Adding Strength To A Model Body

[woodman]

OK guys...You got me hooked-convinced to build one of these hard bodie oval racers......But being so fragile, out of the box model cars need beefing up....Window-door posts etc.....I can see why you guys use resin bodies, for the strength...But what about model bodies....
What do you guys do? Thick epoxy?
In boat building the epoxy can be thickened up with wood dust into a thick peanut butter consistency...

[Nor Cal Mike]

I have never had any issues using model kit bodies for hard body projects. They can be vulnerable at the A & B pillars if you don't run glass but if you glue the glass into the underside of the roof the pillars are reinforced by the glass and will take a lot of beating. Small detachable parts like bumpers can be backed up with epoxy, JB weld or glued in with shoe goo for a more flexible assembly.

The only model body I have totally lost was a 76-8 Camaro which I hogged out the fenders to add styrene flares. I had just a little bit of the original material left between the top of the wheel cutout and the rear glass. The entire rear of the body folded in a hard crash. I learned from that to leave more material in the upper fender openings and add the flares to the outside of the body. I probably could have epoxied a strip of some additional material across the vulnerable area to to reinforce it too.

[woodman]

So I was thinking to leave the glass out, and epoxy some piano wire to the inside of the front post.....
...I have a 57 chevy unfinished since , the box says 1978,with opening doors and deck lid, hood...this will be my guinea pig....

[Ember]

That would work well Woodman. I've not done it myself on a plastic kit, but I have used the trick to repair bent and broken pillars on resin shells.

[Nor Cal Mike]

I agree. Epoxy in piano wire, brass, wood dowel. It's all good.