Ruready2go said: When putting bonding strip to header bar. Do you just put rivits in place and "smash" end of rivit to mushroom it over to hold the strip in place?

Basically, yes. Thinking about it though, it might be a good idea to put an adhesive on it as well, a bit of overkill, but you're going this far............

Ok, I've tried about every tool I have and I can't seperate the bonding strip from the shroud. It seems very brittle and if I use something to stiff it just crumbles. Im to the point of just grinding around the entire thing and having to buy a new one...so the question is when others tried the above suggestions ie knife, chisel was it that hard to seperate the two???

Thanks, Ron

Nothing about panel removal on a vette is easy, especially if you're trying to save the part. Your issue is compounded by the location.
Patience grasshopper!

I must not have by brain in gear because I am not following what you are having problems with...

I made my own chisel when I removed the metal brace

made it out of a 18 inch long piece of bar stock...
pretty thin at the end and increasing in thickness very slowely to about 1/4 inch... then just used plenty of light taps...along the edges of the brace..

Bob

The "brace" or header bar came off pretty easy. Im trying to get the bonding strip that the header bar was on. Under the bonding strip are the rivits that attached the header bar to the bonding strip to the cowl. What has happened, which im am told is common, is that the rivits corroded and the only way they could go was up through the fiberglass which makes small bumps between the hood opening and the light openings all across the length of the cowl. I was easily distracted today because of "other" things I wanted to take off and clean and paint. So soon I will stop procrastinating and get to it...

I have much to learn master Dave, signed grasshopper!

|UPDATED|11/14/2004 6:34:48 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Well young (not really) grasshopper was very impatiet today master Dave. So he use air power die cutter, and air hammer with chisel bit to obliterate fiberglass bonding strip to million pieces. Me learn valuble lesson about small pieces of fiberglass and skin. On plus side master, me wife rub cortisone all over body to soothe skin...

That glass smarts. OW! It usually stings for a few days.

I now getting ready to fix this before putting engine back in car. My question is, looking under at metal brace that is glued on...I think this is listed in catalogs as header bar, metal...but what is the bonding strip listed with it?? I need to remove this metal strip and the reinforcement behind bumber because of rust..pandora's box is now offically open!!

Thanks, Ron

The bonding strip goes between the steel header bar and the surround panel. It rivets to the steel header bar and glues to the surround panel.
The nose re-inforcement simply rivets to the front leading edge right behind the bumper.

As Bob states above that he just glued it back on and did not use rivets again, would I still need the bonding strip...?