I am glad to have found this board it has great info!! I need some help though. I found a pretty good skylark grill but, as most of them have, has a few cracks and the studs are broken off. The question is what is the best way to repair these cracks and what kind of adhesive works on this automotive plastic? I have tried every thing from industrial grade epoxy to JB weld to a plain two part plastic epoxy. The two part expoxy held untill I tried to put the grill on at which point they broke off again. Sorry for the long message and thanks for the help in advance!!
I just finished fixing a GS grill that I recently recieved...here is what I used.....on the back side of the grill I used JB weld with great success. I tacked down the pieces with super glue, then glued the rest with JB weld from behind. As far as cracks and nicks I used something I've used on model car bodies. Its called white putty (can get in most hobby stores) by Squadran. Dries in 30 Min., but I let it set up over night. After it dries, sand and its a plastic that can be sanded and formed. The tool of choice for all of this work....a small dentist metal spatula, works great for getting in those hard to reach areas. Hope this helps! :TU: Larry
Plastic Fix Dura-Mix I have a friend that owns a body shop and when they fixed my truck I went to pick it up one of the driving lights was just hanging. The little plastic mounting bracket was broken. He took it off and used a product called "Dura-Mix" to make the piece that was broken off. This stuff comes in two tubes and mixes as the dispensing "gun" (like a small calking gun) is squeezed and a pliable mix comes out. The mix was worked into shape and supported with heavy-duty aluminum foil for the 5 or so minutes it takes to set up and harden. The finished product looked and worked great. He ordered a new bracket but I have not needed to install it since the original repair works like a charm. The mix hardens into a black plastic and can be sanded and painted to match your grill. Mike
grill fix i just finished a 71 gs grille i used DEVCON PLASTIC STEEL EXPOXY all good hardware stores carry it. i did the studs with it. it sands smooth gets hard in a hour . you can fill in any imperfections with primer the stuff is great. good luck. steve
I have used a good grade epoxy to good effect.Make sure you get the slow setting stuff as the bond is much better than the 5 minute kind.Have used a good fibreglass reinforced body filler for cracks after 'veeing out' the cracked area.For real strength epoxy in pieces of thin aluminum or steel in behind the grille as part of the repair process and if you do it right it is undetectable.As to aluminum colored finishes try model aircraft paint.Some-especially 21st Century's aluminum is spot on.Another advantage is it can stand a fuel mix of 25%nitromethane in case you decide to go crazy and are a little sloppy.Hope this helps.Rod
The grilles are made of ABS plastic, for years I've been using ABS pipe cement to repair mine, can be had in the plumbing section of any hardware store, I get mine at Lowes or Home Depot, this stuff actually melts the plastic back together....use in a REALLY well ventilated area
Check out Atlanta Buick's site: http://www.atlantabuick.com/Restoration.htm#Grille Repair - should give some good tips for fixing grills!:TU:
The Dura-Mix I wrote about earlier does not just "glue" your pieces together to fix a crack it can actually be molded to make missing pieces. Mike
Breaking off grille studs The grille studs break off for a reason - the sheetmetal in your front end is probably tweaked. You may need to adjust the sheetmetal or make repairs before you mount the grille. If you have to bend the plastic parts to mount them or if they do not fit perfectly without fasteners, chances are they will break when fastened in place.
Plumbers also use a heavy putty for cementing/sealing cast iron pipe together (sewerage applications) that is water soluable until it sets (24hrs) This stuff can be kept from hardening by keeping it underwater until your ready to finish your work with it. It can also be smoothed, while unset, with wet hands/tools. Worked well on ABS plastic when the plastic is roughed up. I've repaired motorcyle bodywork very successfully with it. Plumbers suppliers will have it - don't know name - anyway Australian product wouldn't have the same name elsewhere.
pvc or abs could someone supply a definitive answer as to whether these grilles are abs or pvc ? the respective glues are chemically different .
