Major Reconstruction

   This Corvette had previously been used for DRAG racing. The front and rear wheel arches had been severely cut out to clear larger tires. In addition, a one piece made for racing front end had been grafted on, which had no provisions for headlights or chrome trim. After cutting out the holes where the headlights go it soon became apparent that ALL the dimensions for the front trim were only to look like a Corvette but were in fact up to 1/4" off in position and contour. The entire front end had to be reworked in fiberglass to accommodate everything. At shows people would just comment on how well all the chrome fit compared to the other cars they had seen, which lead to three other Corvette restorations of this series, a '58, '59 and a '60, but this is where it all started, the '61 FI.

Other Uses

   These are heater boxes out of a Mercedes. Located next to the battery, the right one had been terribly etched to the point of loosing its strength. reproductions are only available in plastic and do not look original. After treating the cardboard with a saturating stabilizer, the structure and contours were brought back with fiberglass. They were first epoxy primed in black, the heater cores were tanked and pressure tested to 30psi, then all individual components, boxes, cores, metal air intake tubes and brackets, were painted in catalyzed black urethane perfectly matched sheen wise to the various original blacks. All  new felt door seals were made for the inside. THESE assemblies are like new in function and look PERFECT in every way.

***  Just a note about fiberglass and resin ...... it should ONLY be used on itself, or a very porous surface so the resin can soak in and bond. Never on metals or plastics and wood MUST be treated first with a thinner consistency bonding material. NEVER use fiberglass and/or a resin to repair a steel or aluminium body..... IT DOESN'T WORK!  ***