I'm based in the UK and going to be doing some door cards /panels for a custom hotrod that I have already trimmed the seat for a little while back, can anyone recommend any hidden fixings that I could use to secure the panels to fiber glass? my customer might need to remove the panel for access to parts and would like fixings that will not damage the fiber glass when panels are put on or pulled off any advice or help on this would be great, many thanks in advance
Fiberglass can be tricky, due to the uneven thickness of the fiberglass. On steel cars I use Auveco clip AU12134. I used snaps on one glass car, it worked pretty well but I prob. would not do that again. I'm not a fan of the Christmas tree clips but that may be the best readily available option.
-There are some nice looking clips called Fastmount I have never used them but plan on it the next time I work on a glass car.
-You could also use the 3M Dual Lock which is basically a plastic Velcro This works pretty well, I just don't always trust the adhesive on this stuff. I normally use rivets or staples along with the adhesive back. Soft Velcro works well with the Dual Lock as well
Fiberglass cars can be tricky due to the uneven thickness of the fiberglass itself. On steel cars I use Auveco AU12134, but these do not work well with glass cars.
- I do not like the christmas tree clips but they are probably the most readily available solution.
-There are some nice looking clip systems called Fastmount I have not used them yet but I do plan on it the next time a glass car comes in my shop.
- You could also use Dual Lock from 3M. it is basically a stiff plastic Velcro. I don't really trust the adhesive back, so I use rivets or staples to ensure the adhesive and/or paint wont fail. Standard velcro sticks to the Dual Lock as well, more so to the SJ3870 than the SJ3871 but it works with both.
Many of the clips mentioned above work well but the problem is the fiberglass that they will attach to. If the fiberglass is too thick the clip won't expand on the back side of the hole. If the fiberglass is too thin the clip will expand but may tear out the fiberglass when removing the panel.
This may be another option, once again I have not tried this with fiberglass doors but may be worth a try. install these sockets first with some epoxy, then use the AU12134 clip. The nice thing with these clips is that they lay flat on the panel. Which means less chance of a lump (or foaming and sanding) on the covered side of the panel unlike wire or plastic clips. If you try it and the sockets do not work I believe the hole made for the socket will still accept a Christmas tree style clip.