KBD85

This build has started and proved to be a little more challenging than the front bumper grafting. my idea here is to have it smooth to match the same plane as the surface surounding the tail lights. there is a body line around the whole perimeter of these TA's that i want to incorporate thru the bumper. so you will see the section i added to the top of this bumper and it angles with the same plane as the surround fo the tail lights, then it angles back in to match the same way the body angle in. I hope this isnt sounding too damn confussing! im having a hard time trying to explain this. so lets just start with the pics and have the coments begin and see what we get here.

to be honest im still 50/50 on this build. i will love to hear what you have to say.!

Ken

KBD85

so these pics are showing where i have measured to cut the cover and bring it in. i measured 5 inches back from the front edge of the cover to mark where to cut the face i want to use.

KBD85

here i have removed the impact "egg carton" thing and then i had to remove the impact bar. this part could get interesting. it appeard that i could keep the impact bar, but i am seeing now that i may at the least have to cut off some of the edges to make it narrower, at worst case i may have to loose it completly and fabricate my own with angle iron or something. ill cross that bridge when i get it assembled and see the room that i have. the challenge with this i can see is going to have to fab around the peremiter. the face of this cover is smaller than the area i want to fill at the shaved level. so i have to come up with about 2 inches around the whole face.

KBD85

alright, here we have some shots of how it may look. just sizing up what to trim here and how to start fitment.

KBD85

just a few more pics of how it may look

KBD85

here i have cut the sides to a bit of an angle to start the roll around the sides.

KBD85

a few more pics of this stage

KBD85

K, here i am starting to take stuff of a donor cover to create the filler around the cover. i have to make it all larger, but keep the lines in the right spot. I am starting with cutting a piece to fill the space i need at the top. this will create my body line i want to follow from around the car. so it will slightly come out, then the origonal cover will start the angle back in.

KBD85

a few more of the same upper filler.

KBD85

alright, sick of this yet? so here i am measuring and cutting the bottom space that i will need to fill. the ground effect is going to have to grow a little to stay proportionaly correct, so i have cut off the GFX from the donor, and lowered it slightly to get the effect i need. im getting close to where i need to start to epoxy this stuff together.

KBD85

a few more

KBD85

alright, time to bombard you with a ton of pics. this is about where im at. i am off to get panel bond. ENJOY! let me know what you think!!!!!!!

Ken

KBD85

batch 2

KBD85

batch 3

KBD85

batch 4

KBD85

batch 5

LX_SS

indeed very very interesting, i was wondering what could he do to the rear bumper but i'm liking where this is headed.

edit : possibly flaring the corners to match the sides would most likely make the most visual change at that point.

stealtht/a

iTrader: (1)

Looks like it will come out pretty well.
I've thought about doing this as well, but I think it would look best if the bottom of the bumper cover was a lot lower, maybe by adding a rear valance or fake diffuser.
It seem the underside of the rear might be too visible otherwise.
Nice work!

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

Reminds me of this prototype Alfa Romeo minus the black bumper blocks.

KBD85

Yes stealthta, your right, and I'm almost there. I am bringing the lower ground effect down by adding to it from a donor bumper, the ground effect will be a few inches lower. Should have pics in a day or two.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

I am looking to do this on my car I have a picture of one that looks great but he had a different wing on his

KBD85

And to MY87LT I'm not sure if I'm being mocked

KBD85

Mirror image.... I would LOVE to see the pic. I've seen allot photo shopped. But none done.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

this is it it looks bad *** I was going to do this to my car but with my wing wont look as good as this one

LX_SS

isnt that red one a photoshop ?

KBD85

OHHHH YEAAAHHHHH i love it!! that is where im headin with mine. that is way cool! thanks for the pic!

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

Not at all. I always liked that look on cars. That why I posted the Alfa pic. Like the Maserati Bora rear end too. Besides. I feel that the Firebird/Trans Am bodied F cars carry the shaved rear bumper better than a Camaro can. Kindda like the notchback looks better on a Firebird too in my opinion.

KBD85

thanks so much! you never know on this site hehe, that is why i like it here so much. very honest people lol. im excited to see how i can pull it off

Ken

punkmaster98

iTrader: (5)

subscribed, this is sweet

Richboll

Anxious to see it finished.

KBD85

meee tooo i cant wait!! infact i took off the week of thanksgiving just so i can work on her! i hope to have it all roughed in by the weekend, and then get her done the first of next week. Then i want to get the whole car done to see how it all looks all done!! im stoked!!

Ken

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

yeah im looking at doing this over the winter when I do my car but not to sure how it will look with my wing I cant find any pictures of one I think thats what makes this car look so good

KBD85

Yes I think the fin plays a part, but what seems to make it look real good is the firebird rear end alone. The way the taillights are flush with the back. I think you would be good. Is that vert the one you would be doing?? I have three deck lids I would set on for pics if that would help. One with the stock firebird fin, the other with the GTA wrap around fin.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I have been looking to do this for a wile but was not sure how it would look thats how I found that photo that you seen hell there are a lot of them around (bumpers) I may just go ahead a try it and see how it turns out I cant wait to see yours how are you going to mate to two togeather are you going to weld them ??

KBD85

"welding" them now a day is kind of old school. It's still a very good way to bind parts together, but epoxies have come so far they work amazing!! What I have used for years is a panel bond from 3m. It holds very well and the most important thing to consider are the properties of the materials being consistant for equal expansion and contraction of the materials

I'm on my phone now and it's a pain trying to type all this. Tomorrow at work I will post some pics of this bumper as I just put some parts together. I will try to explain the process in detail for you then. Also feel free to ask away. I'll help every way I can

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

Yes weld have you never weled plastic before its not like glueing (epoxy)them together you use a rod depending on what type plastic you have and use a plastic welding gun and weld them togeather Ive done them both and the welder works better for me anyways this is were I buy mine http://www.urethanesupply.com/contact.php

KBD85

Yes I've done both. Welding is really good don't get me wrong, the epoxy is just faster, easier to shape it. If you rather the welding process I see nothing wrong with it.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

I do use the epoxy 5887 but i use it as a filller rather then bonding what are you using for bonding to panels together

KBD85

3m 08115

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

I use this stuff but I use it for bonding metal parts where it is hard to get to with a welder I dont know if it is good for plastic parts?? have you used it for that ?

KBD85

Oh yeah!! It works awesome! Yes your right, it's Metal panel bond and we use it for that also. But it works so good on these. Bumpers. You hit it with 24 grit, make sure it's clean, and it will not come apart. And it's properties flex with the rubber just fine. Been using it for years.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I looked it up and it works with plastic and rubber too cool http://3mcollision.com/3m-panel-bond...ive-08115.html

KBD85

I'm not in the auto body line of work any more tho. I was a painter / body man with a really good friend. He now owns his own shop and told me about this trick. I'm now a design engineer for Autoliv. But I have done this ever since he showed me and it has worked amazingly well to this date.

KBD85

Did you see my "firemaro" thread? I did it with the same stuff. I tried to paste a link here, but can't figure it out on my phone.. Sorry

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...-grafting.html

there! i finaly got to a real computer!!! LOL here is the link to the front bumper i did, similar process used here.

Ken

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

no I didnt

KBD85

Nope. I did the front bumper Camaro / firebird grafting

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

No I didnt but how did it turn out?

KBD85

Awesome!! You can see it. Is on this thread "body" under "front bumper firemaro grafting" it's just about ten threads down. Like I say I would post a quick link, but I can't figure it out on this pos phone

KBD85

here is some progress from last night, ive got the upper and lower in the place i want. next will be to create the corners. as you can see from the previous conversation i promised some technical information. So im going to post alot of pics again and i will explain some of the process as i go.

as always...... ENJOY!!!!!!!!

KBD85

Alright, these three pics are of the donor bottom gfx which i need to attach 1-1/2 inch lower to account for some coverage of the back end. i am sizing them up a bit here.