Post pictures of your tC with aftermarket Rims/Tires here!
07-14-2010, 02:59 AM
#3261
Senior Member
SL Member
Team N.V.S.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,823
because it would look a whole lot better than the stitch look
its not "soldering" plastic, more like welding. i just used an old soldering gun to do it.
they have plastic welders available but i opted to use my the soldering gun and the black zip ties as i already had it. i should say that the soldering gun will be useless for actual soldering if you do this most likely.
all you have to do is:
1) let soldering gun heat up.
2) touch the gun to the crack(s) and let the two pieces fuse together.
there will be a slight dip in the cracked area after the two cracked
pieces fuses.
3) grab a zip tie and melt it on the tip of the soldering gun and smear over
the dipped fused area. it will be kinda sloppy looking when you do this.
its ok.
4) let cool then file the bump from the zip ties down.
5) sand with course then fine grit sand paper and it will be good as new.
i was gonna do a diy when i fixed my front lip but i didn't have time. this takes a lil while to do but is not hard and it will save you hundreds of $$$ from having to buy a new kit.
(note. your kit will have to be repainted after)
its not "soldering" plastic, more like welding. i just used an old soldering gun to do it.
they have plastic welders available but i opted to use my the soldering gun and the black zip ties as i already had it. i should say that the soldering gun will be useless for actual soldering if you do this most likely.
all you have to do is:
1) let soldering gun heat up.
2) touch the gun to the crack(s) and let the two pieces fuse together.
there will be a slight dip in the cracked area after the two cracked
pieces fuses.
3) grab a zip tie and melt it on the tip of the soldering gun and smear over
the dipped fused area. it will be kinda sloppy looking when you do this.
its ok.
4) let cool then file the bump from the zip ties down.
5) sand with course then fine grit sand paper and it will be good as new.
i was gonna do a diy when i fixed my front lip but i didn't have time. this takes a lil while to do but is not hard and it will save you hundreds of $$$ from having to buy a new kit.
(note. your kit will have to be repainted after)
07-19-2010, 08:26 PM
#3262
Senior Member
Team Hamster
SL Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: THREEONEFOUR
Posts: 1,372
If I was gonna do it your way, in the spirit of keeping things discrete, I would have just purchased a new lip and fog lights and repainted the front bumper while I was at it.
btw, it is soldered with additional filler as well as horizontal plastic reinforcements on the back side. And it has snapped again. And been repatched again. ...and again, and again, etc.
Thats the down side of a harsh winter, being 2.75" off the ground and made from abs plastic.
In your opinion maybe.
Last edited by BLUEMEANIE; 07-19-2010 at 08:36 PM.
07-21-2010, 01:49 PM
#3264
Senior Member
Team Hamster
SL Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: THREEONEFOUR
Posts: 1,372
lol. Thanks tin! I do too. I've seen some go overboard with it tho. I thought about using hot pink but clear/white looked better with the red tape. The fender liners have a couple pink ones holding them in.
Originally it was only a temporary fix but it grew on me and it'll stay this way until the lip is beyond repair. At which point I'll go OEM or 5A and get the bumper patched up.
Originally it was only a temporary fix but it grew on me and it'll stay this way until the lip is beyond repair. At which point I'll go OEM or 5A and get the bumper patched up.
07-23-2010, 02:44 AM
#3265
Senior Member
SL Member
Team N.V.S.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,823
not being sarcastic here but what is the reasoning for the tape across the fogs and headlights? i see it on autocross cars alot and been scratching my head trying to figure out why the tape is there.
07-23-2010, 12:16 PM
#3267
Senior Member
Team Hamster
SL Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: THREEONEFOUR
Posts: 1,372
^ yep. In the old days headlights were glass. Now a days they're polycarbonate so they don't shatter the same but 99% of all racetracks still require it.
While my fog lights are glass and the one taped is actually badly cracked I did it in lieu of covering a small pebble hole with a single piece of clear packaging tape or similar.
IMHO if you try and hide damage it ends up looking more haggard in the long run. But if you embrace it with a sense of humor and style while keeping the rest of the car clean it comes off looking kinda cool.
While my fog lights are glass and the one taped is actually badly cracked I did it in lieu of covering a small pebble hole with a single piece of clear packaging tape or similar.
IMHO if you try and hide damage it ends up looking more haggard in the long run. But if you embrace it with a sense of humor and style while keeping the rest of the car clean it comes off looking kinda cool.
07-24-2010, 07:53 PM
#3269
^ yep. In the old days headlights were glass. Now a days they're polycarbonate so they don't shatter the same but 99% of all racetracks still require it.
While my fog lights are glass and the one taped is actually badly cracked I did it in lieu of covering a small pebble hole with a single piece of clear packaging tape or similar.
IMHO if you try and hide damage it ends up looking more haggard in the long run. But if you embrace it with a sense of humor and style while keeping the rest of the car clean it comes off looking kinda cool.
While my fog lights are glass and the one taped is actually badly cracked I did it in lieu of covering a small pebble hole with a single piece of clear packaging tape or similar.
IMHO if you try and hide damage it ends up looking more haggard in the long run. But if you embrace it with a sense of humor and style while keeping the rest of the car clean it comes off looking kinda cool.
I beefed up one of mine, posted a wanted ad in the classifies and had a replacement in like 2 days!!! Might be worth your time if you want to replace it.
