Crushed Vert

[Ich_Will]

I’m guessing someone here has dealt with this. The A pillars are bent and the top is snapped. Any great tips? Is it just as simple as using the windshield to reform it? Will heat help? Thanks in advance 

[espo]

Using the windshield to hold everything in place while you glue it sounds like a good idea. You want to be very careful not to glue the windshield in place. A little heat might be a good idea for what looks like a stress point at the top of the A pillar on the driver's side. The broken edges should line up ok, but the top of the A pillar will have to be finessed a little. After everything is lined up the way you want it you can use a little super glue for a permanent repair.    

[Oldcarfan27]

It's probably best not to glue it together until you are near ready to finish it. With all of the handling, painting and polishing, it'll probably break again and then your worse off than before. I suggest taking off that blasted support strap (that was supposed to keep it from breaking, gently bend the bent posts back into position and tape it along with a splint so it doesn't get damaged more. Carefully remove the tape and splint right before you are going to glue the windshield in place to keep glue buildup to a minimum.

[Snake45]

The break's an easy fix, and the bend MIGHT work itself out with windshield installation (last year I restored an original Monkeemobile that had an even worse bend than that, but it straightened right up with careful gluing and clamping of the windshield--I was amazed)--but BOTH together compounds the problem. 

Here's how I THINK I might handle this: 

1. Remove the support brace--it'll just get in the way. 

2. Try to bend both A-pillars back as straight as possible. 

3. Tape the windshield in place with masking tape. You might be surprised at how well everything fits. (I was with that Monkeemobile.) 

4. Remove JUST enough tape to superglue or epoxy the windshield to the A-pillar on one side--I'd go with the right, since it's straighter. LET DRY/CURE THOROUGHLY. 

5. Repeat step #4 for the other side. You might have to bend the A-pillar away a little to get your glue in. Again, let cure thoroughly. 

6. Superglue or epoxy the top of the frame to the top of the windshield. There might or might not be a small crack or gap. Don't worry about it. 

7. Reinforce the joint by running epoxy all along the edges of the windshield and frame (on the backside only). 

8. Fill any gap or crack on the top of the frame. 

Did I mention I would do all of this FIRST THING before doing anything else on the model? That way if it doesn't work, I haven't wasted time ruining a body I've put a bunch of other work into. So then, step 9 is: 

9. Mask off the windshield front and back with tape or liquid mask. Proceed with building/painting/finishing as normal. You won't remove the masking until the rest of the body is painted, polished, and finished. 

 

[Ich_Will]

On 7/15/2018 at 7:46 AM, Snake45 said:

The break's an easy fix, and the bend MIGHT work itself out with windshield installation (last year I restored an original Monkeemobile that had an even worse bend than that, but it straightened right up with careful gluing and clamping of the windshield--I was amazed)--but BOTH together compounds the problem. 

Here's how I THINK I might handle this: 

1. Remove the support brace--it'll just get in the way. 

2. Try to bend both A-pillars back as straight as possible. 

3. Tape the windshield in place with masking tape. You might be surprised at how well everything fits. (I was with that Monkeemobile.) 

4. Remove JUST enough tape to superglue or epoxy the windshield to the A-pillar on one side--I'd go with the right, since it's straighter. LET DRY/CURE THOROUGHLY. 

5. Repeat step #4 for the other side. You might have to bend the A-pillar away a little to get your glue in. Again, let cure thoroughly. 

6. Superglue or epoxy the top of the frame to the top of the windshield. There might or might not be a small crack or gap. Don't worry about it. 

7. Reinforce the joint by running epoxy all along the edges of the windshield and frame (on the backside only). 

8. Fill any gap or crack on the top of the frame. 

Did I mention I would do all of this FIRST THING before doing anything else on the model? That way if it doesn't work, I haven't wasted time ruining a body I've put a bunch of other work into. So then, step 9 is: 

9. Mask off the windshield front and back with tape or liquid mask. Proceed with building/painting/finishing as normal. You won't remove the masking until the rest of the body is painted, polished, and finished. 

 

Great step by step! Thanks. And good point doing it first. 

[Rodent]

Don't use super glue on the clear windshield. 

[Rat Roaster]

That's an easy one. I fix 'em with boiling hot water, a Pyrex measuring cup, and neoprene gloves.

Of course, the other end of the body went into the paint stripper once the patient survived the operation.

Edited July 21, 2018 by Rat Roaster