anyone used panel glue for anything other than roof skin ?

[charger_fan_4ever]

Gearing up to have full AMD 1/4's installed in the near future. We are going to use the glue for the roof skin instal. Got me thinking about using it for the full 1/4's and then just using a punch on the door jambs and gutter to imitate the spotwelds. Probably just weld around the window channel.

Wondering what people have used the glue for other than roof skins.

[Highbanked Hauler]

  As long as you have bare metal to bare metal contact with a good fit it can be used just about anywhere as long as you weld a few spots. On a quarter I would weld around the tail lights and the door jam other than that you should be good to go.  Being an old timer doing crash work it was a hard sell for me to bond panels rather than weld but like any new technology it works great.  With bonding you are almost completely seam sealed when you are done. I have used 3M and SEM and no complaints with either but bare metal is a must.

[adauto]

We used it on my gas tank/trunk floor  braces when we redid the trunk floor... 3 years ago! no probs!

[Drop Top]

I just installed both 1/4 skins on a 71 camero. I installed compeat floors on a 69 Charger about 3 weeks ago. All the panels on the Charger front to rear including the wheel wells are being changed out. I'm planning on useing it on as much as possable. When I do weld it will be the old school way of hammer (gas) welding. I've used it on many aplications. But I also weld in some places. I basicly use it on areas that tend to worp easy. Saves alot of time and materials. In turn it save my customers $$$. Like was stated above It took some selling to trust it. But after about 3 years of using it I belive.

[charger_fan_4ever]

I'm thinking now it would be a race to get the 1/4 on and clamped after laying the glue no ?

[Drop Top]

Just make shure you prefit the panel compleat with clamps and/or vice grips. Once it is fit and alined right, with a helper practice a few times before putting on the car. Make shure you practice with the clamps. (In sensitve areas I will use a paint stick between the clamp and the skin This inshures no little dents to deal with latter.) once your comfortable go ahead and put the glue on. Then clamp it down. You will have plenty of time to do it.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Wheels are turning now. No burn marks from the weld up at the roof joint when you peek in from the trunk. Imitate some spot weld marks and done.

[Drop Top]

Just a reminder I only use the adheasive where it is needed to help prevent worpage. Welding next to where the glue is will melt it out. I like it but I still weld in along the 1/4 to roof seam and the pench welds I have a spot welder I bought from Harbor Freight that I use where I can fit it into. Its actualy faster.

[elitecustombody]

I'm thinking now it would be a race to get the 1/4 on and clamped after laying the glue no ?

There are few different curing speed adhesives available,slower for larger panels and faster for smaller ones, usually you have plenty of time , on average it's about 30-45 working time before the adhesive starts to get harder, and it won't just get hard in an instant,it takes usually 3-5 hours for it to set,or you can roll it out in the sun to speed up the curing process.

I agree with Highbanked Hauler, make sure you apply it on bare metal, I usually will apply a bead and spread it with a brush to make sure t completely cover all bare metal, then run another bead and clamp the panel down, that way you know you won't have any rust forming ,this is the best part about the bonding adhesive, because you won't have to worry about rust forming between the panels ,it completely seals it and gives the body even more rigidity and best of all ,no grinding and dressing the welds. However it is recommended to  do spot welds around taillight ,at the rocker and roof to quarter joint welded solid.

[stingger68]

anyone have any pix of this being done. it's looking like by the time i get my body done i'll have replaced every panle from the doors back. i need all the info i can get lol..

[65post]

...

[charger_fan_4ever]

anyone have any pix of this being done. it's looking like by the time i get my body done i'll have replaced every panle from the doors back. i need al :popcrn:l the info i can get lol..

I hear ya. I have full 1/4's roof skin,trunk floor,trunk extensions,tail panel,rear valance,corners,dutchman panel and lower plenum to go in in the next few months. Have put in a 1 piece amd floor,both door hinge pillars,upper and lower cowl, rear footwells. Rear seat pan was pretty good just have a section on the passengers side to change out from a donor. Front clip is solid. Piece under the battery change to change out from a donor. Small hole on the passengers side size of a quarter. I'm amazed that the frame rails,firewall,shock towers,rear inners are so solid. Still had original paint. It definitely rotted weird. I'm going to start a thread

think i'll follow in ridelikehell's footsteps and call the the thread
70 r/t resto not scared either
lol

[b5blue]

Wow I want to see this build...it will be like having an X Ray of a 70 Charger. 

[stingger68]

  i want to see it to. i can take notes 

[bill440rt]

READ THE MANUFACTURER'S TECH SHEETS ON WHERE THE ADHESIVE CAN/CANNOT BE USED!!!

I used 3M's panel bond adhesive in several areas on my '69. Trunk floor, wheelhouse, quarter, etc. I also used this in conjunction with welding.

DO NOT use panel bond adhesive on an exterior seam. It has a different expansion/contraction rate than steel and eventually you will see a ghost line. For example, I sectioned in a 1/4 panel skin (full 1/4's weren't out yet). All along the bottom by the trunk floor extension, wheelhouse, & rocker it was glued. Up the back, across the top, and down the door jamb it was WELDED.

The expansion/contraction issue may only be a cosmetic concern, but there are also safety concerns. The adhesive is supposed to be a stronger bond than welding, so care must be taken if you are attaching parts to frame rails (trunk floor, etc), rear body panels, etc. A trunk floor that is bonded may transfer collision energy different than one that is welded, etc.

READ THE TECH SHEETS!!!!

[charger_fan_4ever]

Thanks for all the info guys, defineatly some food for thought. One brother is doing all the welding and metal work, the other the body work and paint. One has been at it for 35 years and the other 27, so ultimately the decision will be up to them. To date they have used the panel bonding only on collision jobs were it was bonded from the factory. All the restorations they have done in the past any metal work was all done with a mig.

The roofskin is a for sure with panel bond, the rest I'll leave it up to them.

[six-tee-nine]

Take alot of pictures if you want. I've been asking myself if this would be usable as a hobby guy for quite a while now.

It seems faster than welding. But however I'm a complete rookie on the matter so that still scares me off a bit. However for the replacement of a trunk pan it seems like a very good solution....

[elitecustombody]

there are dozens of videos on youtube if anyone wants to see how this is done ,just do a search.