Jerry Feather

Tony posted something on this thread about a 3M product, but when I went to the store to check on it it seemed to require a gun the was $300 from 3M or even a generic version that was $99. Although I am confident that I might have been able to figure out a way to get the material out of the two-cylinder cartridge and onto a pallet to mix, the store showed me an SEM product that was simply based on two squeeze tubes that I bought and used.

What I found with the SEM product was that it did not adhere very well to ABS plastic which I was using for the patch material; but where I used it and then simply pulled the ABS material off in the back, what was left was virtually as strong as the base material of the bumper cover. The butt joints that were left seem simply as strong as if there had been no joint to start with.

Plastic is really amazing to work with.

Jerry Feather

BC

Yes, that gun is the normal way Jerry. Do you remember my post about the fact that you don't need the crazy gun and you can just mush it together on a pallet? It almost seems to form together with the original substrate. It worked great, and for custom work like yours I think it would even be better.

Jerry Feather

No, Sterling, I haven't. It seems to me that each of us who might want something like this already has what a freshly molded piece might offer. With a molded insert piece of some sort someone would have to cut out what is there and then fabricate in the replacement piece. That is not too much less complicated that cutting out what you already have and moving it inward on each side in essentially the same manner. There is alittle more cutting and moving with the original pieces, but not enough to make the difference with a whole new insert.

Then there is the problem about what to make the new insert out of. Fiberglass would be obvious, then there is the problem of flexibility. I suppose I could even form a new isert out of ABS like some of the other stuff I make, but, again that effort does not seem to me to be worth the effort since we all have what we need to start with.

There are more cuts in what I have done in this thread because I didn't think the project through well enough to start with, so this project can be accomplished with a little less effort than you have all seen here. Not much, but a little.

I don't think there is going to be a kit for this modification from ReDesign by Feather anywhere in the future.

Jerry Feather

Jerry Feather

I linked this thread to Van's question about deleting his bumperettes, but I haven't considered the differences between the early and late rear bumper covers. I suspect this basic approach can be used with either style.

I'm bumping this thread now because if this cover has not deteriorated too much over time and not having been put on one of my cars, I plan to use it with the Radical Custom 928. I'm going to start the section with it shortly because I think I am going to need the top half of it to bolt to the car to help align the rear of the hatch which is going to be the next phase of the top chop.