There is a crack in my plastic grill! HELP !!!

[70Cuda]

That's a very good article posting and I did many of the same things on my "junk" grill - I say that because the body shop wouldn't touch it and told me to get a new one but I saved what I had with some work.

I would suggest not just using sheet metal but rather go to your local lumber yard and get some of those galvanized steel roof valley shinges instead.  They are very thin, easy to cut and unlike sheet metal, won't rust and mine have been in place for 5+ years with no issues.

Also, when you are trying to patch stuff front and back, do make the vee's and don't be afraid to drill small holes through since in the end the SEM material will go through front to back and hold things in place better since it isn't just sitting on the surface.  I've repaired my '70 'Cuda and '71 Challenger grills this way and it looks great and holds up.

Good luck with yours, these kind of repairs are very doable for those willing to spend the time.

[GranCuda1970]

Good idea with the roofing flashing.

[CudaNut]

I use "gutter guard" that perforated expanded metal used to cover rain gutters on the flexible areas. It's easy to cut and form to contours and once you put the 3M or SEM repair glue over it it makes a very strong but flexible repair.

[Aracer]

I didn't know of any thing else at the time but I used JB weld epoxy. I put scotch tape on the front then dusted it from the back with sanded gray plastic, applied the epoxy in thin coats from the back to fill a v gap, and pasted the crack up the back. I smeared some aluminum anti seize compound on the front side of the epoxy to hide it temporally, until a repaint. 

[TinCuda]

I didn't know of any thing else at the time but I used JB weld epoxy. I put scotch tape on the front then dusted it from the back with sanded gray plastic, applied the epoxy in thin coats from the back to fill a v gap, and pasted the crack up the back. I smeared some aluminum anti seize compound on the front side of the epoxy to hide it temporally, until a repaint.

Is this something that you did some time ago?   Did the J B Weld hold up ok?


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[70Cuda]

The SEM product is great and is the way to go even if JBWeld happened to work.

[FY1Cuda]

I just finished using a product similar to JB Weld to fix the crack in ours.  It's PC-7, a two-part epoxy paste.  I used it a few years ago, and when the car got smashed on the freeway, the crack in the center of the grill reappeared.  Use a Dremel tool or small file to grind out the crack to a "V", blow it out with air,  tape off where you don't want the glue, put the epoxy paste in the crack.  When it starts to finally cure in a few hours, you can press it in further and do final shaping.   Use Bondo or glazing to get the shape just right. Wet sand it to shape. and topcoat.  You can do the repair with the grill in place if it's the front point where they all crack.  Then you don't have to bump it around.  If you don't have the paint that was originally used, then you have to take it out and mask off the black areas (a pain).
If you have the grill out, Do what CudaNut said and reinforce the joint underneath with some mesh or wire

[Aracer]

JB still holding from 1984 on the 68 cuda finned grill, it's the same color grey; and good on the 74's beak crack. 

[TinCuda]

JB still holding from 1984 on the 68 cuda finned grill, it's the same color grey; and good on the 74's beak crack.

Cool,  thanks.


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