. Or so I was told. Wonder if Pops knows.

Matt