C5ALIVE Forum
C5 Help => C5 Support => Topic started by: USA-C5-Owner on 24, November, 2014 - 14:26:27
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When stripping down my new C5, I removed the top body shell from the bottom body shell. Did I make a bog mistake and how can I re-affix these back together. Someone else must have made this mistake at another time before and figured out the best way to re-attach.
Adam from the USA
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Hi if you have separated the two halfs then You do have a problem as there is no glue that will stick both parts together .what they did when building them they used a metal beading wire along the joint and then put both parts together then applied an electric current to the braiding wire and in doing so fused both parts together
Any way on how you can put both parts back together I am not sure how you can do it
Sorry Chas
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I had that feeling half way through that I was doing something bad, but I had already committed so I finished. Not sure what to do here. Currently I have larger problems with the C5 that need attention first. Finding another body shell state-side would be difficult, and I don't want to see one ruined. I will update this when I try something later.
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Hi!
I'm sure there will be a suitable method, you just need to Google and search around. Something like a wide bonding tape with adhesive. There will be adhesives used in the aero industry or the likes. Clean surfaces well beforehand with something like meths. If the method does not work then drink the meths.
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Hi,
the body is made of polypropylene, this material sweats a fine oily substance which makes it almost impossible to adhere anything to its surface. This is the reason the Sinclair body was welded and not glued, gluing would have been far cheaper. This is also the reason it's difficult to spray a C5 body without a special undercoat.
You could use heat treatment to force to oily substance out. If you know someone with a drying booth, e.g. a spray booth or similar, ask the owner if you could leave the parts in the booth, covered of course, for several heat cycles. Or use a heat gun, with caution. This would be a very risky solution, the surface must be hot enough to prepare the surface, but not too hot otherwise the surface will distort. ::) With a heat gun you need to heat up surfaces several times, and this can be very tedious. >:(
The other possibility is to check with a windshield specialist, with some cars the windshields are welded in with the electrical welding tape principle.
Hope this of some help.
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I guess shipping would be prohibitive for this?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sinclair-C5-Body-Shell-only/161486903812?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D28111%26meid%3Dbd05ba8244194709afd54a40a989c8a9%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D11472%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D291298239881
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The C5 was in pretty poor shape when I purchased it and no one over here in the US has any idea what it even is. But somehow I have figured a way to make it worse every time I touch the darn thing :-[ I'll update this thread after I try afew things, but before I tackle the body issue - I have have motor issues, bad wiring, broken POD, bad frame, brakes dont work and all tires shot. I know it sounds like this should be put out to pasture, but the poor thing deserves another go on the road. :'(
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Ok, so I tried many various plastic "glues", "epoxy" and "plastic welds". Most had no effect and peeled off or snapped off with little force. There were one or two that I thought were solid and reliable, but when I sat in the body and shifted my body weight, the adhesion snapped off the plastic again.
So I went another route and riveted the body together. I ran the rivets down the side of the body shell to be located under the reflective strips. I also hid rivets under the headlight housing. All together this seems pretty strong. I may tie in the back together as well, but all-in-all I think the riveting will hold.
Here is pictures as it is today.
(http://s17.postimg.org/kcoc86j6j/POP_01.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/kcoc86j6j/)
(http://s17.postimg.org/7wrmefpuj/POP_02.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7wrmefpuj/)
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Looking great well done but I would put more rivets in where you can to make it as strong as you can ....otherwise it looks great
Bye Chas
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Looks good but as Chas said add more, I remember the days when replacement mini outer cills were pop-riveted in place, and passed the MOT. Was clearly strong enough then but must be welded now.
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Looks very neat, hope that this solution works for you.
Sorry to say I disagree with the last two posts. If the material was rigid I'd agree, but it's not, it's very flexible. You appear to be in a 'between the devil and the deep blue sea' situation. If the rivets are placed too far apart you may suffer from pull through, if they are too close it may result, due to flexing, in splits between the rivet holes.
I would find it preferable to have pull through than splits, with pull through you have a second chance, but with splits it's more or less finito. As you have learned, a split can only be repaired by welding, which of course will leave scars, and the welded seam will not be as stable as the original material. Not only that, think of the extra cost, plus have you experience in welding plastic, it's not so easy. :o
One other small point, I would leave the reflective tape off for a while. This way you can check the riveting at regular intervals, then when you're sure that all is well replace the tape.
With all the hard work you've put into this project I hope that all goes well for you, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. ;)
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have you tried tigerseal?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Upol-Tiger-Seal-Pu-Adhesive-Glue-Sealant-Tigerseal-panel-CAR-TRIM-STRONG-WINDOW-/281026174997
Its what they use to bond (amongst other things) platic car body kits to metal / glass etc etc if it can stick fiberglass to glass I'm sure it'll stick these back together
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Hi, smiler,
I don't think you read post #4. Fiberglass and glass are ideal subjects to glue together, polypropylene is a different kettle of fish. AFAIK welding, as in some other forms of plastic, is the only efficient joining method.
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As far as epoxy's, seals, etc. I have tried many. I even tried a primer/solvent product that claimed to join poly together, but it couldn't hold up to my weight shifting in the body. Good suggestions below. I may try to plastic weld the inner seam. I am as well concerned about pull through. I put washers on the reverse side of the rivets in effort to reduce that chance. I will keep this updated when I have more information.
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You may be able to use hot melt glue if you find the right one,probably an industrial one.Otherwise you need either to go to a bumper repair specialist who will be able to world it together, or if you want to do it yourself, buy the heatgun,nozzle, and feedstock.
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I had that feeling half way through that I was doing something bad, but I had already committed so I finished. Not sure what to do here. Currently I have larger problems with the C5 that need attention first. Finding another body shell state-side would be difficult, and I don't want to see one ruined. I will update this when I try something later.
This is an old thread/question, but there is presently (or at least was until last week) a C5 shell for sale on eBay in UK going for £59.99. You could buy that but the shipping to US would be terribly expensive I imagine.
Re-sealing the two parts of the body shell together should not be difficult really and there's probably many ways you could do this, from very strong specialist plastic adhesives, to perhaps taking a rivet or screw bolt approach?
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i am allmost sure it can be fifex :) , back in the eighties when i was still windsurfing the board were made of the same material.
and believe me i have had to fix my board more thene once.
i used a "glue"gun with special sticks. maybe a local surfshop (old school) can help you
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i am allmost sure it can be fifex :) , back in the eighties when i was still windsurfing the board were made of the same material.
and believe me i have had to fix my board more thene once.
i used a "glue"gun with special sticks. maybe a local surfshop (old school) can help you
Sounds like a good approach! Could try an adhesive approach first would be neater, and if that doesn't prove strong enough, perhaps try some brackets and bolt+nuts approach in discrete places where it won't show. Surely can't be that difficult to fix the two halves together!?
If it were me, because I live right ontop of a large industrial estate with 1,000s of small businesses specializing in all kinds of fields, I'd probably source out a plastic welding company and have it done professionally. I doubt they would charge much.
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Hi I don't think that you will be able to find any material that will glue the parts together ...Sinclair used wire mesh and heated it until it fused both parts together ...you can see it if you look close ..I think the only way is to have it welded together ...