'glassing in my new grille - help, advice, idiots guide please!
 

I think I have all the bits ready to fix my new grille to my 'long-nose' bonnet.

What I need is help and advice on the best way to do this so that:

A) It doesn't fall apart
B) Doesn't ruin the paintwork
C) Is quick and easy too much to ask?

I have the bonnet on a stand pointing nose to the ground
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/...24690e56_c.jpg20170814_161123 by WCA!, on Flickr

From the inside you can see where the grille has to go. You can also see the white class I added about a year after I first got the car to deal with possible flexing.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4437/...67c11ca5_c.jpg20170814_161200 by WCA!, on Flickr

This is how the grille should sit - obviously the two brackets at the edges should be beneath the grille rather than lying to the side.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/...abb5e609_c.jpg20170814_161253 by WCA!, on Flickr

The problem is that the nose is curved and the brackets & grill aren't.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4382/...9e70b3de_c.jpg20170814_161334 by WCA!, on Flickr

There are some fixed bolts that protrude from the brackets but only so far.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4382/...24845f36_c.jpg20170814_161415 by WCA!, on Flickr

So what do I do?

Do I make a glass fibre 'box' that has a curved edge against the body work but is flat on top so I can bond the bracket that?

Do I creates as above but have the brackets pushing through the flat edge of the glass so it is sandwiched between the bracket and the grill?

What prep for the bonnet before trying to bond anything to it?

Anyone in/near Southampton who has a clue what they are doing and wants to show me :-) ?

Thanks

A bit of Googling has led to this : crystic bonding paste 90-78pa

Any good for holding the brackets in place?

1:30sec into this suggests it should work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYpH6M2vqYg but interested if anyone had used it for the big gap on my bonnet nose

Drill some holes in the mounting plates before bonding them on, it will give the bonding paste something to grip. I would also make some mounting brackets for the top and bottom.

WCA – I don’t have much experience, but here are my thoughts…

It doesn't fall apart

I hadn’t used bonding paste before I started my build and it is impressive stuff.
( Whilst I didn’t use the stuff in your link, I am sure it would do the job. )

Doesn't ruin the paintwork

Unlike fibreglass work, I was not aware of any significant heat build up when using bonding paste.
( But there is certainly no harm in asking the question. )

Is quick and easy too much to ask?

In a word… yes. :icon_wink:

In a few words... I think it is the weight of the grille and the current gap between the bonnet and bracket that might be an issue.

What prep for the bonnet before trying to bond anything to it?

I would suggest the usual suspects of sanding down, panel wipe & tack cloth.

If you don’t want to follow Jag’s suggestion about top and bottom brackets, then I suggest you get some new fixing brackets made.

This is a very old photo of the brackets that support my bonnet when attached to the hinges.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...L/DSCF7241.jpg

What is easy to see is that there is only one fixing point on either side.

What is not so easy to see is that those brackets are attached to half loops that are bonded in around the hose itself.

So, ideally, your fixing brackets should have a much bigger surface that covers as more of the free bonnet space.

As the larger the area that you are bonding, the less strain there will be on the join.
( Jag also made a good point about drilling to get a better grip. )

It is only the heavy duty nature of your grille that requires some extra effort to secure it.

I was able to get away with a series of small brackets as my grille is very light weight by comparison.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fx...=w1152-h864-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TD...=w1152-h864-no

Anyway, hope that helps and good luck, Paul. :)

Once the bracket is bonded to the bonnet, washers and superglue to fill any small gas between the bracket and the grill? The bolts will hold it all in place. I did something similar on my NG.

Thanks -

I now plan to add top and bottom brackets.

I plan to use bonding paste where the brackets are close to flush with the existing glass fibre.

I might change the edge brackets so they fit flush with the bonnet and also flat with the grille - imagine a D with the curved edge against the existing bonnet and the flat side of the D touching the grille.