Center console repair 280z

[MH77280Z]

Has anyone tried doing a fiberglass repair on this portion of the center console? mine is in decent shape except the rear inner section of the arm rest. Any ideas? previous threads or videos would be great.

[Yarb]

Go by a Car audio installation business and buy a piece of plastic from them that they use to make face plates with.

[Patcon]

Do you have the other pieces to fill the hole?

[MH77280Z]

7 minutes ago, Patcon said:

Do you have the other pieces to fill the hole?

No, i dont have the pieces. I was thinking like @Yarb mentioned to use some plastic same thickness and then use fiber instead of using all fiber which might be too messy and also uneven etc.

[Patcon]

Too bad you can't find a donor console. It is much easier to plastic weld something if you have the same plastic as a donor. I have done alot of plastic welding. An old glove box door might work as a donor. You can use a soldering iron as a plastic welder. Then knock down the repair with a grinder. Texture with some SEM spray

[MH77280Z]

Finally found a donor. Here is some progress. Not an excellent fix but coming along. I was able to put a JB weld on the outside while keeping it taped on the inside so that it does not spill inside. Seems like it worked well. Now planning to use a heat gun to melt some plastic and even out the surface in the inside and probably some light black spray coat.

I am also planning to put some fiber glass strips on the outside underneath where it starts to crack mostly to avoid future damage. Will keep posted.

Edited April 19, 2024 by MH77280Z

[MH77280Z]

The fiberglass single layer is strong enough for this application. I am thinking to just mask the inside and use a bead of bondo to close the gap instead of plastic weld which is a messy work. Light black paint after that. Any thoughts?

Edited April 24, 2024 by MH77280Z

[Captain Obvious]

I like it. It's not a particularly stressed part. I say use whatever to make it hold together.

Out of curiosity however... If you found a donor, why not just use the whole donor? Was it damaged in a different location or something?

[zKars]

Plastic repair is one of those things I’ve been experimenting with frequently in the last year or so. The usual, interior plastic panels, consoles yes, broken eye glass frames, toy repair, you name it.

These are my favorite findings and tools

1. Plastic welding. Basically a wide flat soldering iron with filler “wire” of various plastic species. Melt the substrate, add filler, smear it all over.

2. Wire staples in various shapes, that you heat up and press across a crack that melt then harden into the plastic thickness, binding the two sides together. 

3. Build up missing areas with UV cure epoxy resin. This is my new favorite. Also makes a good glue for plastics. Used to buy in small expensive gluing kits (Goggle Bondic) but now UV cure resins are everywhere in the hobby world and are cheap. 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2024 by zKars

[MH77280Z]

1 hour ago, Captain Obvious said:

I like it. It's not a particularly stressed part. I say use whatever to make it hold together.

Out of curiosity however... If you found a donor, why not just use the whole donor? Was it damaged in a different location or something?

Yes, donor was pretty heavily damaged in other places plus mine also has a lid/armrest to cover this pocket which i have taken off for now. Donor didnt had the armrest.

Edited April 24, 2024 by MH77280Z

[MH77280Z]

27 minutes ago, zKars said:

Plastic repair is one of those things I’ve been experimenting with frequently in the last year or so. The usual, interior plastic panels, consoles yes, broken eye glass frames, toy repair, you name it.

These are my favorite findings and tools

1. Plastic welding. Basically a wide flat soldering iron with filler “wire” of various plastic species. Melt the substrate, add filler, smear it all over.

2. Wire staples in various shapes, that you heat up and press across a crack that melt then harden into the plastic thickness, binding the two sides together. 

3. Build up missing areas with UV cure epoxy resin. This is my new favorite. Also makes a good glue for plastics. Used to buy in small expensive gluing kits (Goggle Bondic) but now UV cure resins are everywhere in the hobby world and are cheap. 

 

 

I was thinking about plastic weld but this piece is already attached on the outside with JB Weld. Inside the crease seems to be no more than 1-2 mm. Thats why i feel bondo might be a better option as it wont mess up the plastic around which plastic welding will and epoxy is very hard to sand after it is set. Will spot test this product and will report back.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bondo-Glazing-and-Spot-Putty-00907ES-4-5-oz-1-Tube/16927984?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5435&adid=2222222227716927984_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9032151&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16927984&wl13=5435&veh=sem_LIA&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=2222222223716927984_117755028669_12420145346&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9032151&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16927984&veh=sem&gad_source=4&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVCb3MAiZZ7fniP_GEnK1Ce8a0edcONIymlO-a23xqCLkPsh0skynYhoCztIQAvD_BwE

[Captain Obvious]

22 hours ago, MH77280Z said:

Yes, donor was pretty heavily damaged in other places plus mine also has a lid

Gotcha. And a couple comments about that spot / glazing putty:

It's solvent based and because of that, it shrinks a lot as the solvent evaporates. Thin coats only to build up a deeper wound. Also it will likely etch into the PVC that the center console is made out of. That PVC is low on the chemical resistance chart. And lastly, be aware that filler has no mechanical strength on it's own. Think of it as "spraying a whole bunch of coats of sandable primer". (If that makes sense.   )

I've found that JB weld sands OK with the correct low load paper.