cpatel529

iTrader: (80)

I heard from someone that you should protect the front of your touring car body using fiberglass and shoe goo. How do I go about doing this? I want to protect the wheel wells and other parts of the front of my MazdaSpeed body from cracking during crashes. The simple answer is to not crash but that isnt a solution that works for me.

redbones

shoogoo is your friend. I use them in the fender right above the front tires and parts of the bumper that have acute angles. Lasting pretty good.

or8ital

iTrader: (38)

Look at the painting tutorial on the front page of this site.

razzor

reinforced duct tape or alluminium tape works well.

SWTour

iTrader: (9)

...things for us NON Pros to help save bodies.

Use a GOOD/FIRM type Foam bumper (P-Dub work great for touring cars - I use BEEFY BUMPERS on oval cars) large ones work best, shaped to the inside of the body with no gap between the body and the bumper.

If your car has a place to do it - use a body support post under about the center of the hood area about an inch in front of the windshield. This helps keep the body from being able to flex and crack at the wheel wells.

Shoe goo on the inside of the body in the areas that are prone to cracking can also be done BEFORE the body is painted, because you can apply paint over shoe goo, but you can also apply the shoe goo after a body is painted (Be careful though because some paint will be affected and get messed up by shoe goo)

NOTE: The higher density the foam bumper, and the better it shaped to the body to prevent body movement...the better the protection will be.

deskwarmer

iTrader: (6)

Kinda the same idea:

I soaked some strips of cloth in epoxy and laid it down on the body. Works pretty well.

P2

iTrader: (15)

Get some reinforced aluminum tape:


http://www.top-racing.jp/showProduct...&ProductID=181

You can order some from www.topracingusa.com and they will ship to your door. Better yet, have your LHS order some for all

racingboy14

iTrader: (25)

I use shoe goo on a piece of figerglass cloth in the fenders and after its dry I cut off the excess.

razzor

i would think the epoxy idea would make the body a bit too stiff to absorb impacts.
Wide bumpers are a good idea though to support the front of the body.

JayBee

iTrader: (31)

The best stuff I've used to date is the sticky chassis protective film. Attach part of it to the section of the body you wanna protect and use a hair dryer to form it into place. It goes pretty much anywhere & where it doesn't, Shoe goo it.

Superkarter

iTrader: (2)

Also make sure the wheel wells are smooth, i sand mine with 800 grit wet and dry after cutting. As any sharp points or corners are the first place a crack will appear

slammin

iTrader: (88)

I stick drywall tape on the nose and around the front fenders and then put a layer of shoe goo over it to hold it in place.

FOXY923

+1, works great. Make sure you let it cure before running the body though, otherwise there was no point wasting your time.

LOW ET

iTrader: (109)

the shoe goo doesn't affect the paint? (water colors)

FOXY923

Not that I've noticed. Make sure the paint is dry first of course.

I use a popcycle stick to spread the shoe goo over the mesh tape. Get as close to the edges of the wheel wells as possible.