front fender pot metal edging

[rlibew]

I'm in need of the trim piece that bolts to the front fender leading edge, looks like a horse shoe. Mine are missing the pot metal fastening bolts and previous owners have drilled and installed flat head screws through the face. Are there new ones available or has anyone come up with a repair for this item.

[Ford Blue blood]

I have used "bondo" to repair pot metal before.  Sand blast the surface, spread the bondo and work just as on sheet metal.  You need to make sure all the bondo is sealed with a good eurethane primer as the slightest bit of moisture will cause it to lift.  You can use the bondo to "glue them in place as well, again make sure all is sealed up well.

JB Weld is good as well, harder to work with but will do the job with more effort.  I like to sand blast the surface to give a "bite" for either to get ahold of.

[rlibew]

So you are saying to forget about the mounting bolts and to JP weld or bondo them in place. I have thought about that, but have seen a few with this piece chrome plated and I thought this was a good look. 

[gasman826]

Panel adhesive.  Modern technology.  Water proof.  Heat to release.

[Ford Blue blood]

Panel adhesive.  Modern technology.  Water proof.  Heat to release.

That too.......!

[RICH MUISE]

I think the problem with the panel adhesive is that there is too little contact area. I wanted to mold mine in to eliminate the seam. I am anticipating a problem down the road with mine. I had all the mounting studs, used a loctite epoxy glue and filled the voids as much as posible. I filled in that I couldn't epoxy glue with epoxy putty, then finished the seam with bondo. Everything was roughed up with a wire brush prior to the application of the epoxies. I let it sit for almost a year before I painted....no cracks...so I thought ok. One day I had them sitting outside in the sun while I was reorganizing, and noticed a "step" in one of the fenders when I walked by. I got the fender out of the sun right away, and later the step, or, buldge, disappeared. Never cracked, buut I'm willing to bet down the road with normal wear and tear, it's gonna crack.
Moral of the story...I wouldn't recommend bonding and filling in the eyebrow as I did. I think the eyebrow just has an expansion rate so different from the fender, it won't hold. 
I did try to make some tubing pieces that could be welded on, but that ended up just being a waste of 2 days. Making a sheetmetal eyebrow that could be welded on would be the best way to go, but for sure is WAY out of my capabilities.

[RICH MUISE]

One thing you may try to fix yours...get some long flat head machine screws the size the previous owner used, make sure the c'sink is big enough to get the head of the screws below the surface. Lock the screws in with nuts from the backside, using an epoxy glue at the same time on the screw heads. Install the eyebrows with nuts and washers, then go back and fill in over the screws with bondo. This should work, and allow you to get them on without trying to hide the seams.
Just an idea.

[rlibew]

Thank you again, I think your approach may be the best and I will try this on the worst of the two as I have located some the replace if it is not successful

[gasman826]

Time will tell.  That's the problem with using modern technology, we're the guinea pigs.  Incompatibility of different materials has always been a problem.  My fender extensions/eye brows (on both ends) have been 'glued' in for a couple of years.  So far, no cracks(knock on wood).  I used 3M body adhesive.  After cure time, a layer of All Metal and then filler.  I used All Metal over all welds and joints to insure joint strength and water barrier.  Filler and primers (except epoxy)are not water proof.  All Metal is. 
It has sat in the sun several times.  I did not notice any movement but I wasn't looking for it.  Now I will be looking for movement.  I think that if there was movement, there would be cracks in the paint.

[RICH MUISE]

Gary...what's Allmetal?

[gasman826]

US Chemical (USC) All Metal and others (SEM, Evercoat) are sold by Painters Supply, Eastwood and others.  It is often described as a lead substitute.  Plastic fillers should be limited to 1/8-3/16" thickness.  If more is required, such as a panel replacement, use All Metal rather than lead.  Since '57s came from the factory with lead in them and is sometimes showing signs of failure, I removed all the lead and replaced it with All Metal.  Any place where there is any possibility of moisture (welds, joints...) or where more than 3/16" filler is needed, I used ALL Metal.  It bonds aggressively and has fibers for strength.  It does NOT finish well and requires a filler coat.  So, every finish surface where I used panel adhesive got a coat of All Metal and then a coat of filler for the finish work.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks for the info. Is this applied like lead with heat and paddles and tinning, or like body filler.?

[gasman826]

Applies just like filler.  Put some on a board, squeeze out some hardener/activator from a tube (not too much or it will get hot and hard, no too little or it will never set up), mix it well and squeegee it on before it sets up.