| dingerjunkie |
Wed Dec 10, 2025 2:44 pm |
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Okay, this is a weird topic, I think. Hoping someone may have ideas.
I purchased some NOS fiberglass speaker-molded kick panels for our '71 coupe project. They didn't seem like they'd fit at all...then I realized what had happened.
It seems the the gelcoat side of the castings shrunk, resulting in "curled edges", after years of temperature/heat cycling. I can stress them and almost get them as I need them, but am concerned about creating a surface crack and spiderwebbing.
Is it possible to use heat to soften molded fiberglass enough to "straighten back to as molded" with something like these kick panels? Any other approaches to correcting a post-mold shrink/deformity in molded fiberglass parts? |
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| crocteau |
Wed Dec 10, 2025 3:47 pm |
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| dingerjunkie wrote: Is it possible to use heat to soften molded fiberglass enough to "straighten back to as molded" with something like these kick panels? I'd advise against using an open flame, but FWIW I used a heat gun to get a stress-free fit with fiberglass speaker panels for my Ghia. I found the edges started to fray a bit where the gel coat was thin, so some 3M fiberglass resin was useful. Since I covered the panels with fabric any rough areas or blemishes I caused by overheating are invisible. Go for it :wink: |
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