Fibreglass bumper repair tips, links, product recommendations ?

bigfinger

Guest
Morning all :)

slowly working through my list of things to do on our 92 kon tiki.... managed a new radiator, clutch, fog lights and repaired the hotwater tap in the kitchen over the last two weekends.

but...

now its down to the 'little accident' my good lady had with her the other week, namely reversing into a post in a bush despite the rev camera working ! :/ as you'll see from the above repairs im not bad with mechanical stuff however body work is a mystery to me so does anyone have any links to 'how to's' or recommended products to use to repair the damage to the back bumper shown in the photos and to reseal the front section where she has come away during the very high winds we had the other weekend ?

Im assuming is going to be fibreglass ? is there a kit or do i just get the stuff separately ?

any and all help greatly appreciated.

Also, does anyone know what alloys would fit onto her ? would sharpen the looks up a bit from the rust steelies we have on at the moment.

92 swift kontiki vogue on a talbot 2.5D chassis.


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You can use fibreglass to repair most things. Everything needs to be clean and anything you want it to stick to has to be abraded. You can buy products which you can add to the resin to make them thicker so you can build it up. You can also use talcum powder and sawdust. I use micro balloons which are fine glass beads. If you add them to a mix it finishes up like thick putty which you can work with. It can be sanded afterwards. Mixing in talcum powder is for fine finishes.

Think the secret is to do a bit at a time and gradually build it up. You also need to be in a warm place otherwise it can take forever to set.

..
 
QFour said:
You can use fibreglass to repair most things. Everything needs to be clean and anything you want it to stick to has to be abraded. You can buy products which you can add to the resin to make them thicker so you can build it up. You can also use talcum powder and sawdust. I use micro balloons which are fine glass beads. If you add them to a mix it finishes up like thick putty which you can work with. It can be sanded afterwards. Mixing in talcum powder is for fine finishes.

Think the secret is to do a bit at a time and gradually build it up. You also need to be in a warm place otherwise it can take forever to set.

..
Click to expand...


so ill need...

a selection of fibreglass repair pads ?
firbreglass resin and setter
fillers (talcs glass beads)
sandpaper various grades
time and patience.

that cover it you think ?
 
You will have to grind back in layers before repair,then build up with fine glass cloth & resin,then paper down to level and epoxy 2 pack prime before spraying top coat.
You could also use gel top coat finish after build up if not spraying & rub back and polish with g6,this is how we repair boat hulls after damage.
 
trevskoda said:
You will have to grind back in layers before repair,then build up with fine glass cloth & resin,then paper down to level and epoxy 2 pack prime before spraying top coat.
You could also use gel top coat finish after build up if not spraying & rub back and polish with g6,this is how we repair boat hulls after damage.
Click to expand...

sounds doable, ill have to look up a few of those works but the process i can follow
 
The front section coming unsealed is quite common on a Kon Tiki, mine did that. I have also seen many that have also done the same thing.

While I have seen some awful repairs carried out using silicon sealer and self tapping screws it can be repaired quite easily and tidily.

You will need a tube of Sikaflex adhesive sealer (522 I think I used)

Before doing anything you need to find someway of applying pressure across the whole seam, a large piece of 3 x 2 square timber, some small wedges and two ratchet straps are what I used.

Secure the ratchet strap to the roof rail and loop it over the wood beam, use the other ratchet strap on the top seat belt mount and tighten the ratchet straps to secure the timber along the entire length of the seam. The wood beam will bend slightly so use the wedges to pack and secure the seam straight. Once you have done this dry run without sealer you will have a better idea of how to clamp the seam straight.

When you are happy with the seam remove the wedges and timber and then fill the gap between the seam and the side with lots of the adhesive sealer making sure it goes a long way into the gap not just on the edge, you need to ensure a large area for the adhesive sealer to bond with.Then refit the timber, re tighten the ratchet straps and use the wedges to apply pressure along the seam to apply pressure equally along its length.
As you apply pressure the sikaflex will ooze from the seam as it not only needs to seal but also bond the panels. You can safely remove any excess sealer and then leave it untouched for at least 24 or better still 48 hours for the adhesive to achieve a full cure.

When you remove the clamps the panel will be resealed , bonded and secure and then you can clean up any excess.
 
ok here is my two penny worth, no one has mentioned to actually drill holes at the end of each crack, this is to stop the cracks reappearing after the repairs have been done, it depends from the actual width of the crack but a 2 inch hole should suffice. the same procedure applies to most modern car bumpers.:cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:
 
I think a bit of structural support behind the bumper would help here, the bumper as it stands has no structural rigidity, so a bit of punched steel bar like they use on buildings to hold the roof plates down could be bolted to the back of the bumper before you start. Look for "Roof Plate Straps"

Recess the screw heads that hold the strap(s) to the back of the bumper and fill them afterwards.

Once you have the bumper in some sort of shape, you can start repairs.

Fibreglass at the back, encapsulating the roof strap(s) and filler on the outside to fill the cracks and holes.

Filler has little in the way of structural strength, don't rely on it to hold it all together.

Peter
 
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