AmericanSavage Posted July 30, 2023 Author Share Posted July 30, 2023 Looking good! But is that polyester or epoxy resin? What sticks the best on this stuff? You've probably said but I've forgotten. Bubba looks content. But as I was scrolling down your post and saw what looked like a dog under plastic right below the corner hutch and I was worried! However, a little more scrolling and there was Bubba, chillin'. I use epoxy resin for many reasons. The biggest is that it is used on surfboards. It is UV resistant, and repels water. Polyester does NOT do either. The Epoxy also is harder. So far expect for one spot there is slightly pulled away, it has done well by me in any environment—plastic, foam, metal. Dash out. Cracks opened for short hair bondo and then polyvance covering, and a grille fabbed from ABS. Dash grille cross you see here prepped for resin with a fiberglass wrap. Two were cracked. Tabs fabricated—this time no resin—all plastic welding. Made sure it fit, now it goes to paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted July 30, 2023 Author Share Posted July 30, 2023 Dash out. Cracks opened for short hair bondo and then polyvance covering, and a grille fabbed from ABS. Dash grille cross you see here prepped for resin with a fiberglass wrap. Two were cracked. Tabs fabricated—this time no resin—all plastic welding. Made sure it fit, now it goes to paint. It’s not perfect, but this is at least a temporary fix for the grille issue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBrother-84 Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 It’s not perfect, but this is at least a temporary fix for the grille issue Looks good! Can’t wait to see the final result! Before I swapped for a repro dash, I had installed an oval speaker grill on Big Bro’s one… Not too bad, but wasn’t looking as the original. But looking much better than a big black hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted July 31, 2023 Author Share Posted July 31, 2023 It’s not perfect, but this is at least a temporary fix for the grille issue Looks good! Can’t wait to see the final result! Before I swapped for a repro dash, I had installed an oval speaker grill on Big Bro’s one… Not too bad, but wasn’t looking as the original. But looking much better than a big black hole. Honestly I think that looks really nice! I tried to find an oval grille too—but every one had a bow in the middle, and I needed something flat. I went with ABS plastic, and drilled the holes using a template from the 3d of Reamer…and if you look close..yuck…a few are off. Lots of sanding today…hope to have something presentable later in the week for a pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted July 31, 2023 Author Share Posted July 31, 2023 It’s not perfect, but this is at least a temporary fix for the grille issue Looks good! Can’t wait to see the final result! Before I swapped for a repro dash, I had installed an oval speaker grill on Big Bro’s one… Not too bad, but wasn’t looking as the original. But looking much better than a big black hole. Honestly I think that looks really nice! I tried to find an oval grille too—but every one had a bow in the middle, and I needed something flat. I went with ABS plastic, and drilled the holes using a template from the 3d of Reamer…and if you look close..yuck…a few are off. Lots of sanding today…hope to have something presentable later in the week for a pic. Sand Sand Sand….reapply more bondo…wait. In the meantime, got one side of the cab dash restored to original today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Sand Sand Sand….reapply more bondo…wait. In the meantime, got one side of the cab dash restored to original today. Bondo? I thought you were using epoxy resin and SEM texture. Bondo doesn’t crack when the dash flexes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 Bondo? I thought you were using epoxy resin and SEM texture. Bondo doesn’t crack when the dash flexes? All plastic repair pieces get plastic welding (for the tabs with a metal mesh), and then resin and fiberglass. For the dash cracks: A special process: open the cracks, then either plastic weld into the gap, OR (what I did) short hair fiberglass and hardener. THEN, over that, a special "bondo" that has give from Polyvance. I can attest now it has flex to it. Getting close to having it all prepped. More sanding, and thin layer of "bondo" today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 Bondo? I thought you were using epoxy resin and SEM texture. Bondo doesn’t crack when the dash flexes? All plastic repair pieces get plastic welding (for the tabs with a metal mesh), and then resin and fiberglass. For the dash cracks: A special process: open the cracks, then either plastic weld into the gap, OR (what I did) short hair fiberglass and hardener. THEN, over that, a special "bondo" that has give from Polyvance. I can attest now it has flex to it. Getting close to having it all prepped. More sanding, and thin layer of "bondo" today. After sand, sand, sand the dash....tackled the dash cluster. Cleaned up the plastic cover using Novus--man that stuff is great. What is on it is dust--rather windy today. But pic shows...I have a TAC now! It looks like the Ammeter is not working--did not budge, and I have no working spare. The original snapped as I was going to swap it out--snapped right at the end so I could not hold the post. GRRRRR. But so far everything else works. May try find a meter. OH, the right turn did not work..had to spread the connect points on the bulb socket. I would say that the Printed circuit from JBG works great! Have not tested the HiPo effect yet. But the HiPo needle paint is fabulous! Pic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 After sand, sand, sand the dash....tackled the dash cluster. Cleaned up the plastic cover using Novus--man that stuff is great. What is on it is dust--rather windy today. But pic shows...I have a TAC now! It looks like the Ammeter is not working--did not budge, and I have no working spare. The original snapped as I was going to swap it out--snapped right at the end so I could not hold the post. GRRRRR. But so far everything else works. May try find a meter. OH, the right turn did not work..had to spread the connect points on the bulb socket. I would say that the Printed circuit from JBG works great! Have not tested the HiPo effect yet. But the HiPo needle paint is fabulous! Pic! Those look great! I was really happy when I used the HIPO paint on my new cluster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanSavage Posted August 2, 2023 Author Share Posted August 2, 2023 Those look great! I was really happy when I used the HIPO paint on my new cluster. Thank you! I cannot believe how great it looked. On one needle, it did kinda separate, but did an extra coat. Hope to get a shot of the prepped dash tomorrow..but I am finicky with bondo--one slight issue and it shows with paint. Many body mistake taught me lesson the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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