Inner wheel well fabrication

The firewall on CMC's is made with straight fiberglass. Is this safe from flying objects (from the tires?).

If not, I am considering fabricating some aluminum pieces to make it stonger. Has anyone done this (TC???). If so do you have a template?

Thanks
Todd

how about a layer of undercoating?

..that stuff they shoot on truck-beds (Rhino coating?) would probably do the trick!

Take one of the inner panels and hit it with a hammer, trust me on this it isn't going to break and a tossed up rock will bearly nick it.

I like the undercoating (the thick stuff) to deaden noise.

I made mine out of nylon sheat stock from Mac Master Karr.

They realy did the trick both front and rear. you make cardboard patterns for each wheel well then trace and cut the nylon .

I used black urathane gutter caulk to glue them in .( its as tough as tire rubber)

Joe Soltis did an incredible job on his, check this out.
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Barry,

Where did you grab up that urethane gutter caulk?

Sounds like it has a lots of uses . . .

TC, Auto-body supply. Urethane adhesive. Wow is it strong. 3m makes it.

That stuff is a miracle in a tube, way better than seam sealer and hides a "multitude of sin ". After pumping the caulk out of the tube, finish it off with a light sweep of a brush for a finished look.

Yelp thats right tey are almost the same. But building supplier type caulk was just a schose more elactic. and a real pain to remove if you don't clean it up before it sets. It is touch. I used the Napa Kleam Easy Bug and tar and wax remover to clean up behind it as I applied The K.E. wont hurt you paint work and is laquer and Base coat clear Urethane safe.

Yelp you can even thin it down and spray it as a under coater. but you need the right thinner just ask a automotive paint supplier depending on the calk brands the thinner may change eather acedtone bases or acrillic based You,ll have do some trial and error. But you'll know instantly if its right

It will be globby while stirring it, when wrong and silky smoothe when right.

On the last episode of Trucks the guys are customizing an old '56 Ford F-100 pickup truck and they are adding wider fiberglass fenders to accommodate wider wheels & tires. They used that rhino lining that Jim mentioned to protect the inside of the fenders.

A neighbor just had the Rhino Lining done on his '41 Willy's tilt nose, not only to protect the fiberglass from stones but it made it stronger with minimal flex.

The gummint is interested in Rhino as a coating for preventing damage from bombs. They tested a cinderblock structure, half coated with Rhino, half uncoated. The part coated with Rhino was intact while the uncoated part was in a pile. Interesting.
ed

...I'm lining my bathrooms walls with Rhino!

I recemend Morton bed liner coating, If your restoring a vw
It matches the old stuff perfectly and you can roll it on.

But if I were to build another replica. Id use the rubbery caulk its like a rubber mat.

My previous experiences with Rino coatings is best left unspoken. It may have been a prep problem by the custmer. But one thing is for sure it didn,t stay on the car as it should over time.

...uh, I'm lining my bathroom walls with Morton's!

Im not going to blame the product. Remeber if the body under a older car is not cleaned and properly prepaired won,t nothing stick. even if its been stripped media blasted and degreased is no garintee of a good appication. It got me trouble once . I finaly gave up and told the guy to dismanle it and have it chem stripped in a car vat. I ate the material bill and laber. I didn,t think he would do it because of the cost. of dismantling a 55 packard carbean.

He must realy love that car ,It got dipped and came back like a ghost to haunt me. But it went very well. and I was even pleased.but I did not make any real profit on the car and it was my very last customer. I went back to public work.