Bumper gaps

[theholycow]

I was thinking of laminating .060" EPDM rubber roofing to it, but spray-on or roll-on liquid that goes on thick or textured could do nicely. Bedliner is definitely a good choice. I have some aerosol Plasti-Dip but it may not be thick enough. There's some cool textured spray paints that I can probably get in some sort of blue...might look too interesting though.

I would suggest over the counter fiberglass. Providing you have a sander and paint its a very easy and effective solution to quick body alterations. You can pick up the Resin and reactive agent along with the sheets of fiber itself at any hardware store. Make sure you go for the finely woven sheets as they are better suited towards smaller applications and are much easier to cut.

[theholycow]

I removed all the remaining rotten rubber/plastic crap and the brackets/bolts that hold it on. Then I made end gap fillers from coroplast. I still need to figure out what to do with the top gaps. I was going to do the plexiglas thing but I'm terrible at cutting it so I think I'm just going to use wood (maybe with rubber laminated on).

Looking at those end gaps I realized my rear bumper was acting as a parachute and covering the rear bumper's end gaps would have to be a good thing. It bolts on to the car and overlaps the bumper without attaching. I thought the coroplast wouldn't be stiff enough but it's stiffer in this application than I thought. Still, I used 3 dabs of silicone to glue it to the inside of the bumper.

I bought some paint at the parts store that looks similar. In the photo it looks dead on but in person you can tell it's different. It's good enough for this stuff.

[theholycow]

Also, while working on the bumper gaps, I've noticed how awful the underside is near the bumpers. This car is definitely a candidate for belly pan work. It's got parachute shaped areas in front of the front wheels that will be quick work and possibly major improvements.

There's a big opening between the bumper and the air dam but I want to keep that open to push wind up into the radiator, this engine needs all the cooling it can get. I also don't want to close in the engine bay, again because of cooling needs. There's some other places, though...

[GasSavers_BEEF]

one thing I noticed with the plexi-glass is that if you mark it with a sharpie (or other permanent marker) and use a dremel cutting wheel, it cuts relatively easy. they are the potato chip ones that snap if you turn them wrong. I will admit it takes a while but the finished product is much better than using a jig saw regardless of tooth pitch.

what I did was to cut out the basic shape and use a sander to clean up the edges that are going to be all melted and what not.

the coroplast does look good though.

[BamZipPow]

Something you might want to consider is some rubber baseboard. It's flimsy and will require some backing support.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Rubber baseboard is a good idea, and you should be able to order it in a medium blue-gray which should work with that color paint.

[theholycow]

I hadn't thought of that but it won't work. It's way too flexible. I need something stiff.

I don't know if I have the patience to cut that much plexiglas with dremel abrasive cutoff wheels. No edges will be exposed so I wouldn't have to sand it, at least. I wonder if an abrasive wheel in a circular saw would work...works great on vinyl siding but that's less brittle.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

they make more agressive cut off wheels for the dremel or you could just use an angle grinder. I still think it would have to be slow regardless. you aren't in a big hurry and you already have the plexi- I would just take my time and do it slow especially since all it will cost you is the electricity to do it (and some time).

that's how I did my bumper so long ago.

[JanGeo]

I cut a 15 inch diameter circle with a 1/4 inch spiral edge router bit with a 1hp variable speed router lowest speed and didn't have any problems cutting 1/4 inch plexi. It gave a smooth cut finish but not clear. Too bad you can't find some thermal plastic sheeting like rubbermaid containers are made from. Maybe duct tape and a thick layer of vinyl dip sprayed on it . . . Or thermal plastic ... Hummm.

Www.smooth-on.com