I have an 85 Bird, and was doing some repairs to the console. You know...the typical gorilla glue and clamps where the sides have separated. (Thanks to all who have posted their experience with that! Worked like a charm!)
Anyhoo, now on to the console lid. The top is in decent shape, however the plastic underneath including the screw holes are cracked with huge chunks missing. It’s beyond anything epoxy or fiberglass can help.
I toyed around with the idea of making a lid from a sturdy but thin piece of wood and covering the top with padding and upholstery material. It’ll be a far cry from “factory original”, but I can’t bring myself to fork out the $160 for a new one.
Anybody out there tried this??

 

I fixed a JY piece with a steel rod, copper wire and Oatey, then rebuild the foam padding and reupholstered in leather.

 

I was considering a wooden one also. Actually just yesterday I started glueing pieces of wood to start carving them.

The plastic is in a very bad shape but if I manage to fix it, how did you do the foam? Is it that spray on stuff.?

 

I fixed mine with shop industrial 2 part product that my bud uses at his body shop.It was in a big gun and mixed a&b parts at the tip of the gun.
It fixed mine up good!

Fuzer filling cracks

Filled and clamped


filled and clampted

 

Yeah, spray type.I used the one that stays pliable.Sprayed on what was left of the original, then sand/shaped it.
The copper wire is key to keeping the broken pieces together, steel rod keeps the lid from bending when i accidentally put my arm on it.

 

Interesting thanks

 

You could 3D print one or cnc one from a more durable material.

 

That would probably end up more expensive than buying a reproduction from Hawks. Reproduction have put me off only because I have to pay huge costs for shipping, duty and VAT.

 

84........My plastic was all cracked but the top was in great shape. I used the fuzer to fix both sides of the crack with a few paint
sticks lined up side by side for strength. Gotta work fast cuz that stuff dries quick! (no pics of that cuz of working time). Used the fuzer
to glue down the edges of the soft cover in place.

Came out good tho.
The repops aint too bad but no spring or push button so they flap around!
A bud got one on line.

 

Actually, machining from a solid piece would be around half the cost of the hawks piece, and be much stronger. Any modifications/improvements are possible, and it could be customized to any degree. That wouldn't include design and set-up though. Of course, the taxes would still apply.
I don't have one to get the dimensions from, but a few friends have originals that could be dimension-ed for a rendering.

 

What is fuzer used for in the auto body world?I'm always looking for a new miracle product for whatever i break and need to fix.

 

84.............The fuzer stuff is prob. a body shop only product that is used to actually glue new panels on cars and trucks in the auto body trade.
Its in a big gun with 2 tubes of part A and B and it mixes at the tip of a special gun.
No heat or electricity used.
No more for mfr. use welding to apply door skins to door frames and hoods to the hood base and other parts.
NOW hey have a tool that attaches to the door edges to HEAT up the glue and melt it to remove a damaged door skin.
Amazing watchin a body tech do this the NEW way!
Even used to glue panel skins on older cars too!

 

 

Its always the good stuff, you cant get.

 

Tedsgrad, is that a reproduction lid?

 

I purchased the front seats from Corbeau along with extra hide to re-do the back seats. Then, I used the bones of the lid, used aircraft quality dense foam and French seam stitched to match the seats to tie it all in together (door panel inserts, too).