Front grille repair

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ConnerDart70

ConnerDart70

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Hello everyone! Just thought I’d share the repair on my front grille that I’ve been working on recently.
Ever since I’ve had the car the front grille has been broke right at the marker light on the drivers side and has been dangling around by a piece of wire. (you can kinda see it in the first pic) As I am trying to save and didn’t feel like buying a brand new one I decide to try my hand at repairing it! Once I removed the grille I found more cracks as well as the plastic brackets broken. I would highly recommend permatex plastic welder pic below (thanks @Dave 74 Dart for the find of the product) as I used it to glue the entire marker light section back together as well as the brackets and cracks. Knock on wood so far it seems super strong!! I then repainted everything... let’s just say if “paint by numbers” aren’t your thing you might just want to buy a new grille
I just used an aluminum metallic paint for the silver sections and a semi gloss black...
I’m sure some members wouldn’t like using those colours but they are close enough for me!!

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Looks great, Permatex Plastiweld works pretty good, however if the cracks fit tightly together, use Methyl Ethyl Keytone (MEK) and a small brush to apply it. This will actually melt the plastic back together at the crack joint. Don't get it on any areas you don't want to melt including clear plastics. MEK is available at Lowes or Home Depot in the paint chemicals section. You hold the pieces together and touch the brush wetted with MEK to the crack. It's very liquidity, and the capillary action sucks it right in. Clamp, or tape it, and let it sit 24 hours to dry. The plastic melts in the crack, and re solidifies. Becomes a solid part again. First pic the odd shape line was a broken grille piece glued with MEK. The plastic slightly melted at the joint and solidified. Second pic cracks were glued with MEK. 3rd pic they were block sanded smooth after the plastic dried. I can definitely see using the plastiweld to fill in missing sections of plastic. Great job. Looks really good. Those are a lot of work to fix and paint.

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moparmat2000 said:
Looks great, Permatex Plastiweld works pretty good, however if the cracks fit tightly together, use Methyl Ethyl Keytone (MEK) and a small brush to apply it. This will actually melt the plastic back together at the crack joint. Don't get it on any areas you don't want to melt including clear plastics. MEK is available at Lowes or Home Depot in the paint chemicals section. You hold the pieces together and touch the brush wetted with MEK to the crack. It's very liquidity, and the capillary action sucks it right in. Clamp, or tape it, and let it sit 24 hours to dry. The plastic melts in the crack, and re solidifies. Becomes a solid part again. First pic the odd shape line was a broken grille piece glued with MEK. The plastic slightly melted at the joint and solidified. Second pic cracks were glued with MEK. 3rd pic they were block sanded smooth after the plastic dried. I can definitely see using the plastiweld to fill in missing sections of plastic. Great job. Looks really good. Those are a lot of work to fix and paint.

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Thanks appreciate it!! Will definitely keep that in mind for the future!!! Your pics look awesome you’d never know that it was even cracked!!
 
As a retired Aircraft Machinist, I'm very familiar with MEK. It's very hard to purchase, and toxic to work with. Please be careful when using this.
 
It's not hard to purchase at all. I buy it by the gallon at Lowes $20 and use it for cleaning out paint guns that I shoot epoxy primer through. Nothing else will clean out epoxy primer from a paint gun. You do want to work in a well ventilated area with it though. This stuff can definitely hurt you if the fume concentration is high enough. Makes a great solvent adhesive. I keep the MEK I use as solvent adhesive in a glass baby food jar, an dip acid brushes in it to use it. If you cannot find MEK, go to a good hobby store and purchase "plastiweld solvent adhesive" an itty bitty bottle of essentially the same stuff will be about $20 lol. I work with MEK daily in the aviation industry for the last 25 years. No problem, I'm not dead yet.
 
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moparmat2000 said:
It's not hard to purchase at all. I buy it by the gallon at Lowes $20 and use it for cleaning out paint guns that I shoot epoxy primer through. Nothing else will clean out epoxy primer from a paint gun. You do want to work in a well ventilated area with it though. This stuff can definitely hurt you if the fume concentration is high enough. Makes a great solvent adhesive. I keep the MEK I use as solvent adhesive in a glass baby food jar, an dip acid brushes in it to use it. If you cannot find MEK, go to a good hobby store and purchase "plastiweld solvent adhesive" an itty bitty bottle of essentially the same stuff will be about $20 lol. I work with MEK daily in the aviation industry for the last 25 years. No problem, I'm not dead yet.
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Lacquer thinner cleans epoxy from a paint gun.......unless you're letting it catalyze in the gun for some odd reason.
 
I have been doing paint and body as a hobby for 35 years. You never let epoxy primer dry in a paint gun. If you do that, even MEK wont touch it. At that point you might as well remove your air fitting and toss the paint gun in the trash. As soon as I am done spraying anything especially epoxy primer, I clean it out right away.

I have used lacquer thinner in a pinch to clean out epoxy primer. It doesnt mix with epoxy primer, it makes it look a whole bunch of little tiny bread crumbs floating in the lacquer thinner. Do what you want, but this tells me the lacquer thinner is not mixing in with the epoxy primer. If any of that swill is left behind during cleaning it will dry, solidify, and ruin the gun.
 
moparmat2000 said:
I have been doing paint and body as a hobby for 35 years. You never let epoxy primer dry in a paint gun. If you do that, even MEK wont touch it. At that point you might as well remove your air fitting and toss the paint gun in the trash. As soon as I am done spraying anything especially epoxy primer, I clean it out right away.

I have used lacquer thinner in a pinch to clean out epoxy primer. It doesnt mix with epoxy primer, it makes it look a whole bunch of little tiny bread crumbs floating in the lacquer thinner. Do what you want, but this tells me the lacquer thinner is not mixing in with the epoxy primer. If any of that swill is left behind during cleaning it will dry, solidify, and ruin the gun.
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Well I can tell you I've been painting cars professionally for 25 years. I started using lead based epoxy.... and have cleaned every single gun I've ever used with lacquer. I have probably sprayed 500 gallons of epoxy primer in my life and never once had that issue. Solvent is solvent. If you are having that type of issue there is some contamination issues or incompatible solvents being used.

Here is an Iwata Ls400 used close to 4 times a day for 8 years and cleaned with lacquer 4 times a day. Has sprayed epoxy, sealer, clear, base, ultra violet primer.....

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67Dart440GT , I didnt say what I said for anybody to take offense. Was not my intention. However, I probably was not specific enough. Must be the fact that I am using 2 different aircraft type fepoxy primers made by Akzo Noble 512X310 is an impact resistant and fluid resistant epoxy primer and 10P42NF which is a fluid resistant epoxy primer. Basically impervious to Skydrol 7000 synthetic hydro fluid. I use these primers on framerails, inside framerails and under sides of floorpans or in corrosion prone areas. These primers react funny with lacquer thinner. Makes it crumbly looking. Not sure if you have ever used these products or you use something else. I also use Kirker Duraprime on exterior sheetmetal, door jambs, engine compartments etc. and also clean out the gun after use with this product with lacquer thinner. The Kirker cleans out ok and doesnt react funny, but not the Akzo Noble product. Next time I clean out my gun after using the Akzo Noble, I will put some of it in a cup with lacquer thinner, stir it up, and will show you pix of the crumbly looking crap that this epoxy turns into.
 
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moparmat2000 said:
67Dart440GT , I didnt say what I said for anybody to take offense. Was not my intention. However, I probably was not specific enough. Must be the fact that I am using 2 different aircraft type fepoxy primers made by Akzo Noble 512X310 is an impact resistant and fluid resistant epoxy primer and 10P42NF which is a fluid resistant epoxy primer. Basically impervious to Skydrol 7000 synthetic hydro fluid. I use these primers on framerails, inside framerails and under sides of floorpans or in corrosion prone areas. These primers react funny with lacquer thinner. Makes it crumbly looking. Not sure if you have ever used these products or you use something else. I also use Kirker Duraprime on exterior sheetmetal, door jambs, engine compartments etc. and also clean out the gun after use with this product with lacquer thinner. The Kirker cleans out ok and doesnt react funny, but not the Akzo Noble product. Next time I clean out my gun after using the Akzo Noble, I will put some of it in a cup with lacquer thinner, stir it up, and will show you pix of the crumbly looking crap that this epoxy turns into.
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No offense taken. I just try to keep things relevant to products most hobbyists use. Akzo is good stuff on the car side. We also use a ton of it on our fleet side as we paint buses, motor coaches,semis and now helicopters. Helicopters are a different animal due to regulations. This is WWE wrestlers motorcoach we just got done with.

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Cool pic !! The offwhite primer is the 512X310 and it bites right into sandblasted parts very well, fills and sands good prior to top coating. Face side of the rims were hand sanded with 320 and shot last. I have 2 different Akzo Noble aircraft single stage paints that went out of date at work so they let me have it. This stuff takes a beating out there and looks great years later with no wax or protective coatings on it. Here is the Akzo Noble gloss black I sprayed his steelies with, and a sample of the shade of red we will spray his 69 Cuda with. Its code ECL-G-385. What it's called is anybodies guess. Blood red is my guess lol. I have enough of the black to do the rear axle, suspension pieces m, K frame and other stuff, and still have a gallon left. The red I have enough to make 4 gallons of mixed material to shoot. Plenty to jamb out and shoot a car.

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moparmat2000 said:
I have different Akzo Noble aircraft single stage paints that went out of date at work so they let me have it. This stuff takes a beating out there and looks great years later with no wax or protective coatings on it. Here is the Akzo Noble gloss black I sprayed his steelies with, and a sample of the shade of red we will spray his 69 Cuda with. Its code ECL-G-385. What it's called is anybodies guess. Blood red is my guess lol

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That red is gonna look awesome on the Cuda. Can't wait to see that. :thumbsup:
 
moparmat2000 said:
It's not hard to purchase at all. I buy it by the gallon at Lowes $20 and use it for cleaning out paint guns that I shoot epoxy primer through. Nothing else will clean out epoxy primer from a paint gun. You do want to work in a well ventilated area with it though. This stuff can definitely hurt you if the fume concentration is high enough. Makes a great solvent adhesive. I keep the MEK I use as solvent adhesive in a glass baby food jar, an dip acid brushes in it to use it. If you cannot find MEK, go to a good hobby store and purchase "plastiweld solvent adhesive" an itty bitty bottle of essentially the same stuff will be about $20 lol. I work with MEK daily in the aviation industry for the last 25 years. No problem, I'm not dead yet.
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I'll edit my reply. In the state of Washington, it's hard to purchase, as our "leaders" want to emulate the people's republic of Pelosi.
 
Ahhhhhh yes the peoples republic. I used to live in the peoples republic of N.J. moved from there 26 years ago.
 
Dave 74 Dart said:
Honestly , I just finished reading your thread now. WOW ! You have skills. Very cool to see your son helping throughout the whole process . Nothing better than working on projects with our boys !
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Thanks. This is the furthest I have ventured inside an A body to do structural repairs. I do structural repair on commercial airliners for a living, and find automotive sheetmetal repair to be therapeutic actually. To some people I must be a masochist.
 
I don't want to start any kind of pissing war with any of my fellow members here. I know for a fact that MEK will melt most plastics, but it's very toxic. It accumulates in your internal organs for life. I spent 25 years in Everett, WA at the largest manufacturing building in the world( I'll let you guess the company), and the EPA monitored us with microscopic intensity. We were forced to switch from MEK, to MPK to meet clean air regulations. It is very versatile stuff for us garage guys, just be careful with it and use proper ventilation and hazmat procedures. Please wear a mask if possible. Paul.
 
moparmat2000 said:
Thanks. This is the furthest I have ventured inside an A body to do structural repairs. I do structural repair on commercial airliners for a living, and find automotive sheetmetal repair to be therapeutic actually. To some people I must be a masochist.
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I built 'em, you fixed 'em.
 
70dart340 said:
I don't want to start any kind of pissing war with any of my fellow members here. I know for a fact that MEK will melt most plastics, but it's very toxic. It accumulates in your internal organs for life. I spent 25 years in Everett, WA at the largest manufacturing building in the world( I'll let you guess the company), and the EPA monitored us with microscopic intensity. We were forced to switch from MEK, to MPK to meet clean air regulations. It is very versatile stuff for us garage guys, just be careful with it and use proper ventilation and hazmat procedures. Please wear a mask if possible. Paul.
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No pissing war here. Hey it's cool to post a PSA on the hazards of using it. Yep it's bad ****. Be careful with it. Glues broken plastic great though.
 
I wear chemical resistant gloves when I'm fooling with lacquer thinner to clean my guns. I usually wear my mask when mixing, filling the cup, spraying, and cleaning the gun. All that stuff is hard on kidneys and livers! :eek:
 
You're doing the right thing. I used the same chemicals in the Marine Corps, and other chemicals like Trich 3-3-3. I'm paying the price for ignoring the warnings printed in small letters. Enough said. Please wear the silver shield gloves and the proper mask.
 
If I was an ***, I'd say neener-neener, but I just want my fellow members to know. The MEK is amazing stuff, but the government doesn't think we're smart enough to use it responsibly. Anything with an -ene in it has been banned. If you do use MEK or MPK, please wear the appropriate gloves. The cheap HF gloves will disintegrate while you wear them. Stay safe, Brothers and Sisters. Paul.
 
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