[bighotroddin]

I have a fiberglass 27 T body that I need to build a skelton for it to support the body from flexing and I want to use tubing and flat stock to mount the door hinges and striker to. I have most of the 3M line of plastic repair and panal bonding adhesive just haven't had to bond metal to fiberglass. Would one of those other adhesives work or is there something special.

[TucsonJay]

If you are using glass, I would go around the steel subframe, trapping it in the glass.

From my experience of 30+ years... including Corvette and other glass body repairs and modifications... and mold and panel manufacturing, adhesion to steel is always temporary. ...but if the glass surrounds it, it doesn't matter if it sticks or not.

Just grind the inner body enough to expose the fibers, then make your new glass about 1/8th inch thick.

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by bighotroddin

I have a fiberglass 27 T body that I need to build a skelton for it to support the body from flexing and I want to use tubing and flat stock to mount the door hinges and striker to. I have most of the 3M line of plastic repair and panal bonding adhesive just haven't had to bond metal to fiberglass. Would one of those other adhesives work or is there something special.

My old '23 fiberglass T-bucket uses wood to stiffen it . It actually has plywood ribs from the factory . I added a door kit also and cut wood and bonded it in . There is a polyuretane adhesive that I bought from Lowe's that will bond anything to anything that I have used with much success .It is called : PL Premium polyurethane construction adhesive . It is what I used to bond my wood for my door kit . Be careful with it . There are no known solvents for it . If you get it on your hands you will wear it until you shed the epidermis . Use rubber gloves . If you get it where you don't want it , you will have to grind it off after it dries . But it will hold !

[dalesy]

Like said above, enclose the metal if you can. I'd also recommend drilling some holes or using a 18 grit (rough) grinding wheel on it before the resin/glue, so there's plenty of places for the adhesive to grip onto. I can't say I've ever had a problem with the metal breaking loose from the fiberglass, except on a rare occasion where something got whacked, and then the metal bent, and the fiberglass broke loose, springing back to shape.

3M has some good "HELP" resources that can give you tips and do/don'ts for their different adhesive products.

[bighotroddin]

I thought about wood to but I am not much of a carpenter. My friend has a really nice tubing bender so I thought it would turn out much better. Plus having some metal under there it would be easier to mount my steering colum support.

[dalesy]

You'll be much ahead if you can do it with metal.

There are many, many aftermarket kits out there, that are specificallly made to replace existing wood in old cars. Gotta be a good reason.

[bighotroddin]

talked to the paint rep today and he recommended 3M's general purpose adhesive and clamping the tubing with vice grips untill the glue sets then encapsualting the tubing in fiberglass mat.