Pointers on repairing stock FC front air dam

Pete_89T2 · 05-08-2013, 09:01 PM

After getting one of those hard to find stock front lip spoilers for my FC, I had the unfortunate experience this weekend of mangling it. Could have been a lot worse, country road I was on went from nice pavement to gravel with no signs or warnings. Damned MD DOT.... Anyway, here's the damage:

May be hard to see, but there's about a 3~4 inch crack along the top edge, and a bit of gouging from the gravel. If I can find a replacement it will cost about $350 or so, but that is unlikely since when I bought this one a year ago, Ray Crowe said there were only a couple left in the US. So that leaves a repair. Got a few estimates from local body shops, and we're talking at least $400 to fix this thing.

Has anyone done a successful DIY repair on these urethane parts that could recommend the appropriate fillers, adhesives and/or plastic welding products that I could use to repair & refinish this thing?

After removing it from the car, it looks like I can get the crack to close up nicely, and use an appropriate adhesive/epoxy on the back side to hold it together and give it the necessary strength to stay together. Then some sanding & filling/shaping and more sanding to get rid of the scrapes & gouges, and finally prime & paint it.

knonfs · 05-24-2013, 10:12 AM

I have zero experience with those, but have done lots of repairs on motorcycle fairings. I use the epoxy for plastics, the one that comes in a double syringe, and basically follow the same process as when welding plastic.

You can sand the plastic epoxy fairly easy, your cost will be painting it.

GySgtFrank · 05-24-2013, 11:20 AM

Go down to the local supply store used by the body shops, not just the corner O'Reilly's. 3M makes a urethane bumper adhesive and filler. Personally I wouldn't trust any other brand of products for it, as the part has to be able to flex. It looks like a fairly straightforward repair and shouldn't be all that difficult. Lots of sanding and the paint matching can get a little tricky.

Again take a paint chip down to the supply store. Most have a color analyzer that can scan the chip and match up the color and provide you with the small amounts of primer, color, clear, and catalysts you will need. Use a good automotive paint, not cheap stuff, if you want professional results. The folks there can typically give you some pretty good advice.

It's $400 for a reason, the materials are expensive and there is a lot of time involved, but it's your time so that should help.

knonfs · 05-24-2013, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GySgtFrank

Go down to the local supply store used by the body shops, not just the corner O'Reilly's. 3M makes a urethane bumper adhesive and filler. Personally I wouldn't trust any other brand of products for it, as the part has to be able to flex. It looks like a fairly straightforward repair and shouldn't be all that difficult. Lots of sanding and the paint matching can get a little tricky.

Again take a paint chip down to the supply store. Most have a color analyzer that can scan the chip and match up the color and provide you with the small amounts of primer, color, clear, and catalysts you will need. Use a good automotive paint, not cheap stuff, if you want professional results. The folks there can typically give you some pretty good advice.

It's $400 for a reason, the materials are expensive and there is a lot of time involved, but it's your time so that should help.

Since its a OEM part, he should be able to get the OEM black for S5 fc3s right of the books. I have had mixed results when scanning paint colors

Pete_89T2 · 05-24-2013, 04:49 PM

Well I did a little research on the net and basically came to the same conclusion Gunny did. Ended up purchasing a 3M urethane bumper repair kit that has a 2 part epoxy adhesive/filler and backing mesh. The kit is specifically designed to work with flexible urethane body parts, and I had to buy it at local body & paint supply shop. Repaired the crack, and filled the deepest gouges on the surface myself, but I outsourced the rest of the job to a local body shop to take care of final surface finish smoothing, prep & paint work. Looks & works as good as new! Total cost including the 3M kit was about $250, which beats buying a new one from Mazda for about $415. BTW, when I called Ray Crowe to check on price/availability he said there was only ONE left in the US that is the same Brilliant Black paint.

GySgtFrank · 05-24-2013, 06:55 PM

Good deal. Glad you're happy with it. Try not to hit them thar rocks. They leave ow'ies.

05-24-2013, 11:20 AM	#3
GySgtFrank Professional Stick Poker Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Stafford, Ks. iTrader: (0) Posts: 1,005 Rep Power: 15	Go down to the local supply store used by the body shops, not just the corner O'Reilly's. 3M makes a urethane bumper adhesive and filler. Personally I wouldn't trust any other brand of products for it, as the part has to be able to flex. It looks like a fairly straightforward repair and shouldn't be all that difficult. Lots of sanding and the paint matching can get a little tricky. Again take a paint chip down to the supply store. Most have a color analyzer that can scan the chip and match up the color and provide you with the small amounts of primer, color, clear, and catalysts you will need. Use a good automotive paint, not cheap stuff, if you want professional results. The folks there can typically give you some pretty good advice. It's $400 for a reason, the materials are expensive and there is a lot of time involved, but it's your time so that should help. __________________ 1979 SA22C (parts of one anyway) http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_foru...ad.php?t=15585 1975 MG Midget (building) http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_foru...ad.php?t=18681 1988 N/A SE model FC, dead stock and less than 85k on the clock. This one actually runs, so I don't fuck with it.

05-24-2013, 04:49 PM	#5
Pete_89T2 Lifetime Rotorhead Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Elkton, MD iTrader: (1) Posts: 874 Rep Power: 15	Well I did a little research on the net and basically came to the same conclusion Gunny did. Ended up purchasing a 3M urethane bumper repair kit that has a 2 part epoxy adhesive/filler and backing mesh. The kit is specifically designed to work with flexible urethane body parts, and I had to buy it at local body & paint supply shop. Repaired the crack, and filled the deepest gouges on the surface myself, but I outsourced the rest of the job to a local body shop to take care of final surface finish smoothing, prep & paint work. Looks & works as good as new! Total cost including the 3M kit was about $250, which beats buying a new one from Mazda for about $415. BTW, when I called Ray Crowe to check on price/availability he said there was only ONE left in the US that is the same Brilliant Black paint. Last edited by Pete_89T2; 05-24-2013 at 04:57 PM..

05-24-2013, 06:55 PM	#6
GySgtFrank Professional Stick Poker Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Stafford, Ks. iTrader: (0) Posts: 1,005 Rep Power: 15	Good deal. Glad you're happy with it. Try not to hit them thar rocks. They leave ow'ies. __________________ 1979 SA22C (parts of one anyway) http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_foru...ad.php?t=15585 1975 MG Midget (building) http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_foru...ad.php?t=18681 1988 N/A SE model FC, dead stock and less than 85k on the clock. This one actually runs, so I don't fuck with it.

05-24-2013, 10:12 AM	#2
knonfs Rotary Fan in Training Join Date: Mar 2008 iTrader: (0) Posts: 86 Rep Power: 17	I have zero experience with those, but have done lots of repairs on motorcycle fairings. I use the epoxy for plastics, the one that comes in a double syringe, and basically follow the same process as when welding plastic. You can sand the plastic epoxy fairly easy, your cost will be painting it.