Molding plastic to metal? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Molding plastic to metal?

I have a Mustang GT hood scoop that I want to mold into my Explorer's hood. The hood scoop is plastic and attach's the the hood with supplied bolts. Once its bolted down I want to fill the seam and smooth the scoop into the hood. I was thinking of using 3 layers of fiberglass and then finishing with some bondo. My only concern is if it will eventually crack around the seam? What everybody's opinion on this? Thanks for any input.
 



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I would definately think it would crack because the metal has a smooth surface so it would be hard for it to bond. Mabye if you roughed up the metal too it would maybe not crack. However this is only my opinion and I have never done anything like that.
 






Well it's not the best of ideas. I don't think you could fit 3 layers of glass in the seem and make it look good. I would bolt the scoop to the hood, reinforce the inside by laying glass from the scoop to the hood to lock them together. Then fill the seem on top in with a reinforeced filler such as Kitty Hair. Then do your finish work with a light coat of body filler.

Make sure you rough up any plastic that comes in contact with the glass so it makes good adhesion.
 






hartman has it right

will be a fairly big project
 






what about jb weld or expoxy type material....
 






JB Weld will make it stick but fiberglass is the best way to go especially if you want to mold it on to the hood. Depending on the height of the hood scoop, it will crack because of the wind vibration. I used to have a hood scoop that I molded on to the hood that was 2 1/2 inches in height and it cracked in the first month. I replaced it with a fiberglass one that is an inch tall and it did not crack in 3 years I had it before I sold it. Less wind resistant the better so there is less vibration.
 






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