• Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.

C4 Body work

Jake_Dragon

Jake_Dragon

That Guy
Well I tweaked my front end just now. Spun out and went off the road. Thats the only thing I hate about having an after market fiberglass front end. I think I can fix it but its going to take a lot of work.

Its going to have to come off and the bottom lip is destroyed and will have to be recreated in one spot.
Well I wanted to customize it so I guess this is my chance.
 
I came over a small hill and it had a small curve to the right. It shifted into second and started spinning the ties. I let off the gas but it was too late. With the wight transfer coming over the hill and spinning the tires there wasnt much I could do but try to point it back where I wanted to be and I almost recovered, it was pointed in the other direction and if I wouldn't have ran out of pavement it would have stopped. But it hit the grass and spun back the other way, I drove it down the hill and was all clear but then it hit a dip in the ground and I heard it crunch. The car had stalled so I put it in neutral and started the car back up and drove it home.
When I got home it made me a little sick but it was my own fault. I guess its time to make my drawing come true.
Think I can make this
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Out of this
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The bottom half took most of the damage, the top half and the sides are very salvageable. I just have to do something with the bottom half and make it look like my concept.

This time the road took its pound of glass, but it could have been much worse.
 
Glad you're ok and the cars still relatively at least, in one piece:thumbsup:

That other front wouold look sweet on there:yesnod:
 
Well I pulled the bumper off, there is a lot of damage.

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The bottom half of the front of the bumper will have to be recreated. I think it will be easier to just cut out the bad part and recreate the front part.
I will have to pick up some building material and build a new vent
 
Ok I have to pretty much rebuild the bottom half of this bumper. I plan on getting some pink foam and after I fix the bottom and cut out the damage in the front. I will fill in the missing bumper and create my new vent.
Once I have everything I will glass it in and then remove the foam from the back side and lay up some more glass to give it strength.

The vent will be about 4 inches wider than I planned but the bigger the vent the less glass I have to lay up. Plus I want as much air flow as I can get.

I have several different thicknesses of cloth and should be able to lay up something light and then thicken it up on the back side.

Still in the planning phase. But my wife will be out of the house Wednesday until Sunday so I will need something to do :)
 
I was out of town and didn't get anything done.
I have to pull an engine out of another car this weekend before I can start working on the Vette again.

So stand by, more to come.
 
Well I like to think things over. :) I will post pictures.

Haven't worked with fiberglass in a long time but I did a lot of boat repair in the Navy. I love making things and this doesn't have to be perfect as its my fun car.
 
I have been working on my bumper. I have the back mostly all reinforced.
Still have to decide how I want to rework the two vents on each side of the plate holder.

Once I have everything roughed in I can start the actual body work. The car is DD not a show car so I don't have to make it perfect, it was far from that before I got hold of it :)

The finished side of the bumper seems to have a pretty thick gel coat, that explains why it cracked so badly in spots. I have glassed mat on the back side and glassed in some 3/6 glass panels where it was cracked the worse to pull it back in shape. I is really solid now and all I have left is to make it look better.

Going to use bondo to finish the job after all of the cracks are fixed and backed up with mat reinforcement.
 
navy2kcoupe said:
Looks a lot better than it did after the mishap :thumbsup: !
Andy :wavey:
Click to expand...

Thanks Andy
Car repair is a lot different than boat repair but its coming along. A little more mud and I should be able to shoot it.
Thinking about buying a cheap gun and painting it in the back yard.
 
It looks like this has become quite a project. Can't say I would have the patience, much less the skill, to tackle something like this myself.

Good luck!
 
Thanks Rich.

I have priced used front bumpers several times :) lucky for me I have another car to drive that also puts a smile on my face.
If I had to do this in one weekend I would have scrapped the bumper already.

Its been a learning experience. I am glad I didn't give up on the bumper as it has given me the confidence to do other work that needs done.
Now I need to pull the rear clip :D
 
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I'm done for the season. I want to drive the car.
Next year I will take the bumper back off and see how it holds up to the temperature changes this winter then sand it down to raw glass and jell coat it.

What it looked like last fall

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