Hey fiberglass guys! Got a question for you...

[Daytona R/T SE]

So, can I bend fiberglass and make it retain the new shape???

OK, As soon as y'all stop laughing here's the deal:

One of the headlight doors on my Daytona clone is a little "off."

The contour across the top where it meets the nosecone while it's in the closed position is a little too straight.

I need to bow the center of the top edge down about 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch.

It bends to the correct shape fairly easily with moderate finger pressure, but of course it snaps back to it's original shape when you release it.

Here's the question:

If I made a steel fixture the proper shape, clamped it in place on the headlight door, heated the headlight door and the fixture up with a heat gun, then let the whole thing cool....

Would the fiberglass take on the new shape of the fixture and stay that way?

[lisiecki1]

you might be better off adding fiberglass and shaping and painting......

[daytonalo]

Here is the deal , all of the parts made for Daytona are made with General purpose resin which is shrinking long after it is pulled from mold . We only use Vinlyester resin which is twice the price . Here is my suggestion and in fact had to do the same thing to my Stinger door . Flip it over grind area with 80 grit , lay on 4 or 5 layers of 1.5 once chopped mat , this way when you recountour top side you will have glass to go into . P.S give up on bending it , it will crack before bending

Larry

[BigBlockSam]

The contour across the top where it meets the nosecone while it's in the closed position is a little too straight.

i had the same problem. i tried the heat gun thing . didn't work. daytonalo told me what to do  and it worked out fine . Rene

[daytonalo]

Is my check in the mail ?

[BigBlockSam]

Is my check in the mail Huh?

hey ,  i'm not charging you to be your friend , so we're even . 

[daytonalo]

Whatever gave you the idea that we are friends ??

[BigBlockSam]

 

[Daytona R/T SE]

Thanks, guys! I think I'll let the guy that's going to paint my car F^&# with the headlight door...I've seen him piece Vipers back together from tiny little broken bits...This headlight door thing shouldn't be a problem for him...That guy can fix anything!

[elitecustombody]

I'd still use heat gun  ,get it hot to where it's unbearable to hold your hand on the surface for more than few seconds,bend it a bit more than needed,(it will try to straighten back out)hold it in that position and spray cold water while holding it or just submerge in a bucket of cold water, once you know you got the shape right, roughen up the backside and apply a few layers of chopped matt and a good grade epoxy resin,that will work you can pick some up from marine store, do not buy cheap resin, cause that's what it is, cheap resin

this method will save you time and $$ having to do heavy body work,prepping and repainting 

  Stefan