Help with ground effects

[Ferf]

I am in the process of restomoding my '65 coupe and I have ordered the ground effects kit from Mustangs Plus. While the car is still getting ready for primer, we have held the ground effects up on the car and they do look good! However, I have a question for you guys that have worked with a lot of fiberglass parts in the past.

We are looking to "mold" the ground effects to the fenders so it looks like one seemless piece. We intend on screwing the ground effects up into the bottom of the fends as the directions indicate. We were also going to use double sided tape to fasten the pieces to the fenders. Obviously, there is going to be an overlap where the ground effect lays on top of the fender itself. In your opinions what is the best way to "cover up" this overlap to have the ground effect appear to be part of the fender itself once it is painted?

As you can see on this pic of the Ronster, you are still able to see on the rear ground effect where it lays over top of the fender. I don't want to be able see that line.

Since the car is going to be black, I am also concerned that the seam where the two pieces meet may work it's way back through the paint. Do you think that it may be a possible problem down the road?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[65 fastback]

Chris,

I would paint the car and the ground effects separately, then install the pieces. I think if you try to mould the ground effects onto the car, they are going to eventually crack. Also, if you install the ground effects before you paint, I believe the paint will crack.

Just my thoughts, I would check in with a good body shop for a professional opinion.

Tim

 

[1320stang]

I agree that I think they'll crack. About the best bet would be to use an epoxy to bond them to the bare steel and then use the epoxy to fill the fillet left behind. But unless you brace the bottom, I think it'll still crack, maybe not at the joining point, but further back on the effect where it is not as strong. You might cut out some aluminum triangles to make this piece more rigid, but now you have a place for more road grime to get caught up in. I'd just ignore it and leave the line. Also, you need to let the fiberglass continue to cure, otherwise you might be able to see the cloth thru the paint once your done. Sitting outside on a few hot days would help, just be sure its supported, otherwise it'll get twisted and stay that way on bigger pieces.

 

[Ronstang]

Molding fiberglass into metal almost always results in a car that looks like cmplete junk a few years later. I don't care what kind of bonding agent they come out with they will never get the glass and the metal to have the same coefficient of expansion and this is usually wht leads to the demise of an otherwise nice paint job. If (I'l be optomistic and not say when) the molded area cracks not only have you lost a good paint job but the expensive ground effects you invested in are now junk.

I just wish you wouldn't have given that jerk Ron Bramlett any of your money....but that is another topic.

 

[Ferf]

This sucks. I was really looking to mold the pieces to the fenders. I think that leaving the line would look pretty tacky.

later,

Chris

 

[oboebrian]

You could always fabricate them out of metal then weld them to the car. Twotoots on vmf (do a search for his name) is doing with his coupe.

 

[65straightsick]

Use the kit as a mold to make your own...then send it back to Mustangs plus.....I agree with Ronstang....I just plain don't like them anymore.

 

[Ferf]

But unless you brace the bottom, I think it'll still crack

It's my understanding that the the ground effects get screwed into the bottom rockers and fenders. Therefore, there should be quite a bit of support from the bottom.

later,

Chris

 

[DarkBuddha]

If you're serious about this, the correct way to do it is to use fibreglass to mold them in. Mount them up and bond them to the rockers using the correct fibreglass bonding agents, then lay fiberglass mat over the seams. You'll have to use a DA sander to shape it, and probably end up using bondo to smooth it all out. If you're sketchy about doint it yourself, check around into professional body shops that do body kit installs on imports. I've seen lots of nice imports with molded body kits here in Seattle. If you see a car you like the workmanship on, ask the owner for a referal.

BTW, molded body kits like this are high maintenance and you're gonna have to be extra extra careful at all times. If you plan on driving this car regularly, reconsider molding it in. One nick of a curb, a bad railroad track, one speed bump, could ruin all your hard work. Seriously think about how you're gonna drive the car first.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ferf]

My uncle and I are the ones working on the car. He has done body work and paint for 20+ years and does an excellent job. His idea was to do exactly what you stated and use fiberglass bonding agents and fiberglass to mold the pieces to the car. However, I wanted to get some ideas and opinions from guys around here that may have done this with ground effects.

The car will not be driven on a daily basis but is not going to be a trailer queen either. This car is being built to be driven and it will see a number of shows, and driven on the weekends and nice summer days.

The only pieces that we were going to mold were the pieces that attatch to the fenders. We were also considering cutting the front of the rocker panel ground effects where they overlap with the front fender near the doors. These pieces would also be molded to the fenders. This would allow me to remove the front fenders if needed. Otherwise, I would still have a "line" behind the front wheels. We were not going to mold the remaining rocker panel pieces to the car since that "line" is matches the "line" where the original rocker panel is.

Therefore, if I was to ever hit anything, the odds are that the rocker panel ground effect would be damaged and it could easily be removed and replaced. However, a rock that gets kicked up and hits the molded fiberglass pieces may cause some damage.

later,

Chris

 

[allcarfan]

We just molded in my fiberglass end caps on my 66. The cracking, I believe, is going to depend on the stress in that area. Stress on a hood...opening and closing it...would be one reason why a scoop would crack. The side ground effects would probably crack if they were molded in due to body flex.

 

[Ferf]

We just molded in my fiberglass end caps on my 66. The cracking, I believe, is going to depend on the stress in that area. Stress on a hood...opening and closing it...would be one reason why a scoop would crack. The side ground effects would probably crack if they were molded in due to body flex.

By side ground effects, I am assuming that you mean the pieces that run along the rocker panels and not the pieces that attatch to the fenders. The pieces that run along the rockers will not be molded to the car. Only the pieces that attatch to the fenders will be molded. Correct me if I am wrong but the pieces that attach to the fenders should not be effected by body flex, correct?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[allcarfan]

Ferf,

You should be alright molding in the pieces on the 1/4 panel and the fender. Buy some fiberglass and some resin and put about two coats on. Sand it all down and fill it in with body filler and LOTS of sanding...LOTS of sanding....LOTS of sanding