Fusing fiberglass to metal body

Is it do-able? Will it hold up? I wonder if I could form a cab corner from fiberglass if I backed it with wire mesh or chicken wire spot welded to the metal body?? If this is possible it would make life a little easier for this broke guy.

 

I'd just bond the fiberglass to the steel body in the normal bond figerglass parts to steel process.

What kind of cab? in the long run it will probably cost less to find a decent usable cab corner and weld it on.

If GM AD 47/53 cab corners will work I will have the back half of a cab left over when I cut the two I am using for my stretched cab that might work. I haven't cut them yet but need to so I can get started on that. It's about a 116 mile road trip up here to Toppenish from Walla Walla and we can trade chickens for ducks if you have something to trade. I've also got another cab that has the roof cut off that might work better, same trade.

 

Its one of those car to pickup conversions, I can do it with metal but thought fiberglass back would be a lot easier and cheaper (except for the needed sanding). Im going to chop top 3 inches first then fabricate a "Back of cab". I imagined I could create a good form with fiberlgass sheets and chicken wired curvers and laminate more glass over the top. But would it stay put?

 

you are better off in the long run to find a back of a cab to fill that in

 

I suppose your right but once chopped there wont be much cab to put on... and behind the bed is going to be flat sheet with wraparound curved side corners pretty much.

 

An entire straight back would be easiest but wont look very clean. Just chopped in half.

 

A "hard joint" between fibreglass and metal likes to crack and separate in time. Joining them together with a flexible glue (polyurethane type for example) and perhaps pop rivets is more likely to work in the long run, but does not look very good.

If possible, I'd avoid mixing fibreglass and metal.

 

Be sure to post pictures of your progress.

 

116 miles not so bad... Could you post a pic of these corners and cabs? I have styleline parts trunk, steeringwheel, trans, rear bumper, cash?? Thanks for the offer.

 

JB weld and dryer sheets is the hot setup

 

I don't think your kidding... Sounds possible and crazy! LOL! Genius.

 

I'd use steel, sounds harder but in the long run will be so much easier and will hold up better and probably. Be cheaper to.

 

Some pics of how bad the corners are would be helpful, A polyurethane adhesive is the way to go, but it will probably cost more for the fiberglass kit and the urethane than a steel replacement.

Scotty

 

Yeah steel probably best im convinced... I was just daydreaming I suppose. Thanks. I don't want the straight back like a chevy Luv, although I could probably do one in a day or two.

 

Seriously, use steel. Anything else is temporary not to mention total hack work.

 

Done... Im interested in previous posters corners... A trip to pick a part may help. Don't think I have the skills to fabricate round corners. Would it be wise to tack in all my flat sheets and supports first and then cobble the corners in? Hmmm... still brainstorming.

 

where are the body parts you cut off? they will have nice tight round corners and edges to to fabricate the back of your "cab"

 

I sat out in the yard staring at all that stuff and came to the conclusion that would not be so easy. With My limited skills I could do all but the 4 corners... I can do the 90 degree bends off the roof and the sides with supports behind them... But the round corners... yikes. I wonder if any company sells a standard 18 ga. sheet corner?

 

find a mid fifties truck thats rusted out on the bottom you sound like you just need the upper cab corners for the roof area if you get a whole cab you could use the four rounded corners of the roof to fill in where you need

 

Yep... That's the ticket. (But I still want to learn more about Dryer sheets and JB weld... )

 

forget the dryer sheets and jb weld. your going through all the trouble of building this custom body you should do it the best way possible, so it doesn't come out crappy. custom stuff only works when it looks like a craftsman/artist worked on it. as soon as a crack, chipping, or pealing appears, it will discount all your effort.

 

I agree... I think the JB weld guy may have been pulling my leg, but I bet that would work for smaller patches in areas not so visible.

 

don't questions of this type usually come from michigan or new york ? sounds like rust belt technology---use steel ,you will be satisfied with the result...

 

This is on the 50 Chevy sedan to pickup you started a thread on earlier? Sounds like you have a pretty steep learning curve ahead...

I'd look for an early Chevy pickup cab back, and use the whole thing, and if you found a 5 window, so much the better. It'll always look like a cut up sedan if you try to use the C pillars you lopped off, whereas a truck cab back would look, well, like a truck.

Brian

 

This is very true and I'm not ashamed to admit it... But Im enjoying this a whole lot and tossing ideas around. You'd be surprised how much I've learned since finding you guys here. This is only my 2nd project car... years ago I put together a fairly simple simple 69 Baja bug. No big deal, I know... Learning is good. I pay attention and read lots of threads by you guys and understand that some of you are hard core pro's... Lets just say I'm tagging along, and hoping to surprise with a decent low budget and (different) project.

 

Do not use fiberglass on steel. They both have different expansion rates with tempature changes. They will seperate. Only way it would last is if it was kept in a tempature controlled enviroment. Have peeled fiberglass from several past projects to find rust underneath.

 

I know a guy who uses PL800 to bond panels in- lap joint and pop rivet it at intervals and then he cuts off the rivet heads and muds up the joint

 

3m makes a glue for it just did a tear drop scoop on a 55 chevy hood its around 50 bucks but its good stuff .

 

Yes, and it's good stuff, but he needs to make the panels FIRST before bonding or welding them to his car/truck/ute project.

 

Its ok to bond...look for something called Corvette glue...that may be a generic name, but seems it was a two part epoxy...my friend used it building those Ferrari bodied 280z's. I have seen some 20 yrs old and look fine.