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Mk 1 Rear Light Conversion - Alternative To Welding In Plates


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#1 Metrodave2020

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Posted 11 January 2021 - 10:13 AM

Hello, I don't have welding and metalworking skills and wondered if anyone has bonded in the Mk rear light conversion plates.  Presumably this can be done using glass fibre and filler?  I would like to hear anyone's comments based upon experience or practical observations why this may or may not work.  Cheers

 

David



#2 Ben_O

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Posted 11 January 2021 - 10:55 AM

It's not a great idea as the panels need to be welded in flush with the surrounding steel, something you want be able to achieve with fibreglass and filler.
Your only option would be to cut the returns away from the mk3 pressing and then bond the conversion panels on and blend but they wont look right.
Then of course there is the potential for the filler to crack with vibrations etc.

Best bet would be to find someone to weld them in.

Cheers
Ben

#3 Maccmike8

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Posted 11 January 2021 - 10:55 AM

Hi David, I wouldnt recommend that route.

You fit the conversion plates flush, not overlapping so getting any form of adhesion will be impossible.

It will need painting afterwards anyway so anybody, amateur or pro will be able to weld it for you.



#4 mab01uk

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Posted 11 January 2021 - 12:31 PM

Definitely a welding job needed to look good and last.....



#5 Cooperman

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Posted 11 January 2021 - 02:41 PM

Modern structural adhesives can be excellent if applied properly. They are even used for aircraft structure.
You would need to cut the apertures in the rear panel to exactly match the Mk.1 adaptor plates, ensuring that the alignment is spot-on.
Then make up doubler plates to provide flat lips about 10 mm wide which you could bond to the rear panel. In fact you could also use small countersunk screws to ensure the doublers sit flush to the curved rear panel.
Once the doublers are fitted and the adhesive is fully cured, the Mk
1 adapter panels could be bonded in place, again with smallcountersunk head screws to ensure full surface contact.
That would work well so long as the application of the adhesive is done absolutely correctly and all old paint and primer is first removed and all surfaces de-greases.
Finally a light skim of body filler would complete the job.

 

Edit. : Just to add that when I recently welded a pair of MK.1 rear light plates onto a car I did get a bit of localised distortion. It was easy to remove with a hammer and dolly, but it then needed some body filler to get it right. Using an adhesive should work very well, but the key is to do it exactly as specified by the adhesive manufacturer.

 

I think if I do another I will bond it in place with a Henkel structural 2-pack adhesive. I used some 'Tiger Seal' as an adhesive on my Land-rover Discovery 300TDi recently in a non-structural area and it has worked fine. With a better proper structural adhesive it would be even stronger.


Edited by Cooperman, 14 January 2021 - 05:35 PM.


#6 Metrodave2020

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Posted 16 January 2021 - 05:19 PM

Thank you all for your thoughts.  The bonding actually sounds more complicated than I had hoped but maybe if Cooperman does go down that route he could post some images and givefurther feedback, which would be great.  Cheers, David



#7 Cooperman

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Posted 17 January 2021 - 02:47 PM

You have a PM.

#8 myredmini

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Posted 17 January 2021 - 02:59 PM

Thank you all for your thoughts.  The bonding actually sounds more complicated than I had hoped but maybe if Cooperman does go down that route he could post some images and givefurther feedback, which would be great.  Cheers, David

 

I see you are in Darlington, I am based in Middlesbrough and am a one man band at Retrospec Teesside specialising in minis. If you would like to chat about me welding them in for you, contact me on here or I am on facebook and you can see my work and also contact me through there.

 

Thanks

Dan



#9 Maccmike8

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Posted 17 January 2021 - 04:30 PM

^ take him up.






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