Technique for grafting parts.

[Corvette Ron]

Assuming I can find the parts of course. I want to graft a body panel from one 1:25 kit to another. This would be the "gill" panel from a 65/66 Corvette to a 67.

What is the proper way to do this?

I am trying to recreate the 65 convertible I used to own during my misspent youth.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I do a lot of hacking, splicing and heavy mods (this is some of my work-in-progress)

I would respectfully suggest that measuring and cutting CAREFULLY are the most important parts of the procedure.

If you're NOT concerned with saving the '65-'66 donor, cut the area you want to transplant somewhat larger than what you think you'll need, and cut far enough away from the gill detail so you won't go into it during the graft. Cut the receiving body a little undersize, so you can CAREFULLY file it to EXACTLY follow the lines of the transplanted part.

NOTE: To get the cleanest job on this vintage Corvette, I'd personally cut both lower fender panels away from the bodies on the door cut-lines and at the character line (the raised peak on the fender). I'd CAREFULLY fit the panel to be transplanted to the body that's receiving it, being very CAREFUL to get the wheel openings, the door cut-lines and the character lines lined up PERFECTLY.

Use a 32-tooth per inch razor saw to make the cut on the character line, and deeply scribe the door cutline with an X-acto or the tip of the razor saw, then snap it off.

Because you cut the receiving body undersize, you can file the area CAREFULLY right up to the character line and the door cut-line. And because you cut the donor panel area slightly OVERSIZE, you can file the new panel to match the cut-out portion of the receiving body.

Doing the graft on the character line and the door cut-line allows you to hide the graft in the cut-line by simply re-scribing it once your glue has set up, and hiding the graft and finishing bodywork on the edge of the character line is far far easier than trying to do bodywork in the panel, adjacent to the gills.

Again, get things fitting PERFECTLY, and use a quality liquid cement to put everything back together. LET IT DRY THOROUGHLY. You will definitely want to reinforce the back-side of the graft seams with something. I personally use epoxy resin and very fine fiberglass cloth for this, but a lot of folks seem to have good results using strips of sheet styrene.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Corvette Ron]

Thank you! I also found some tips on Youtube last night from someone called "Fast Jimmy". I might do better grafting the entire front clip from a 65/66 coupe.