Chip in the glass

This was not helpful.

I took the speedster out of the garage couple days a go. Weather was pushing 55 and it was sunny but windy. I raised the front deck lid, placed the prop in the inverted nipple in the deck lid itself and turned my back for about 30 seconds. Heard the lid fall closed onto the prop due to the wind.

Left with a chip in the edge of the deck lid about 1/2" long running front to back on the edge, not completely through,and the chipped piece is intact. It appears that it could be glued down for now and only show a minor crack around the wound.

Any recommendations on a temporary fix to hold the chipped piece in place?

I had hoped to get another season out of the car before having some other fiberglass issues fixed and the whole thing painted.

Thanks,

Bob

In the typing style of GERD:

SUPER GLUE

Don't get any onya.

That's what I was thinking, Gordon, but I didn't know if there was any weird chemistry here I needed to be thinking about.

Thanks, and I believe GERD (though I have not had the opportunity to make his acquaintance face to face)has not copyrighted the all caps format yet, so you may be safe in using it.

Bob

i agree with Gordon - super glue is the best way to fill it if you have the chip still.

i'd also add (if you have touch up paint) let it fully cure, then use a toothpick to dab a bit of matching paint around the edges of the chip and whip it with a lint free towel before it dries

Thanks, Mango.

I'm really irritated by this as it was totally avoidable. I just shouldn't have left it up in the first place.

Reminds me I need to call Kirk about touch up paint.

Bob

I emailed Kirk at VS about how and where to get some pewter touch up... his reply was "send you some tommorrow". Good guy.

I thought about makeing a strut converon on mine. but i don't think the trunk lid is strong enough to do it In the Doc Hollywood movie the had a mishap and the hood fell while they were fueling the car.. to this day in the opening scenes yo can see the corner of the lid near the windshield standing proud were it cracked the lid.

Concider yourself lucky that it didn.t happen while you were fueling the car.. I wish the lid had a catch that locked into the hood prop rod . that would help prevent such things. in fact I going to come up with one on mine when ii find some free time.


My VW Bug is almost done I got the engine back in today . still have to put the enteior back in where i had it out popping out the passanger side quarter pannel.. I'll have some free time soon I hope..

Barry:

The idea of a catch is a good one. Perhaps a clip like thing that snaps down and around the rod locking it and then snaps back flush inside the dimple, probably a larger dimple area would have to be glassed in to the lid to accomodate the clip.

I used a prop rod from a 1990's Eagle Talon. Fits like it was made for a Speedster.

It has a hook on the top end which fits into a catch I made for near the emergency hook on the hood. Those two latch it in so the wind can't blow the hood around when it's supported on the rod.

Gordon, pictures?

Thanks,

Bob

Later tonight.
Like they say on TV: "Pictures at Eleven!""

Bob, I have a lot of experience with super glue(model airplanes!). Use scotch tape near the edge of the repair area, and press it down hard on any painted areas you want to protect. For larger areas, use blue masking tape. Use vinyl gloves or a sandwich baggie for a finger to wipe it if it oozes out(Damn does it work well on skin, clothes, etc.). Go to Home Depot/Lowe's and get the Gorilla brand superglue. Don't use nail glue or anything from a "dime" store. Freshness is key, use a new, unopened bottle. It should be fairly new if you buy it at the Depot. Gorilla brand is a medium viscosity, which should work for you, as it will fill gaps slightly. Modelers use thin(like water), medium, and thick. Medium is good as it doesn't have a tendency to run, but takes a little longer to set up.

Let us know how you make out. I use superglue to seal holes I drill in the glass body of the car, prevents water from infiltrating the fiberglass.

Here

Dan:

Thanks for the tips. I never would have thought about the different viscosities.

Gordon:

You sly dog. Great idea!

Thanks gentlemen. Tomorrow I am off to Lowes. However I might wait a day or so until the weather, and hence my garage, get a little warmer to do the repair. Just above freezing all day and night.

Bob

Yeah, I went out in a downpour to the garage to get those shots. It's a simple set up that seems to work well, and it was easily made from stuff Chris and I had kicking around in the shop back then.

WX here has been nuts.

71F yesterday morning when we got up at 06:30 and overcast. Started downpouring around 10:30 like you turned on a spigot that was Niagara Falls. Kept on downpouring all day and night. Early this morning the cold front went through and "Whoosh!" Temp dropped from 60's to low 40's in about 10 minutes. Then the rain stopped like that same spigot was turned off - wham. The Marine Air Station on the North side of town is reporting 6.3" of rain in 22 hours.

The Marine fighters (F-18 Hornets) have been practicing carrier touch-and-go's there since last weekend, getting ready to deploy to the Persian Gulf. They kept it up all through the storm. Those guys are TOUGH! But I suppose when you're at an elevated defense level, you go up no matter what.

Gordon:

Served in the Marines 1969 to 1972. You are right, they are nuts, but awfully good at what they do. At one point in my civilian life I had a second floor office with a glass wall that looked out on MCAS El Toro during the build up to Gulf War 1. Watching these guys load up materiel and Marines, day and night for weeks was really impressive, even to an old Marine. Never served with the wing, but always admired them.

Bob

Gordon, I have a lot of fond memories of my service for two years as a guest of the US Navy in Charleston, SC, attached to the 7th Submarine Fleet. I was on a surface support vessel that carried Polaris missles and the nuclear warheads across the Atlantic to a sub base in Rota, Spain, in addition to supporting Polaris launches off of the coast of Cape Canaveral, FL. All of this occurred in the mid-1960s.

We spent 3 months at a shipyard about 20 miles upstream in the Cooper River, called Detyens Shipyard, or something to that effect. Every Friday night, a local bar would have free fried fish and hush puppies for the Navy guys, provided we bought the beer at 25 cents per glass. Before anyone laughs, as an enlisted slave, I was making 15 cents per hour, 24 hours a day. How times have changed!

I have a lot of stories to tell about what I saw around Charleston in those days, and may someday if I make it to Carlisle. All of this was off topic, but it seemed to be drifting anyway.

Regards,
Chuck

Considering that I work on the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, I would love to hear some of your stories, Chuck. The place is very much different, but the vibe is the same.

i was born in Charleston while my father was stationed there with the navy way back in '77. im due for a visit.

Then by all means, come on down.

Paul, I had to laugh at the "way back in '77" comment. I was stationed there in 1966-68. I guess that makes me a Geezer, but I still have a lot of fun with my Speedster. My grandchildren love to ride in the Speedster.

Charleston is a great place to visit. In those days, the only places affordable for Navy enlisted guys in downtown Charleston were the YMCA where we got a shower, locker, and clean cot for 25 cents per night. The other place across the street was the Lutheran Servicemens Center that was set up with TVs, pool tables, and free sandwiches for lunch.

By the time my term was up in the Navy, as a 3rd Class Petty Officer, I had risen to the lofty income of 25 cents per hour, 24 hours a day. The Chief in charge of recruitment actually asked me if I wanted to "ship over," which is Navy lingo for reinlist. I politely said "No Way, are you out of your f**XX@%##$ mind?

Chuck

Charleston has come a long way since the Navy base closed. Just recently Conde Nast Traveler listed it as the #1 place to visit in the US.

Oops, sorry Bob. We've drifted a bit, haven't we?

Lane:

I got the answers I needed from you guys. I love Charleston. What is the name of that restaurant on the second floor of an old building that starts with an A that is near the old market?

Bob

Dunno. You could eat at a different restaurant every day for a year, and still only get the tip of the iceberg here - without touching the chain places. This place is a foodie paradise.