Passenger roll bar hole too big !!

[michel schryer]

that was my first attempt to make holes for the roll bars and i can say i over did it. One hole for the passenger diagonal bar is waaaay too large.
What's the best way to fix that. I suppose with fibreglass but is there different type,i never did that before,any advises please ?? Thanks

Michel

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Pay an expert to fix it...then pay an expert to recut it to fit.

[Dwight]

Buy a fiberglass repair kit from Wal Mart or auto parts store. Last one I bought cost $8 or $10. Apply 3 or 4 layers of duct tape to the bottom of your over size hole. Make sure to clean it so the tape will stick. Cut 4 or 5 pieces of mat to fit the hole. Mix the resin per the instructions, pour a little resin in the hole and lay a piece of resin soaked mat in the hole. Place all the pieces of resin soaked mat into the hole. Build it up so it's at less even with the fiberglass body. Pour resin in any small holes. You can use foam rubber to push the resin/mat around. It does not stick to the foam. The thin latex glove will keep it off your hands. Tape around the hole will make clean up easier. Let it dry over night, sand and cut new hole. If you mess it up, cut it out and do it till you get it right. Small pin holes can be filled with body filler. You can experiment on a piece of glass or metal before you try it on your car. You can always cut or sand off your mistakes. It's not that hard. Just takes time.
Let us know how it turns out.

Dwight

[mickmate]

Take a die grinder or drum sander and put a bevel on the top and bottom of the hole edges. That way the repair has something to bond to and the setting fibreglass won't pull too badly across the surface. Tape across the underside as suggested and cut the fibreglass cloth or mat to just fit the hole. Do several layers to build up to the thickness you need. It's not hard just a little messy and time consuming.

[thudmaster]

bigger grommets?

[FWB]

yeah i like the bigger grommet idea too

[COBRANIP]

How about a nice polished escutcheon?

[Rick Parker]

With a curved "Cheese grater" Body shop tool or coarse curved file bevel the entire perimeter of the hole to about 45-60 degrees and rough up the surrounding area about 1/2-3/4" outside the hole, this is where the matting will bite and bond. Cut many pieces of cloth to the general shape while increasing each one slightly. Tape a piece of aluminum foil to the underside of the body to cover the hole, seal the perimeter of the foil. I like to use a 1/2"-3/4" wide cheap paintbrush (buy 5 or 6). Mix the resin so it is not too "HOT" to increase the pot life and allow some time to work the mat with resin, I used cat food cans for a mixing pot. Wet the roughed up perimeter with resin and lay the first layer of cloth in and make it flat with the bottom foil. Make sure the outer edges where it contacts the roughed up body surface are free of any bubbles, lay the next layer in and duplicate, it will take about 10 layers depending on what weight cloth you are using. Thouroghly wet each layer but don't use an abundance of resin, only enough to wet all the cloth and eliminate air bubbles. Do not attempt to patch the entire thickness at one time. Scuff the cured surface of applied cloth the next day and continue.

I used this process to completly plug the hole for the filler cap and relocate it. It was un-nerving to cut a fresh 4 1/2" hole but by careful planning and following good fiber glassing practices you can make it come out very nice.
Here is a tip:
Get a short (6") piece of the same tubing diameter to replicate the brace (it could be sprinkler pipe too), determine the angle with the actual body as it passes through it (don't guess). Cut the tube to this angle and trace this shape (oblong) to a piece of pattern paper or light cardboard (like shirt box). Add some clearance to the outer dimension maybe 1/8"-3/16 all the way around, and then cut it out and tape and trace this on the body. Grommet is a piece of thin wall radiator overflow hose that is slit on one side. Plan it good it will come out nice. This is my finished product:

[IMG][/IMG]

[mickmate]

http://www.finishlineaccessories.com...roducts_id=370
These do cover a lot of sins and don't look half bad.

[CobraDan]

Follow everyone’s suggestions on the fiberglass replacement but before you start since your hole is too large put the roll bar in place and make a cardboard template of the size hole you need so during the repair you can make that hole perfect this time.

[trularin]

I did this to move some holes.

Basically everyone is saying about the same thing. You need to glass the holes and sand the body after the fact.

Here is my added on advice:

1. Make sure your roll bar(s) are NOT bent. Both of mine were bent making the holes oblong.

2. Exercise a lot of patience. This is going to take some time. Take it.

3. Make sure you place grocery bags or lot of news paper inside the trunk just in case your first time at bat, you fall through.

4. Allow more than enough time for all this stuff to dry. If you rush it, it will be FUBARed.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[Needforspeed]

Hi Michel,
I believe we met the other week at the milton cruise night- i was in the all red cobra beside you (Phil) anyways- I am installing my new roll bar tonight and have purchased the finishline 2" grommets that have yet to be installed- if you want to come over and see them live here's your chance... the are different than the online pic as the black rubber covers more than you might think and your probem might be solved....
Email me back if interested as i live 15 mins from georgetown...

[mickmate]

I have just moved some holes, put new ones in and stretched some first ones while putting a new bar and second bar on a car. The Finishline trim rings for a 1 1/2" bar cover a 3 3/8" diameter. Make sure the bar is all installed and bolted down before deciding on what needs to move where.

[767Jockey]

When I did my rollbar, the main hoop holes were easy, it was the oblong hole for the rear brace that was the challenge. I went through all my wifes Christmas wrapping paper until I found a roll that had a cardboard inner core tube of the same approximate size as the diameter of the rear brace tubing. I cut that perfectly to fit to the top of the body where it would pass through. I then covered the area of the rear deck of the body where it would pass through with masking tape, and using a Sharpie pen, I traced the outline of the cardboard tube oblong shape exactly where it would pass through the body. It worked out great, and was easy, cheap and foolproof. PM me if my rambling post has confused you!

[SKINNEDR]

Originally Posted by FWB

yeah i like the bigger grommet idea too

Try the above process first....
Will eliminate a lot of work.....and possible major screwup...
Dex..

[mickmate]

Nice roll bar Doug is that.........stainless! Oooooh.